Sam Leavitt Named Alexander Award Player of the Week

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A third straight game with 3 touchdown passes not only earned Arizona State freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt his second win over a top-25 ranked opponent this season and kept the Sun Devils (8-2, 5-2 Big 12 Conference) hopes for a Big 12 Championship game appearance alive. But it also earned him the Week 12 Shaun Alexander Award Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club on Nov. 19.

In a game ASU dominated from the beginning, Leavitt and the Sun Devils notched their first signature win as a member of the Big 12 with a 24-14 upset win against No. 16 Kansas State (7-3, 4-3) in Manhattan, Kan. on Nov. 16. Leavitt threw all 3 of his TD passes in the first half and finished the day 21-of-34 passing for 275 yards and rushed for 42 yards on 5 carries. 

Leavitt Strikes Early

It didn’t take long for the 6-foot-2, West Linn, Ore. native and Michigan State transfer to put his stamp on the game with the help of the Sun Devils' defense. After K-State received the opening kickoff, ASU defensive back Xavion Alford intercepted an Avery Johnson pass on the second play of the game and returned it to the Wildcats’ 49-yard line. On ASU’s first offensive snap, Leavitt raced to the Wildcats’ 23-yard line on a 26-yard run. Four plays later, Leavitt found wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (12 catches, 176 yards, 2 TDs) for an 11-yard TD with 11:19 left in the first quarter. 

The Leavitt-Tyson connection proved fruitful once again to open the second quarter as the two hooked up for a 30-yard TD pass with 14:18 left in the first half to give the Sun Devils a 14-0 lead. The ASU defense gave Leavitt the ball back just a minute later with a fumble recovery and he gave the Sun Devils a 21-0 lead with 10:10 left to play in the second quarter with a 16-yard TD pass to Chamon Metayer. ASU added a field goal to open the second half to open up a 24-0 lead on the Wildcats.

On the Season

In his first season as the ASU starter, Leavitt has completed 61 percent (147-of-240) of his passes for 1,906 yards, 17 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. He has also added 348 yards rushing and 4 rushing TDs on the season. 

The Sun Devils have won three straight and five of their last six games to position themselves as a Big 12 title game contender with just two games remaining in the regular season. ASU can help its chances with a homecoming matchup against the No. 6 BYU Cougars (9-1, 6-1) on Nov. 23 in Tempe, Ariz.

The Shaun Alexander Award

One of the Maxwell Football Club’s most prestigious awards, the Shaun Alexander Award is presented to the best freshman player in college football each year. Originally named the College Football Freshman Player of the Year Award, the award was established in 2019. The inaugural winner was quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, while former Alabama and current Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs won the award in 2023.