Arizona State, ranked No. 11 nationally, began its 2025 football season with a dominant 38-19 victory over Northern Arizona in front of a packed stadium of 56,759 fans.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt led the way with an impressive dual-threat performance, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 73 yards and two more scores. Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was a standout target, hauling in 12 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

ASU set the tone early, opening with a defensive stop and quickly marching downfield for a touchdown run by Raleek Brown. Their next possession went 89 yards and ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Tyson, making it 14-0. After an NAU field goal, ASU extended the lead with a 36-yard kick from Jesus Gomez and held a 17-6 edge at halftime.

Leavitt broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter — the longest of his career, pushing the lead to 24-6. Though NAU responded with a short touchdown, Leavitt answered again with an 18-yard rushing score. He later connected with Tyson for a 16-yard touchdown after defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper came up with an interception. A late NAU touchdown closed the gap slightly, but the game was already out of reach.

The game marked the team’s 26th consecutive win in a home opener and drew a record number of students, over 14,000. It was also the program’s first sellout for an opening game since 1998.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham improved to 3-0 in season openers. Leavitt’s rushing total was the highest by a quarterback in a home opener since 2016, and Tyson logged his fifth straight game with over 100 receiving yards, the most by a player in a season debut since 2019.

Despite the win, the team was flagged 12 times for 93 yards. Both Dillingham and Leavitt acknowledged the need to clean up mistakes. Tyson noted his comfort playing multiple receiver positions, while linebacker Jordan Crook emphasized that the defense could have performed at a higher standard.

Next, Arizona State travels to Starkville to take on Mississippi State, marking just the second time the program has played an SEC opponent on the road.