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Sam Leavitt's late-game magic torpedoes Texas Tech football in loss at Arizona State
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- Sam Leavitt's late-game magic torpedoes Texas Tech football in loss at Arizona State
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Texas Tech football team, having sleepwalked through 3 1/2 quarters on Saturday, Oct. 18, was on the verge of stealing an improbable come-from-behind victory after rallying for two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
All the Red Raiders needed was one stop to put away Arizona State . They've had faith all season in a unit that ranked tied for sixth in the FBS in scoring defense.
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The immovable object met the irresistible force that is Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson , ASU's quarterback-receiver combo. Leavitt steered a game-winning 10-play drive in the final two minutes that gave the Sun Devils a 26-22 victory and handed the Red Raiders their first loss.
"That quarterback changes everything," Tech coach Joey McGuire said. "He's a difference maker. He's one of the best in the country. He threw for 319 (yards), and I thought he did a good job with his feet whenever he needed to. I know everybody rallies around him. They're a different team whenever he's playing.
"We did not play well enough today to win the football game."
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The winning drive started with 2 minutes left and ended with Raleek Brown taking a pitch off right tackle for a 1-yard touchdown with 34 seconds remaining. In between, Leavitt completed five passes — four to Tyson, including a fourth-down throw for 33 yards to the Tech 22-yard line. Tyson also drew a defensive pass interference penalty that moved the ball to the 2.
"I think they just had a good plan," said Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez , who logged 12 tackles and two forced fumbles. "It's something we work on every week on Wednesdays — we work two-minute drill. We just didn't execute a lot of our calls. There was a big fourth down on that drive, and they kept moving the sticks. When you have playmakers, they're going to make plays."
On a warm, sunny afternoon, a day the Tech offense mostly struggled without Behren Morton , the defense kept the Red Raiders in it. In the third quarter, Leavitt's 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyson and Jesus Gomez's fourth field goal made the score 19-7.
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It stayed that way until 3:45 left, when Will Hammond ran for a 1-yard touchdown. After a three-and-out, Coy Eakin darted down the Tech sideline with a 39-yard punt return to the ASU 12. Hammond fired a 12-yard scoring pass to Reggie Virgil, then bowled over a safety for a two-point conversion that made it 22-19 and stunned the ASU crowd.
Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A vastly improved defense was key for Tech (6-1, 3-1 in the Big 12) going unbeaten through six games and into the top 10 in the national polls. This time, Leavitt held the trump card when it mattered, keeping Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) in the Big 12 title race.
Leavitt missed the Sun Devils' 42-10 loss the week before at Utah with a foot injury. He played the whole way against Tech, finishing 319 yards on 28-for-47 passing. He showed off one of his strengths, making big things happen when plays break down. He delivered two long passes to receiver Jaren Hamilton in the first half when he was hit on the throw. He scrambled for a 14-yard gain, and the 33-yard pass to Tyson on the last drive came off a scramble.
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"I think he did a really good job escaping through rush lanes that we didn't do a good job of containing him," Rodriguez said. "He made plays with his legs. He made plays with his arm. He got his team into really good plays, and I think they had a really good plan with hitting certain formations against us."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Sam Leavitt's late-game magic torpedoes Texas Tech football
