Arizona
Sam Leavitt shines at QB, Arizona State grabs big lead early and beats Wyoming 48-7
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns, Cam Skattebo and DeCarlos Brooks both ran for a touchdown and Arizona State won its first football game as a member of the Big 12, beating Wyoming 48-7 on Saturday night.
The Sun Devils scored a defensive touchdown just 41 seconds into the game when Zyrus Fiaseu picked off Wyoming’s Evan Svoboda and ran 29 yards to the end zone. The Sun Devils didn’t force a turnover last season until their fourth game.
“The play call was right and I did my job,” Fiaseu said. “When you do your job and execute, good things happen.”
Svoboda threw another interception less than five minutes later. This time, it was Keyshaun Elliott who grabbed the errant pass and ran 18 yards to the Wyoming 42. The Sun Devils capitalized on the good field position with a 29-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.
Arizona State — which finished with a 3-9 record last season — had a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and a 27-0 advantage at halftime.
The Sun Devils outgained the Cowboys 499-118.
“We played hard,” Skattebo said. “That was a different team. You saw it. We felt more comfortable on the sidelines. I got taken out with eight minutes left in the third quarter — that’s a good feeling.”
Leavitt, a Michigan State transfer, played well in his first career start, completing 14 of 22 passes. He beat out senior Jeff Sims for the starting job during preseason camp.
“I didn’t do anything special tonight,” Leavitt said. “Just got the ball to my playmakers and let them make plays with great results.”
Svoboda completed 6 of 15 passes for 42 yards and had the two early interceptions. He also made an errant throw on a lateral that was picked up by Arizona State’s Justin Wodtly and returned six yards for a touchdown.
It was a rough homecoming for Svoboda, who played his high school football in suburban Phoenix, about 20 miles from Arizona State’s campus. Wyoming managed just 51 total yards though three quarters.
The Cowboys avoided a shutout when Kaden Anderson threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Durr with two seconds remaining. Wyoming averaged just 2.3 yards per play.
“We’ve got to get a lot better, obviously, as a football team,” Cowboys coach Jay Sawvel said. “Fortunately for us, it counts for one. Even if it feels like it should count as four or five.”
The takeaway
Wyoming: Sawvel’s first game as head coach of the Cowboys was a rough one. He took over for the retired Craig Bohl, who led the program for 10 years. Svoboda’s early jitters were a big problem, but far from the only one. It’s just one game, but the Cowboys didn’t look like a team ready to compete for a Mountain West title.
Arizona State: It was an encouraging night for the Sun Devils, who were eager to put last year’s injury-plagued season behind them. Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham appears to have more talent at several positions, but a bigger test comes next weekend when they host an SEC opponent in Mississippi State.
Up next
Wyoming: Hosts Idaho next Saturday.
Arizona State: Hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.
Arizona
Cardinals RB James Conner Gets Encouraging Update
ARIZONA — Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon says the progress of running back James Conner has been “good” this week as the team prepares to battle the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.
Gannon, however, wouldn’t elaborate more on Conner and didn’t reveal if he’d play in Saturday night’s primetime battle.
Conner is dealing with a knee injury suffered in the second half of Week 16’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, a 36-30 overtime defeat that saw Arizona’s postseason dreams officially end.
Conner was a limited participant in the two prior practice days for Arizona and if he is again the same for Thursday, it’s likely he’ll officially be ruled questionable when the injury report drops later today.
“We’ll see how he goes throughout the week. I know he wants to play, so we’ll do what’s best for him first and then what’s best for the team,” Gannon said of Conner earlier this week.
Once again, Conner has been one of Arizona’s top players throughout the course of the season, once again eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark as the engine of the Cardinals’ offense.
The ink just dried on Conner’s two-year extension to stay in Arizona, as the running back was set to test the free agent market before the Cardinals re-signed him earlier in the year.
If he can go, Conner hopes to help play the role of spoiler in Los Angeles, as the Rams can win the NFC West with a victory over Arizona and a little help.
Arizona
Report of shots fired at Phoenix Sky Harbor prompts heavy police presence
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Gunshots reportedly rang out at Terminal 4 of Phoenix Sky Harbor on Christmas night.
Airport officials tell Arizona’s Family that police responded to reports of gunfire around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday.
One security checkpoint and the PHX Sky Train was temporarily closed as part of the investigation, however the areas have since reopened.
At this time, police have not confirmed if anyone is injured or if anyone has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
Arizona’s Family has a crew on scene. Check back for updates
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Arizona
Harkins Theatres invites Sun Devil fans to watch Peach Bowl
Can’t make the trip to Atlanta for Arizona State football’s Peach Bowl matchup versus Texas? Harkins Theatres has you covered.
The Valley-owned theatre is inviting Sun Devil fans to watch the Peach Bowl live on the big screen at two locations: Harkins Tempe Marketplace and Camelview at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Fans can show off their Sun Devil pride and experience the “ultimate gameday setting” with tickets for $22 that include a complimentary small popcorn.
Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1. A win over Texas would propel Arizona State into the College Football semifinals, where it’ll play the winner of Oregon-Ohio State.
Fans can get their tickets on Harkins’ website or in person at the Camelview at Scottsdale Fashion Square or Tempe Marketplace box offices.
Sun Devils grateful for support
Arizona State getting into the College Football Playoff, or even winning the Big 12 alone, was unprecedented.
The Sun Devils are the talk of the Valley right now, and whether it’s from those traveling across the country to watch in person or cheering from home in the Valley, the team is thankful for all the support they’re getting.
“I’m grateful and blessed to be in the corner that (Sun Devil fans) want to be supporting,” Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo said. “I know what it costs and what it takes to get there. It’s nice to have those people that try their hardest to get there and could be spending every dollar in their bank account to get there.”
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