Texas State Bobcats at Arizona State Sun Devils

Flying Leavitt and Tyson provide spark in Arizona State's 34-15 win over Texas State

Arizona State (2-1) started slow coming off last week's disappointing loss at Mississippi State, emerging from the first quarter in a 3-all tie.

Leavitt and Tyson sparked the Sun Devils and the sold-out crowd with aerial acrobatics at both ends of a 30-yard touchdown.

“That quarterback did some things tonight that I don’t know if I’ve seen on the football field,” Texas State coach GJ Kinne said. “They’re just unbelievable and you know zero (Tyson) is really good.”

Leavitt got it started by weaving through the oncoming rush and scrambling left. Taking off on the wrong foot, he contorted his body in the air, dropping the step-back jumper of a pass into the hands of Tyson. Arizona State's preseason All-America receiver wheeled and sprinted, high-hurdling a defender before toe-tapping his way along the sideline into the end zone.

“We kind of had a miscommunication, but I knew JT was going to get to his spot,” Leavitt said. “I kind of lost my back and just made a play. I knew where he was going to be, got him the ball and he made a (great) play.”

Arizona State poured it on from there, racking up 433 total yards while smothering one of the nation's highest-scoring offenses.

Leavitt threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 15-of-25 passing. He also ran for 59 yards, scoring on a 1-yard sneak that put Arizona State up 20-3 at halftime. Tyson had six catches for 105 yards.

The Sun Devils' defense caught the Bobcats (2-1) in a snare most of the night, shutting down a team that averaged 47.5 points and 500 yards its first two games until two late scoring drives with the game out of reach.

“You have two choices: you can run at it (adversity) or you can run away from it,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “Run through the storm, you get through it faster.”

Brown out Arizona State was without running back Kyson Brown due to a lower-body injury suffered early against Mississippi State last week.

Raleek Brown picked up the slack a year after transferring from USC and sitting out most last season with a hamstring injury. He finished with 144 yards rushing on 12 carries, capped by a 75-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

“He just put in the work and that work is showing now,” Dillingham said.

The takeaway Texas State: The Bobcats had their way offensively in opening wins against Eastern Michigan and UTSA, but were no match for the size and speed of the reigning Big 12 champions.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils were determined to bounce back from last week's disheartening loss and succeeded with a dominating game that could bump them back into the AP Top 25.

Up next Texas State hosts Nicholls in its final nonconference game next Saturday.

Arizona State opens Big 12 play at Baylor next Saturday.