Arizona State starting quarterback Sam Leavitt will miss Saturday’s game at Cincinnati and possibly more time with an injury to his ribs.
Jeff Sims, a former starter at both Nebraska and Georgia Tech who competed with Leavitt for ASU’s starting job, will lead the offense Saturday. Coach Kenny Dillingham doesn’t have a firm timetable for Leavitt’s return, saying, “It could be two weeks, it could be four weeks.” Arizona State has an open week after Cincinnati before visiting Oklahoma State on Nov. 2.
Leavitt said following Friday’s win against Utah that he took a hit to the ribs, which “started to spasm and [I] couldn’t really breathe.” But he remained in the game as ASU won 27-19 and had 154 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Sims had his first two passing attempts for ASU in the Utah game and also has a rushing touchdown this season.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Sims started 23 games for Georgia Tech and the first two games last season at Nebraska. He has 4,759 career passing yards with 31 touchdowns and 29 interceptions, as well as 1,372 career rushing yards and 12 scores. Dillingham has said both Leavitt and Sims are “Sunday [NFL] talents.”
“We brought him in to compete to start,” Dillingham said. “Sam’s a really good player, Sam beat him out but it was close, Jeff had a good camp. And now Jeff, who has started a crap ton of games, gets to go start again. To me, there’s not much drama.”