Kenny Dillingham announces Jeff Sims starting at QB for injured Sam Leavitt vs. Cincinnati

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham announced Wednesday that the Sun Devils will be without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt this weekend in the team’s matchup against Cincinnati. Veteran signal-caller Jeff Simms will start in his place after Leavitt suffered from an injury last Friday against Utah according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Leavitt has helped lead Arizona State to a 5-1 start and most recently a 27-19 upset win over the No. 16 ranked Utes. Exiting the game in the second quarter after taking a hard hit to the ribs, but returning in the second half to close out the game and help secure the win. Completing 61.1% of his passes for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception in one of the biggest home wins for the Sun Devils in recent history.

“I got hit in the ribs, started to spasm, and couldn’t really breathe,” Leavitt said .”But I was just fired up, so I was just really sad. I wasn’t really too worried about the pain, I was just sad I couldn’t put on for the team. So once I got the strength to get up, I told our team y’all please better go put this in one in. So I went to the tent, did whatever I had to do, got back out there and just did what I can to get a win with the team.”

Simms took up Leavitt on his proposal, capping off the second quarter drive with a two-yard touchdown rush after Leavitt went down. Also completing a 13-yard pass on the following possession before Leavitt retook the reins of the offense coming out of halftime.

Leavitt won the starting quarterback job over Simms heading into the season after joining the team through the transfer portal earlier this year. Appearing in four games during his true freshman season last year at Michigan State where he threw for 139 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Already notching career highs in his redshirt freshman year with 1,166 yards through the air and 12 total touchdowns this season with the Sun Devils.

Simms also joined Arizona State this offseason through the portal and will be making his 26th career start this Saturday. Throwing for 4,746 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions while rushing for 1,355 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground between his time at Georgia Tech and Nebraska.