In a performance everyone in maroon and gold will be pleased with, Arizona State dominated Wyoming from start to finish in a promising beginning to a much-anticipated campaign. After waiting four games to secure its first defensive takeaway in 2023, the Sun Devil defense snagged two picks in the first five minutes, the first of which went for six points the other way, on Saturday and kept that intensity throughout the night as Sam Leavitt and a new-look offense dazzled with the ball.

“We play really hard and practice really hard. It’s really a reflection of how we’ve been practicing,” head coach Kenny Dilllingham said. “Couldn’t be more proud of how we executed the plan.”

His players couldn’t agree more.

“That was a different team,” Cam Skattebo said, in comparison to last season.

Mere moments after Parker Lewis booted the ball off the tee to kick off a new era of Sun Devil football, the latest addition to the Big 12 quickly sent its message of legitimacy in its second year under Dillingham. Missing their top rusher and receiver from the 2023 season due to injury, Cowboys quarterback Evan Svoboda quickly sought a new top target in the second play from scrimmage.

Unfortunately for him, the receiver wore maroon and gold. Making as good of a first impression as humanly possible, Zyrus Fiaseu jumped a tight-end curl route and turned on the jets for a season-opening pick-six for ASU.

Not to be outdone by his fellow transfer linebacker, former New Mexico State Aggie Keyshaun Elliott got in on the fun with an interception of his own on the following drive, securing two defensive takeaways before the ASU offense even touched the field.

“We’ve both had interceptions just like that in practice,” Elliott said. “Great playcall.”

Their quarterback, making his first career start, felt the weight lift off his shoulders as the zero left the scoreboard.

“That takes all the pressure off me,” Sam Leavitt said. “Watching my guys go to work and creaitng momentum in the stadium just lets me go out there, play and have fun.”

Once Sam Leavitt got in the game, he and the offense hardly left it. The highly-touted transfer quarterback from Michigan State symbolized a revamped offensive attack put on display by Arizona State in its largest single-game scoring effort since its 70-7 drubbing of Arizona in the 2020 season.

Rather than swinging-gate formations and direct snaps to the tight end, the Sun Devils ran a more conventional and explosive scheme that overwhelmed Wyoming immediately. Following Elliott’s interception, Leavitt directed four consecutive scoring drives to build a sizable 24-0 lead after 20 minutes of game time. Widely regarded as ASU’s most crowded position group, running backs DeCarlos Brooks and Cam Skattebo backed it up with a touchdown each as Wyoming remained mute on all sides of the ball.

Leavitt’s mature play keyed a consistent offensive attack that wound up scoring points on six of its first eight drives, topping the 2023 team’s high for single-game first downs (27), and came one yard short of 500 total.

“I thought he was good,” Dillingham said. “There’s some things we’re going to grow off of, but the kid cares. He’s passionate and he’s talented. To me, he was really impressive.”

As the Inferno raged on offense, Wyoming couldn’t match the fire, letting the backups in halfway through the third-quarter as ASU coasted to its largest home-opening win since 2018.

Having showed out for its home crowd, ASU now looks to another week of practice and selling tickets in its quest to take down its first SEC opponent next Saturday, when Mississippi State comes to town.

“We’ve never won an SEC game in Arizona State history,” Dillingham noted. “We need a sold out crowd, with the biggest student section there’s ever been. We need it loud for four quarters all night long next Saturday.”