For the past few weeks, things have been going on and off for Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State Sun Devils. But their latest 16-24 loss against the Houston Cougars was not something Dillingham and Co. were prepared to face. And with this, their solidified Big 12 championship hopes after the charged-up win against Texas Tech went for a toss. Not just this, Dillingham and the Sun Devils had to deal with a quarterback hoopla, too. Their quarterback, Sam Leavitt, had exited twice during the game. So, this being the sole reason behind the Sun Devils’ loss had picked up the buzz. During the post-game presser, Dillingham broke his silence.

Things got worse, and Dillingham had to count on his backup, Jeff Sims. Answering a reporter, the head coach said, “Well, Sam got retweaked there at the end. So he got tweaked at the beginning, we sent him in there, got some imaging, he wanted to go right back in, and I said, ‘No, you’re going to get imaging. Before you go back in, I don’t care how you feel.’” The to-and-fro motion affected the momentum of the game. 

Coming back to Leavitt after a tough fall ended his first drive with ASU, he headed to the locker room for imaging but made it back for the second drive. Later in the fourth, a visible limp betrayed the effort as the Sun Devils narrowed the deficit to two possessions. The fourth-quarter spark came from Leavitt, but when he went out briefly, backup Sims seized the moment, covering 70 yards and delivering his first passing touchdown since the 2023 season opener at Nebraska. 

Dillingham shared a detailed take, “And then he came back, and then at the end he treated himself again, so we held him out. And Jeff did a really nice job moving the ball down the field. Moved it all the way down the field, scored a touchdown, two-minute drill, and then there at the end, you know, bang-bang play, great play by them to knock the ball out.” So, can we jump to the conclusion that it was the Leavitt factor that burdened Arizona State with yet another loss?

The Arizona State football team has won its last 11 Big 12 games with Leavitt at quarterback. Arizona State’s offense revolves around his steady hands. Standing 6’2” and 205 pounds, he’s racked up 1,358 yards and nine touchdowns against just three interceptions this season. With a 66.4 QBR, Leavitt’s blend of offensive control and mistake-free play has been key for ASU to stay in the hunt. Cut to Sims, with ASU grinding their way into the red zone on the legs of Raleek Brown, he got the nod. Now, what about Leavitt’s injury update?

Kenny Dillingham remains cautious while giving Sam Leavitt’s update

This season, Leavitt has become susceptible to injuries. He was sidelined for Arizona State’s Week 7 game against the Utah Utes. Just a week after an ankle injury while facing off against Baylor, Leavitt returned for ASU’s Sept. 26 clash with TCU, throwing 27-of-39 for 291 yards and two TDs, while adding 62 rushing yards and another score to lead the Sun Devils past the Horned Frogs. ASU then enjoyed a Week 6 bye.

That’s when Dillingham called it a “mini miracle” if Leavitt played after re-aggravating the lingering injury. This time, too, the head coach sounded sure that the injury that kept Leavitt away during the Saturday game was not the same as the one that sidelined him for the game at Utah two weeks ago. Does that mean he disclosed Leavitt’s injury status, too?

No, the head coach thinks it’s too early to break the news. “I’m not going to comment on what it was,” said Dillingham in the postgame presser. Looks like the head coach does not want to say anything unless and until he is absolutely sure of it.

After all, Kenny Dillingham always holds Sam Leavitt on a pedestal. Not being able to take part in the Utah game, the quarterback ensured to make up for it against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and sealed a 26-22 win. During the post-game presser, Dillingham only showered huge praise on Leavitt. “The dudes a battler, he’s a competitor, he was ready to play this week, and I felt he was ready to play this week. He just does everything he can for this football team, and in this different moment, he makes a difference.” He provides a reliable safety net for Dillingham; fingers crossed, Leavitt won’t be out of action for too long.