Arizona State QB Jake Fette lives up to hype in first home start

In August, Arizona State coaches were so eager to see freshman quarterback Jake Fette that they put him in at the end of the team's season-opening 70-7 win over Morgan State. Now, Fette is showing exactly why the coaching staff has been raving about him since he arrived in Tempe.

Fette, who took over the starting role after senior Mikey Keene was injured during the Kansas State game on Oct. 24, shined at times in his official home debut in Tempe. In the Nov. 7 win over Colorado , he flashed his athletic ability and made the precision throws that made him a four-star prospect out of Del Valle High School in El Paso.

But first, it was Fette getting things started at wide receiver.

Out of the wildcat formation with running back Cardae Mack at quarterback, Fette split out to the left and then hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass from Mack to go up 10-0 with 11:15 left in the second quarter. It was the first time that Fette had caught a touchdown pass since he was a junior in high school.

"Oh my gosh, it was crazy," Fette said. "All week they told me, 'Be ready. He might throw it late.' I was like, 'Ah. I don't know. He's going to run it for a touchdown.' And then it actually happened. I didn't even know what to do. I'm just happy I caught it."

Earlier in the scoring drive, Fette showed off his arm talent with a pinpoint throw to wide receiver Omarion Miller down the right sideline for 33 yards to get inside the red zone.

Fette placed the ball on Miller's outside shoulder and hit him in stride.

"The (Omarion) throw really was phenomenal," said coach Kenny Dillingham.

Later in the second quarter, on ASU's next scoring drive, Fette had the throw of the game. Facing a 3rd-and-14, Fette dropped back and connected with wide receiver Reed Harris for a 34-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 17-0 with 2:54 left in the second quarter.

The ball could not have been placed any better, hitting Reed directly in the hands on the right side of the end zone near the sideline.

"The Reed throw was perfectly over the shoulder in that scenario on a third down — critical play," said Dillingham.

Fette is the first ASU quarterback since Jake Plummer (UCLA, Oct. 12, 1996) to have a receiving and passing touchdown in the same game.

Fette, a former high school track athlete and one of the fastest players on the team, made plays with his legs as well.

It was almost as if Fette was growing up in real time on the field in his first start at Mountain America Stadium. He learned from his mistakes, getting the ball out at the right time after taking a bad sack earlier in the game. He made multiple throws that would have NFL scouts — and there were some in attendance at the game — jumping out of their chairs.

It wasn't perfect by any means, with Fette — and the offense as a whole — hitting a wall in the second half and only managing three points. Part of that was due to the conservative playcalling; part of it also fell on the offense. Fette finished the game 13-of-19 passing for 187 yards and one touchdown. But it was a step in the right direction for the youngster.

"I think every game he's going to grow," Dillingham said. "He took a sack on first-and-10. I could hear him on the sideline, 'My fault.' I'm like, 'Settle down. Next play.' I love that. It's all good. Go to the next play. That was the story of the offense tonight.

"The times we got out of sync, there was some sort of play that was a negative and put us way out of sorts. I think for Jake, he did a good job of controlling the game. Once again, stupid things like no penalties, no procedural issues, no 40-second clock, no missed shifts or motioning the wrong guy, very veteran-like operation for a young buck."

The game was a glimpse into the future, which is starting to become increasingly bright in Tempe after a tough stretch in the middle of the season.

The freshman group of Fette, Mack, defensive end Julian Hugo and defensive back Daquwan Dunn is providing a sense of optimism for Sun Devil football.

"This dude's a baller, the way he's handled his business the last few weeks," linebacker Owen Long said. "But not just that, the season since he got here in January. It's been fun to watch. He's been preparing for this moment forever. It's not surprising any of us."

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @RLSscribe .