Breaking: Arizona State QB Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m),Weight: 200 lb (91 kg) sustained an intensive injury, His return is uncertain
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will not play this Saturday against Cincinnati, as head coach Kenny Dillingham announced on Wednesday that Jeff Sims will take over as the starter. Leavitt sustained a rib injury in the second quarter during a 27-19 victory over Utah while trying to gain extra yards. He left the game to enter the medical tent and subsequently went to the locker room, while Sims capped off the drive with a touchdown run. Dillingham confirmed that Leavitt’s injury is rib-related, but noted that “it’s not just that.” He was cautious about providing a timeline for Leavitt’s return, mentioning that he might be back as soon as November 2 against Oklahoma State, following a bye after this week’s game against the Bearcats. “I could give you a timeline but it’s not real,” said Dillingham. “It could be two weeks, it could be four weeks.
Hopefully, the sooner the better… We’ll get through this week and the bye week, and then reassess as we go.” Despite the injury, Leavitt returned for a kneel-down at the end of the first half and played the entire second half without attempting to run. After the game, he expressed that the pain he felt was overshadowed by his desire to support his teammates.
Sam Leavitt on the hard hit he took to the ribs in the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/GsLJPu2eKZ
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) October 12, 2024
Sims will be making his first start for ASU, having accumulated 4,759 passing yards and 1,372 rushing yards during his five-year career at Georgia Tech and Nebraska, across 32 games. “We brought him in to compete for the starting position. Sam edged him out, but it was close,” Dillingham said. “Jeff had a strong camp. Now, after starting a significant number of games, he gets to start again. To me, it’s not a big deal… just one of the 22 players is different.” In relief of Leavitt last Friday, Sims completed 1 of 2 passes for 13 yards and had a two-yard touchdown run. He also participated in the season opener against Wyoming, rushing three times for 15 yards without attempting a pass.
Arizona State has already focused significantly on the run game, including the quarterback in those plays, and it is likely to become an even more central element of the game plan with Leavitt out and Sims stepping in. The Cincinnati defense has allowed an average of 164.8 rushing yards per game, giving up about 4.9 yards per carry.
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