Kenny Dillingham Assesses Performance of Jeff Sims in Week 7

The Arizona State senior made his second start for the program against Utah.

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Jeff Sims (2) drops back to pass against the Utah Utes during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The path for Arizona State to defend their 2024 Big 12 title has narrowed significantly following a 42-10 loss to the Utah Utes on Saturday night - even after defeating Baylor and TCU to open conference play.

The most unfortunate development of the week was the regression of Sam Leavitt's health - as the quarterback went from being listed as probable to doubtful in just 24 hours of time.

Senior Jeff Sims stepped into the starting role in spot duty for Leavitt - completing 18 passes out of 38 attempts for 124 yards, while also taking 21 carries for 52 yards during the course of the game.

While the offensive line didn't do Sims any favors over the course of the game, the longtime college signal caller didn't get comfortable in many spots throughout the 32-point loss.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham drew positives from the loss and Sims' showing in his post game press conference, however - and there is hope that Sims can have more success moving forward.

"I think he played pretty well. I think there's a few throws, obviously, that you'd like to have back like every quarterback, but he extended plays, extended some third downs, some fourth downs for first downs... The more he's back there, the better timing he'll get with the guys... It's hard to judge throwing the ball in 15-20 MPH winds and rain... I was pleased with his performance.

Although Sims didn't get into a rhythm until later in the game, there were still positives to take out of the performance - particularly when it came to extending plays and making a positive impact with his legs.

Dillingham described Leavitt's status as 'week-to-week' - which is fairly vague at this time, but the coach also stated that the sophomore's status will become clearer in the coming days ahead of the game against the 7th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders.

It's reasonable to believe that Sims would play a role on Saturday - even if Leavitt can go. There's a possibility that Leavitt's foot injury confines him to the pocket if he returns, so there is certainly potential for there to be special packages for Sims to run option plays or utilize designed run calls.

Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) and Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) battle for a passed ball during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Arizona State OC Marcus Arroyo has to go back to the drawing board if Sims is the starting quarterback once again - finding Jordyn Tyson downfield, feeding the offense through the run, and keeping Sims in position to not make mistakes are just a few things that should be emphasized ahead of a matchup against an elite defensive line.

Read more about Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley speaking directly to fans ahead of the start of the 2025 season here, and on three major takeaways from the 42-10 loss to Utah here.

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