TEMPE, Ariz. — Jeff Sims accounted for 288 yards and three touchdowns, Jesus Gomez kicked a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and Arizona State kept its Big 12 title hopes alive with a 25-23 win over West Virginia on Saturday.
The Sun Devils (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) returned from their bye week still in the hunt for a second straight Big 12 championship, entering Saturday’s game a game behind No. 8 Texas Tech with six teams in the mix to play in the Dec. 6 title game.
Arizona State gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to blow a 12-point lead but kept its title hopes alive with Gomez’s field goal and Keith Abney II’s interception with 1:30 left.
Sims threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-28 passing, adding 81 yards on 17 carries rushing.
The Mountaineers (4-7, 2-6) turned it over on downs on two trips inside Arizona State’s 6-yard line but rallied with two big passing plays on breakdowns by the Sun Devils.
Jeff Weimer scored on a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter on a seam pass from Scotty Fox Jr. when Arizona State left the middle of the field open. Cyncir Bowers turned a swing pass on a third-and-27 into a 90-yard touchdown by weaving his way through half of Arizona State’s defense to put the Mountaineers up 23-22 in the fourth quarter.
Fox threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns but also had the late interception.
Sims took over Arizona State’s offense after Sam Leavitt had season-ending foot surgery two weeks ago and set a school quarterback record with 228 yards rushing in a 24-19 win over Iowa State.
Sims opened with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chamon Metayer and followed with a 19-yard TD pass to Derek Eusebio, who got a key block from Metayer. Sims threw his third touchdown pass late in the half, whipping a ball to running back Raleek Brown in the face of an all-out blitz for a 33-yard touchdown that gave the Sun Devils a 22-10 halftime lead.
The Mountaineers needed to win out to become bowl eligible in coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season.
