What Went Wrong in Arizona State’s Blowout Loss to Utah

In today's edition of the Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at the loss the Sun Devils experienced on Saturday night.
Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) warms up before the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) warms up before the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- In today's episode of the Arizona State Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at the loss the Sun Devils experienced on Saturday night against the Utah Utes in lieu of star QB Sam Leavitt being ruled out.

To listen to today's podcast, view below.

Below is a partial transcript of Leavitt's conversation with media last Tuesday.

On Derek Eusebio 

“Yeah, I mean, to be honest, we'll find out. You know, we have a lot of confidence in Derek out there right now that spot. So definitely add some depth for us. So that's been a good part is the depth.”

On Weather Potentially Impacting Game

  • “Yeah, I really don't care about the weather. Like obviously we got to prepare for it. We got to spray, you know, footballs down as much as we can. We got to do stuff like that. But at the end of the day, you know, football is won by one person moving the other person the other direction, and then not giving the other team the ball at the end of the day."
Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona State Sun Devils helmet at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
  • "Like weather can affect how you get that accomplished. But you still have to take care of the football and you still have to move the person in front of you the other direction, right? So I think you know whether there's rain, whether there's no rain, yeah, right. No, we can't prepare for it. We live in a desert. We don't get much of it naturally. We have to play some wet ball drills. But we're not focused on that. We're focused on, you know, the task at hand, which is Utah.”

On Running Back Situation

  • “No, I think it's just part of where we're at. You know, I think you got to adapt every year. You think you have a plan, but really you have no plan. You're in a constant state of preparation. You know, pastor Warren Stewart said that to me six months ago at something. He said, they said, Well, how do you prepare for moments?"
  • "He goes, I'm in a conflict. How do you plan for things? He goes, Well, I'm constantly in a state of preparation. And I think that's football. That's the season here. You have a plan, but your plans get thrown out the window every day. You're in a constant state of preparation.”

On Keeping Players Fresh In Games

  • “Yeah, it's good. I mean, they rotate guys. They're always been a good defensive line. They've been deep. Their linebackers are really good players as well. So the linebackers play the way they play, because they play a lot of man, so they trigger."
  • "It gets the double teams off the down lineman faster because the faster backers trigger, the faster single blocks are, which then take really good the alignment to make them better. So I think they just have a really good defensive scheme. They know who they are. They don't bust they don't leave you plays. They make you work for it.”

Read more about Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley speaking directly to fans ahead of the start of the 2025 season here, and on previewing key individual Utah players ahead of the Sun Devil football game on Saturday here.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here!


Published
Kevin Hicks
KEVIN HICKS

Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.