Wyoming
Practice what you preach: ASU generates three turnovers against Wyoming
Arizona State forces 3 turnovers in win over Wyoming to start 2024
All offseason, coach Kenny Dillingham preached getting turnovers. Forty seconds into the season’s first game, the defense produced its first one.
Four games. That’s how long it took for the Arizona State defense to generate its first turnover in 2023.
Forty seconds. That’s how it long it took for ASU to get its first turnover for this 2024 season.
Redshirt junior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu read Wyoming junior quarterback Evan Svoboda perfectly and intercepted the Mesa Red Mountain alum on the second play of the game, returning it for a touchdown to start the year in near-perfect fashion for the Sun Devils to establish an early 7-0 lead.
They didn’t stop there either.
On the very next offensive drive for the Cowboys, facing a long third-and-23, the ASU defense again capitalized on a mistake from Svoboda, this time as another linebacker – junior Keyshaun Elliott – intercepted Svoboda on an overthrown pass. Seven plays later, redshirt sophomore Ian Hershey booted a 29-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the 6:19 mark in the first quarter.
Coach Kenny Dillingham called the linebacker room the “most improved” during the preseason. And less than 10 minutes into the first game, the group proved him right. It’s also a testament to ASU’s ability in the transfer portal as both Fiaseu and Elliott are transfers. The Sun Devils picked up 30 transfers this past offseason, with the class ranking No. 30 in the nation and fourth in the Big 12, according to 247Sports.
ASU added its third turnover of the game in the third quarter when Svoboda attempted to hit wide receiver Tyler King on a swing pass to the left, but threw the ball behind his intended target. ASU redshirt senior Justin Wodtly scooped it up and ran 6 yards for the touchdown to make it 41-0 with 6:07 to go in the third quarter.
It was all part of a superb evening from the ASU defense, which held Wyoming to just 53 yards of total offense in the first half. Wyoming didn’t score its first points until 2 seconds remained in the game.
One of the themes of spring and fall camp for ASU was emphasizing the need for turnovers.
Great play all around: Sam Leavitt leads ASU to convincing victory in 1st career start
“I expect us to run to the football, and I expect us to get takeaways this year,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said ahead of the season.
ASU didn’t get its first takeaway until the first quarter of the fourth game of last season against USC when linebacker Tate Romney recovered a fumble. The Sun Devils were the last team among FBS schools to force their first turnover last season.
ASU was a dismal 127th — out of 130 schools — last year in turnover margin. Rice, Nebraska, and Temple were the only schools to finish below ASU in 2023.
That trend is now shifting in favor of the Sun Devils. The message is starting to get through.
“It’s incredible,” Dillingham said in his postgame news conference. “Every single day — guys are probably bored of it — we start our team meeting and the only two things I show are: effort plays and takeaways. That’s it. Bad ball security, takeaways, effort. That’s it. I don’t show anything else. It’s those two things, over and over. It’s just to get in their mind that if you play really hard and you win the turnover battle, all these schemes that you’re about to go do are awesome, but they’re obsolete. And we have to be able to do those two things, and then go play smart football. That was game-changing when you turn the ball over at that rate. It was as close to a shutout as you can possibly get. So in my mind, it’s a shutout and it’s two defensive touchdowns. Awesome job by our defense tonight. They deserve it because they’ve been working hard.”
ASU also executed on running the ball as senior running back Cam Skattebo (11 carries, 49 yards, one touchdown) and redshirt senior running back DeCarlos Brooks (six carries, 47 yards, one touchdown) led a potent, multipronged ground attack.
Even redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt got in on the action, showcasing his scrambling ability to the tune of 47 yards on eight carries.
In all, the Sun Devils rushed for 241 yards on 49 carries as a team. ASU had 499 yards of total offense on the night in a commanding 48-7 victory.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, ASU and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
WYOMING — Governor Mark Gordon hosted an impromptu panel discussion earlier this week with state veterinarians and the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) to initiate communication efforts relating to the New World screwworm.
A statement from Gordon’s office says that there are no reported outbreaks of the flesh-eating New World screwworm in the U.S. outside of previously confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico. Gordon called the session to increase lines of communication about the screwworm ahead of Wyoming’s peak summer travel, backcountry and rodeo season. Included in the panel were State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel, State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Allen, and WDH Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Emily Curren.
“There are no reported cases in Wyoming; however, Texas and New Mexico are tracking instances, so it is important to keep all citizens informed — including pet owners, campers, rodeo athletes, and sportsmen, in addition to our ag, ranching and wildlife communities.” Gordon said in the statement. “I’m satisfied with the extensive outreach regarding NWS that has been ongoing to our ag, livestock, and wildlife professionals.”
Gordon and the panelists fielded questions and heard commentary from various professionals, including Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department Angi Bruce, and Wyoming Livestock Board Director Steven True.
New World screwworm is a deadly, flesh-eating parasite that was previously eradicated in the United States and hasn’t been seen in Texas since 1966. An outbreak of the insects in Panama spurred a state of emergency in 2023, and a case of the screwworm was confirmed in southern Mexico in 2024. The female flies lay their eggs in open wounds of mammals, and the livestock industry is fearful of potential impacts on cattle and beef production.
Below are the key takeaways from the discussion, per Gordon’s statement.
- There are no reported outbreaks of New World screwworm in Wyoming.
- New World screwworms feed on and lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
- Transmission to humans is very rare.
- New World screwworm is not a food safety issue.
- Livestock and domesticated animals should be checked regularly — daily if possible.
- Contact a veterinarian or medical doctor if open wounds are painful and persistent.
- Keeping fly populations under control at rodeo events protects animals and people.
- Protocols for safe animal transport are currently in place in Wyoming.
- Wildlife and game populations are being monitored for early indicators of fly strikes.
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
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