Jeff Sims, Arizona State Aren't Going Away

TEMPE -- The Arizona State football team is now in what is a crucial off week following an emotional four-week stretch that generated virtually every emotion imaginable.

The Sun Devils have experienced everything - a road beatdown, extended absences of numerous key players, including Sam Leavitt - who was recently ruled out for the season, a victory over a top 10 team, seeing a home win streak that had been active for over a year come to an end, and also dealing with the fallout of a well-respected coach taking a step aside for the time being.

The third loss of the season to the Houston Cougars could have spelled the end of the season for the program, but the team battled through adversity to keep Big 12 title hopes alive - that was recognized by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN after a great week 10 of college football.

"Veteran Jeff Sims would start in place of Leavitt. Sims began his career as a promising dual-threat quarterback at Georgia Tech before transferring to Nebraska and then Arizona State. He had not won a start since 2022, went through different offenses and coordinators and endured more difficult on-field moments than celebratory ones. The Jeff Sims experience had been a rough one.

But Sims never gave up on his career, and on Saturday he delivered for ASU. Sims had 228 rushing yards and two scores -- eclipsing Arizona State's single-game quarterback rushing record by nearly 100 yards -- and added 177 passing yards and a touchdown. He also had three turnovers, which have been a problem throughout his career, but the good outweighed the bad."

One of the most resounding themes of the Arizona State football program under Kenny Dillingham can be summed up in a singular word - resilience.

The 'next man up' mentality has been something that has been hammered down since day one of Dillingham taking over - even in a 2024 season in which the vast majority of key players stayed relatively healthy.

Players such as Sims, Adrian "Boogie" Wilson, Makua Pule, and Malik McClain have stepped up above the call of duty when they have been needed most - this is an undeniable reflection on the culture that the coaching staff has cultivated.

The Sun Devils are here to stay.

What's in Store for ASU Over Rest of Season?

The Sun Devils have three more regular season games - all in which they must win to keep Big 12 title hopes alive.

They are set to face the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 15 at 11:00 A.M. at Mountain America Stadium after the off week - this should be a victory, but Rich Rodriguez just took his team to victory in a game against ranked Houston in week 10.

The program then finishes off the season with a road battle against the hapless Colorado Buffaloes before returning to Tempe for a date with rival Arizona.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here