During the Phoenix Suns’ media day Monday, expect to hear the usual cliches about the great offseason of additions and Player X adding 15 pounds of muscle. Good news, though: Do not expect first-year coach Mike Budenholzer to give the ol’ “people are going to have to win their starting roles in training camp” speech.

The Suns have their starting five. There are no surprises.

Budenholzer told NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner in a story published Friday that point guard Tyus Jones will be joined by Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to begin games.

“Certainly we feel like Tyus has established himself as a great starting point guard in our league and he will be our starter,” Budenholzer told NBA.com. “When you put him out there with Kevin, Brad, Book and Nurk, we feel like we’ve got a strong starting five. And a really strong bench behind them.”

Phoenix’s front office members had already said Jones would start after he averaged 12.0 points, 7.3 assists and shot 49% from the field last season with the Washington Wizards.

That the Suns’ three-headed monster joins him isn’t a surprise, though fan debate at times this offseason went into the zone of considering Beal as a bench player.

That’s not how it works for a three-time All-Star making $51 million per season, even if he did have injury issues and even if his 18.2 points per game were the lowest since the 2015-16 season.

Beal had his most efficient season as a pro — 51% shooting and 43% from three — and hardly did enough to warrant that silly discussion.

Still, Budenholzer naming an official starting lineup this early puts a stamp on the Suns rolling out a pretty small lineup.

Phoenix added Jones late in the free agency process after the former Washington Wizards point guard watched the market dry up, leaving him with backup opportunities and potentially eight figures of annual pay. Instead, he chose the Suns’ starting opportunity, which comes with a veteran’s minimum salary of $3 million.

If the Suns are fully healthy, the move bumps shooting guard Grayson Allen to the bench after his career season playing along with Booker and Beal in the backcourt.

The Jones signing also eats at playing time for fellow point guard Monte Morris, who joined the Suns earlier in the free-agency process looking like he would at least play a significant role off the bench as a low-turnover floor general.

Having two point guards should be welcome for a team that leaned too heavily on Beal and Booker to run point last year. The starting lineup is scary offensively if Jones plays with tempo in the fullcourt and the Suns in the halfcourt can shoot as many threes as they should under Budenholzer.

There are questions about fit and offensive deficiencies at wing and rebounding worries at the 4 and 5 slots. But there’s no question there is more versatility to the roster compared to last year’s team.

Here’s a look at the depth of the 20 players entering training camp on standard, two-way and exhibit-10 contracts.

Who will be in the Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup to begin 2024-25?

PG: Tyus Jones

G: Devin Booker

G: Bradley Beal

F: Kevin Durant

C: Jusuf Nurkic

Suns bench depth

PG: Monte Morris, Collin Gillespie (two-way), TyTy Washington (two-way)

G: Grayson Allen, Damion Lee

Wing: Royce O’Neale, Ryan Dunn, Josh Okogie

F: Bol Bol, Jalen Bridges (two-way), Mamadi Diakite (exhibit-10), Moses Wood (exhibit-10)

C: Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro, Frank Kaminsky (exhibit-10)

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The Phoenix Suns’ G League team, the Valley Suns, traded the rights of expansion draft picks Jahlil Okafor and Garrison Brooks to the Indiana Mad Ants for the rights of point guard David Stockton, the son of NBA all-time steals and assists leader John Stockton.

Okafor was the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and piled up 247 games of NBA experience that ended in 2020-21 with 27 games played for the Detroit Pistons.

Knee injuries and then inconsistencies tanked his career after a promising rookie year with Philadelphia (17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game).

Stockton, 33, played for the Phoenix Suns in the 2017 Summer League.

He appeared in just three G League games last season for the now-folded G League Ignite, where he averaged 8.7 points and 6.7 assists in 27 minutes per game on a roster of mostly young NBA prospects. Stockton’s rights were deferred to Indiana with the G League Ignite ceasing operations.

He has stints with the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz since going pro in 2014 but has also played in Croatia, New Zealand, Germany, Puerto Rico and for several G League squads.

Valley Suns roster continues taking shape with David Stockton trade

The Valley Suns will likely heavily involve two-way players Jalen Bridges, Collin Gillespie and TyTy Washington, but the team added a wealth of options to its roster with an expansion draft in June.

That gave the G League team returning player rights to 14 players, giving them the ability to sign the players if they opted to play in the G League this season.

The team has been busy in the trade market preparing for the debut season of the franchise in November.

Of the 14 player rights acquired in the expansion draft, the Suns have dealt Okafor, Brooks, Justin Smith, Theo Maledon and Trevion Williams. They’ve acquired the rights to Stockton, guard Kaleb Johnson and big man Mamadi Diakite in those deals.

The Valley team, which will play at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena in Tempe, also traded a 2025 NBA G League Draft first-round pick for Jaden Shackelford.

The G League’s Suns team opens its season at the Santa Cruz Warriors on Nov. 8.

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The Big 12 released its conference schedules for men’s and women’s basketball Thursday, and the feature of it is Arizona’s visit to face the Kansas Jayhawks on March 8.

That’s the highlight of an 18-game schedule for a league that added Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado.

The Wildcats notably return last year’s leading-scorer, Love, along with point guard Jaden Bradley and wing K.J. Lewis.

Love averaged 18 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in his first year at Arizona. He tested the draft waters but ultimately opted to return.

Love does so alongside Bradley, a shifty point guard who came off the bench last year and ultimately proved more consistent than departed point guard Kylan Boswell. Lewis also briefly considered going pro based on a strong freshman season where he gained head coach Tommy Lloyd’s trust playing off the bench by making good decisions on offense and playing effortful defense.

Lloyd’s team lost last year’s starting forwards, Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson, to the NBA. Boswell and starting center Oumar Ballo transferred.

Arizona reloaded on the wings with transfers Trey Townsend (Oakland) and Tobe Awaka (Tennessee), plus McDonald’s All-American freshman Carter Bryant.

Reserve centers Motiejus Krivas and Henri Veesaar have a path to contribute at center along with four-star recruit Emmanuel Stephen.

Arizona men’s basketball Big 12 schedule for 2024-25

Monday, December 30

TCU at Arizona

Saturday, January 4

Arizona at Cincinnati

Tuesday, January 7

Arizona at West Virginia

Saturday, January 11

UCF at Arizona

Tuesday, January 14

Baylor at Arizona

Saturday, January 18

Arizona at Texas Tech

Tuesday, January 21

Arizona at Oklahoma State

Saturday, January 25

Colorado at Arizona

Monday, January 27

Iowa State at Arizona

Saturday, February 1

Arizona at Arizona State

Tuesday, February 4

Arizona at BYU

Saturday, February 8

Texas Tech at Arizona

Tuesday, February 11

Arizona at Kansas State

Saturday, February 15

Houston at Arizona

Monday, February 17 

Arizona at Baylor

Saturday, February 22

BYU at Arizona

Wednesday, February 26

Utah at Arizona

Saturday, March 1

Arizona at Iowa State

Tuesday, March 4

Arizona State at Arizona

Saturday, March 8

Arizona at Kansas

Arizona women’s basketball Big 12 schedule for 2024-25

Saturday, December 21
Arizona at BYU

Tuesday, December 31
Utah at Arizona

Saturday, January 4
Arizona at UCF

Wednesday, January 8
Baylor at Arizona

Saturday, January 11
Iowa State at Arizona

Thursday, January 16
Arizona at K-State

Sunday, January 19
Arizona at Kansas

Wednesday, January 22
Cincinnati at Arizona

Saturday, January 25
West Virginia at Arizona

Friday, January 31
Arizona at Utah

Wednesday, February 5
Arizona at Colorado

Saturday, February 8
Arizona State at Arizona

Wednesday, February 12
Arizona at Oklahoma State

Sunday, February 16
TCU at Arizona

Wednesday, February 19
BYU at Arizona

Saturday, February 22
Arizona at Houston

Tuesday, February 25
Texas Tech at Arizona

Saturday, March 1
Arizona at Arizona State

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It’s no surprise a guy who built the roster would believe in it, especially coming off a World Series appearance last year with a quite similar roster.

But Hazen has too often found himself speaking on his belief in theoreticals — and with a worry that the playoffs might not become reality. That is the case with four games left in the season and the team on a three-game skid.

“Quite frankly, if you’re going to plan to run through October and play the elite teams on the road and beat ’em, you have to play better baseball. We have to start doing that, no matter what, starting today,” Hazen told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Wednesday.

Arizona opened the day a half-game up on the Atlanta Braves for the third and final NL Wild Card slot. They have one game left Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants before a three-game set to close the season at Chase Field against the San Diego Padres.

San Diego is currently still in reach of nabbing NL West division title and is in a series against the leader, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Meanwhile, the Braves and New York Mets are facing off with two games left in that set, but rainy weather from a hurricane will postpone both games to Monday.

The D-backs found themselves stumbling nervously in hopes of securing a playoff berth last year. They didn’t clinch until Oct. 1, 2023, to close the regular season. Arizona lost to the Houston Astros but got in that day when the Cincinnati Reds lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.

“We’ve done this before, unfortunately,” Hazen said nearly a year later. “This wasn’t how anybody wanted to draw it up.

“My hope is that we’re going to win 90 games. Hope, what does that matter?” he added. “The talent that goes out on the field that goes out and executes is what matters. We do have that. … We don’t just have good players — we have elite players, and you win with elite players in this league. I’m not saying we’re clicking on elite levels at all times … we have that elite talent and we have some experience now. … We’ve been here, we’ve seen this and we have talented players.”

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As the smarter, less-yelly national sports talk shows explained why Mel Kiper Jr.’s complaints about the trendy use of cover-2 defenses was off the mark, some pointed directly at the Arizona Cardinals for evidence about how to force a defense’s hands.

Run. The. Ball.

If you do, opponents will be forced to move their safeties into the box, closer to the line of scrimmage. And if they do that, then offenses can start taking deep shots — the ones Kiper claims he misses in the pro game so much.

Arizona’s run game and offensive line continuing to hammer opponents will likely force defenses out of constant deep safety coverages. That theory will again be tested Sunday against a physical Detroit Lions defensive front at State Farm Stadium.

But so far, the Cardinals have liked what they’ve seen through a 1-1 start. They’re either baiting teams out of cover-2 or taking advantage of opponents who refuse to load the box.

“I think the offensive line is doing a good job to open up holes in the run game and the backs are doing a good job of gaining positive yards and staying out of long down and distances,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday.

“Kyler (Murray) has made plays from the pocket and made off-schedule plays. … That always helps when you can have those explosives and those chunk plays and not forced to have those long, drawn-out drives because those are tough to do, to finish off.”

To that point: The Cardinals are averaging 6.83 yards to go on third downs this season — a positive sign with the ranges by team usually spanning 6.0 to 8.0 yards for a full season.

Arizona’s early down efficiency has led to the team pacing the NFL in third-down conversion rate (58.3% or 14 of 24).

The Cardinals also lead the NFL in average drive length (42.1 yards).

Perhaps that efficiency comes down to earth with more games played, but the strong start is undeniable. Arizona ranks fourth in rushing yards per game (177.5) and is fifth in yards per rush (5.5).

The Cardinals’ run game has gotten props this week from ESPN’s Mina Kimes to Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice.

It’s especially impressive after Arizona lost starting right tackle Jonah Williams in Week 1 and was already switching last year’s right tackle, Paris Johnson Jr., to left tackle. Johnson is playing alongside newcomer left guard Evan Brown.

“Paris has done a great job with that transition,” Ossenfort said. “He worked on that in the offseason and really went into overdrive on it here in the spring and then training camp and early on in the season here. Paris had experience playing on the left side there at Ohio State, so it wasn’t anything new to him. There are certainly plays he feels that he can get better on and I know that he will. The one thing about Paris that I know, is he is going to constantly work on his craft.

“I think he’s going to have a good measuring stick this week in Aidan Hutchinson lining up with him on the other side. If Paris wants a measuring stick, he’s got a good one coming in this week.”

And the Arizona Cardinals have run with that strong offensive line play …

The running game led by back James Conner and Murray has set up everything else, including the chunk plays.

Murray hit on all five deep balls last week in a win against the Los Angeles Rams.

Ossenfort has liked how it’s been doses of different contributors at different positions, too.

“Whenever offensively you can be multiple it really presents problems for the defense,” the general manager said. “When Kyler is doing the things Kyler can do … it really brings a dilemma to the defense.

“I think the more we can continue to do that and put our offensive skill players in positions to make the plays and our offensive line continues to get moving in the run game, I think that’s where we want to be.”

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AZCentral.com published a summary of letters from this week that show suddenly contentious exchanges between the D-backs and county. Maricopa County sent a counteroffer that Diamondbacks CEO and president Derrick Hall in a private reply called “extremely offensive.”

Hall confirmed Thursday to Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta the relationship has taken a sour turn in the past week. In fact, he said he now doesn’t “see a deal in sight” with the current lease expiring in 2027.

“It was definitely the offer, the counterproposal, which is in my words ridiculous,” Hall said of what offended him. “But also the fact that they went public with it. I don’t understand it. For quite some time, I’ve used words like ‘encouraging, optimistic.’ Those words are gone, for sure. And it’s sad.

“I mean, they decided to go public with this rather than to do what we’ve done all along, quietly, privately, respectfully. You go attorney to attorney, it stays confidential. They then send us a response and a counter and make it public and it goes into the media, and that’s just their side of the situation.”

Among the problematic parts of a counteroffer sent to the team is that the county is asking for a D-backs commitment of about $200 million if it wants to unlock zoning for mixed-use developments of restaurants, hotels and retail around the ballpark, Hall said.

D-backs' Derrick Hall 'doesn't see a deal in sight' for Chase Field after a letter from the county.

Derrick Hall's visit with Bickley & Marotta is presented by All Pro Shade Concepts.

Full interview: https://t.co/bdUZ8KG55l pic.twitter.com/u2H5mU2MXX

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 19, 2024

Assistant county manager Zach Schira told AZCentral.com that the offer was “fair” and the county is committed to keeping the team at Chase Field. But the county did not respond to AZCentral.com when asked for a response to the D-backs’ public statements about the counteroffer.

Hall told Arizona Sports that the article shows how difficult the county has been to deal with.

D-backs’ relationship with Maricopa County over Chase Field has an up and down history

The Diamondbacks had reached a gulf with Maricopa County a half-decade ago over who is in charge of the stadium — it is county-owned — but reached a deal that allowed the D-backs to take control of non-baseball events such as concerts. That put the team squarely in charge of keeping Chase Field up to date, the county has maintained.

Up until this week, Hall had said the relationship with the county was in a good place.

Separate discussions for the Diamondbacks about how to fund Chase Field upgrades revolved around a tax recapture similar to how the Arizona Cardinals fund upgrades and maintenance at State Farm Stadium.

But this week, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers’ response and counteroffer to a letter sent by Hall this summer took a different tone.

“I can’t figure out why they want it to be public. It just shows how bad of a proposal it was,” Hall told Bickley & Marotta. “This is a government authority that has proven all along that they do not have the desire nor the ability to put any money into their own building. Not a penny. And you can see it in their proposal.

“Here they are asking us to sign a 50-year extension without any public funding at the time — which we’re trying to seek through tax recollection, which is very realistic — and still asking us nonetheless to not even pursue mixed use, which we have said all along we need with restaurant, hotel, retail around the ballpark. And they say they won’t allow us to even talk about that opportunity and quote-unquote unlock that opportunity and possibility until we’ve put nearly $200 million into the ballpark. Again, they’re not even putting a penny.”

Hall said the timeline to find a solution remains the first month or two of the 2025 calendar year.

The upcoming election before then also comes into play, with the author of the most testy letter to the D-backs, Sellers, having lost his primary, meaning he won’t return to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Two other supervisors didn’t seek reelection, meaning most of the current five-member board won’t be returning.

Still, Hall said Thursday the tone from the county has “taken the wind out of any sails.”

“I don’t see a deal now with the county, at least with this current board composition. I mean, it’s just impossible,” Hall said. “We’ll continue to work with the state and city and see if there’s a way to bail them out with their problems that they’re building.”

Hall said the D-backs will still pursue avenues to keep the team at Chase Field. A Nov. 5 general election stands between his deadline. Finding answers to how the Diamondbacks will fund stadium updates remains a challenge itself.

“We need to know there’s that partnership, that private-public partnership,” he said. “If we can find that by that time (in early 2025), we’ll be fine.”

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Kyler Murray wasn’t perfect, but in terms of passer rating, the Arizona Cardinals quarterback couldn’t have done better Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

He spent half of the fourth quarter of the 41-10 home win watching Arizona’s offense operate under backup Clayton Tune after completing 17 of 21 passes for 266 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Murray did the unusual after the game, tweeting a yawn emoji after the victory.

🥱

— Kyler Murray (@K1) September 15, 2024

Murray became the third Cardinals quarterback since 1960 to finish with a perfect 158.3 passer rating (for a minimum of 10 passing attempts), according to the FOX broadcast.

Kurt Warner last did it in 2008 against the Miami Dolphins.

The statistic’s formula accounts for pass attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdown passes and picks.

Murray’s previous high was 150.5 in 2020 during a 34-31 loss against the Miami Dolphins in November 2020.

Against the Rams in Week 2, which moved the Cardinals to 1-1 on the year, Murray added five rushes for 59 yards, which isn’t part of the calculation for passer rating.

Arizona led 41-10 when Murray was pulled in the game. His first two touchdowns went to rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., who caught four passes for 130 yards and two scores. All of that production for Harrison came in the first quarter.

Murray found tight end Elijah Higgins on a scramble for his third touchdown that put the Cardinals up 21-0 early in the second quarter of the blowout victory against the Rams.

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The Arizona Cardinals ranked dead last in pass rush win rate by ESPN’s standards after Week 1.

In Week 1, Arizona sacked the mobile Josh Allen twice, but those came from unlikely sources in backup defensive back Kei’Trel Clark and nose tackle Roy Lopez.

That pass rush rating got a lift in the home opener Sunday, a 41-10 shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams and their injury-plagued offensive line.

Cardinals edge rushers Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck earned one-on-one wins at State Farm Stadium to highlight a five-sack day of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Both of them helped Arizona pick on left tackle Warren McClendon, who last week for Los Angeles played at right tackle.

Cowboy Collins wrangled 'em up 🤠 pic.twitter.com/gyUbeKg6uQ

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024

Gardeck — speed rip for the sack#RamsHouse #AZCardfnals #LARvsAZ pic.twitter.com/y8IDLNNFsb

— ᑭᖇO ᖴOOTᗷᗩᒪᒪ ᒍOᑌᖇᑎᗩᒪ 🏈 (@NFL_Journal) September 15, 2024

McClendon allowed all three first-half sacks of Stafford: two to Gardeck and one to Collins.

Gardeck added a third sack, of the strip-sack variety, in the fourth quarter, which was pounced on by Cardinals defensive tackle L.J. Collier.

It was a bit predictable. McClendon last week against the Detroit Lions allowed five pressures and three quarterback hits. He also had two penalties.

McClendon moved to left tackle against the Cardinals with Rob Havenstein healthy enough to play at his usual spot on the right side.

Rams fans were not vibing with it.

Warren McClendon pic.twitter.com/LLyshFkobG

— Matt Contreras (@mattinthehatt_) September 15, 2024

why is warren mcclendon in the nfl

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) September 15, 2024

Get Warren McClendon off my favorite football team

— HoldenCantor (@HoldenCantor) September 15, 2024

@RamsNFL Release Warren McClendon immediately. He is not NFL Football Player.

— Leopoldo Gonzalez (@LeopoldoGonz04) September 15, 2024

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Marvin Harrison Jr. may have been neglected in Week 1, but the worries hardly carried over in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Arizona Cardinals didn’t allow it.

Less than four minutes into his second pro game, a 41-10 Arizona win at State Farm Stadium, he has his first NFL touchdown to prove it.

Three more minutes later, he had his second.

Harrison finished with four catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The only complaint about his usage was a minor one: Why he didn’t catch another ball — he finished with eight targets — after the first quarter?

It sure looked good to start. The Cardinals got a 4th-and-2 stop on the Rams’ initial possession and then turned around with Kyler Murray eyeing the No. 4 pick on a pass attempt on the first offensive play. It fell incomplete, but Arizona remained undeterred.

Murray and running back James Conner moved the ball to the 23-yard line of Los Angeles before the quarterback connected with Harrison running a post in the very back of the end zone. The perfectly fitted ball hit the rookie wideout, allowing him to tap both feet in. But just barely.

MARVIN HARRISON JR.'S FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN HAS ARRIVED pic.twitter.com/EFquDWaM8V

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024

Arizona set up the play against veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White, who lost inside leverage on the play and didn’t have safety help as a fellow Rams defensive back picked up tight end Trey McBride on an out route on Harrison’s left side of the field.

The touchdown pass was the second target for Harrison, who went through his NFL debut with three targets and a single reception for four yards.

Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn’t done after his 1st NFL touchdown

His third target came at the 8:47 mark of the game, and it was another doozy.

Murray hit a wide open Harrison down the right side of the field for a 60-yard score to put Arizona ahead 14-0.

Marvin Harrison Jr. we love you pic.twitter.com/GE6a9vVabw

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024

Harrison wasn’t done creating explosive plays, with a 33-yard reception with less than three minutes left.

Murray scrambled to get Arizona out of a jam while backed up against its own goal line. That gave Harrison 130 receiving yards on four catches with more than two minutes still left in the first quarter Sunday.

According to the FOX broadcast, Harrison’s father, Marvin Harrison Sr., had never recorded more than 110 yards in a quarter.

The Cardinals went on to finish that drive with Murray again scrambling to find tight end Elijah Higgins for an 18-yard score to go up 21-0 early in the second quarter.

Arizona led 24-3 at halftime.

Cardinals coaches and players had credited the Buffalo Bills for putting Harrison under the watch of multiple defenders in their Week 1 gameplan, which offensive coordinator Drew Petzing admitted was a bit of a surprise.

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But there is only one team of ‘Cats between No. 20 Arizona and No. 14 Kansas State if we’re going by the letters that appear on the two feline-oriented teams’ helmets.

Arizona will debut its “Cats” helmets on Friday in Manhattan, Kansas.

New combo unlocked 🔓

Tucson Threads vs Kansas State pic.twitter.com/lVUeB6AQMg

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) September 9, 2024

OOTD goes crazy 🥵 pic.twitter.com/TrWvQZb1NV

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) September 13, 2024

Tucson’s Wildcats are donning the candy paint red tops with a white cursive mascot script on each side. There are blue outlines to the white letters, while white facemasks complement the helmets.

It’s the first red helmet worn by the school’s football team since a game against UCLA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

It’s also the first game without any representation of the university’s staple “Block A” since the mid-1970s, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

On Friday, Arizona will match the helmets with a white jersey and red pants for the road test against a fellow Big 12 squad. The game won’t count as a conference matchup in the record books because it was previously scheduled before UA’s move to the Big 12.

Arizona revealed the plans for a new helmet design with the shortened nickname this summer, initially teasing a white helmet complete with red script. There was red, white and blue striping down the middle of those helmets and red facemasks.

The red and white are inverted for the Friday matchup, and there is no striping down the middle.

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports Croskey-Merritt is facing eligibility issues that date back to a redshirt season in 2019 that is now in question.

It’s his sixth season in college, though he would be eligible for a fifth year because of the COVID-19 eligibility extension and a sixth via a traditional redshirt.

Croskey-Merritt played in eight games for Alabama State in 2019, according to statistics showing on ESPN. But Zenitz reports that Alabama State claims he played in only four “then switched numbers with another running back and that it was that other running back playing in Croskey-Merritt’s number in those other four games.”

Zenitz reports new information came about after Croskey-Merritt rushed for 106 yards in the season-opener against New Mexico, leading the NCAA to investigate further.

The running back didn’t appear against Northern Arizona last Saturday.

Quali Conley, a San Jose State transfer, rushed for 17 carries and 112 yards as the No. 1 back against NAU and sits at 202 yards on 27 carries (7.5 yards per carry) through two games.

Freshman Kedrick Reescano had six carries for 71 yards (11.8 yards per carry) as the backup against the Lumberjacks. He accounted for most of that with a 56-yard touchdown run.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s Alabama State stats are different each place you look

There are more statistical inconsistencies spanning Croskey-Merritt’s time at Alabama State that show up between ESPN’s statistics and Croskey-Merritt’s player biography pages for New Mexico’s and Arizona’s official websites.

While all three say he rushed for 1,190 yards at New Mexico, they each have different figures for how many rushing yards Croskey-Merritt produced at Alabama State in total.

ESPN’s stats say he rushed for 2,443 yards before playing for the Wildcats, 1,253 of which were at Alabama State.

Only 186 yards were accounted for in the 2019 season in question. That adds up in the game log section of eight games played.

New Mexico’s official roster biography page says he rushed for 1,164 yards at Alabama State, making his total before playing for Arizona 2,354.

And Arizona’s official website says he rushed for 2,609 yards between NMU and Alabama State, making the latter portion 1,445.

The discrepancies make sense if Alabama State’s practices of recording statistics were inaccurate beyond the small sample size of the 2019 season.

If the record-keeping presented that murky picture, the NCAA is likely trying to piece together game film or finding other evidence of how much Croskey-Merritt played to reach a verdict.

Might be out there already. Down the Jacory Croskey-Merritt rabbit hole: Bad/different info from Alabama State probably the cause:

Arizona player bio math = 1,445 total rush yards at Alabama State

NMU's bio page says 1,253 rush yards

ESPN's stats has 1,164 yards (8 games tho) pic.twitter.com/OgYArkJFQV

— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) September 13, 2024

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Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham is doing his best to fight human nature. His ASU football team enters a road game at Texas State with momentum.

The Sun Devils can prove wins over Wyoming and Mississippi State aren’t fool’s gold by avoiding a loss to Texas State. The Mercury News’ Jon Wilner labeled it a “trap game” for the Sun Devils, a way of complimenting a surprise start.

But Dillingham has his way to twist the narrative into something that can better motivate his team.

“The reality was we opened as a 1-and-a-half-point dog in this football game,” Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Wednesday. “So you know, they’re (in) the trap game, not us. We’re the underdog.

“We’re the team that people still think are going to lose. We’re the team that was still picked last (in the Big 12 media poll). We’re the team that played such a bad second half (against MSU). We’re lucky we got off to such a hot start — it had nothing to do with us. We’re still the underdog in this football game.”

Is ASU football actually an underdog vs. Texas State?

For the record, the current line as of Wednesday morning is in favor of ASU at -1.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

“It doesn’t matter how you spin it,” Dillingham said. “It’s our first road game … we played five days ago, we got done playing at 11:30 (p.m.), they got done playing at 6. They don’t have to travel, we do. Everything is stacked against us. And we’re playing a good football team.”

To that last point: The Bobcats beat Lamar, 34-27, then smacked UTSA by a 49-10 final score to open the year with their own momentum.

Long-time college football writer Brett McMurphy named the Sun Belt school as a College Football Playoff team — the 12th seed — in Week 0.

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford is still holding that thinking. If the Bobcats can drop ASU, there is a legitimate chance they could run the table from there.

Dillingham knows that Texas State is seeing those articles. And he knows Arizona State needs to prepare to see a team fighting for its football life.

“If I’m Texas State, this is my game I have to win and every other game I’m favored,” Dillingham said. “And if I win out after I beat Arizona State, I’m in the playoff. This is a playoff game for them, and we got to treat it like it.”

Familiar faces for the Bobcats

Texas State is led by one-time Arizona quarterback Jordan McCloud, who briefly played for the Wildcats in 2021 before suffering a season-long injury.

During an eventual 1-11 season for Arizona, McCloud made two starts and played in three games total, throwing for 481 yards, two touchdowns and five picks. He played the 2023 season with James Madison after sitting out the 2022 campaign.

With Texas State this year, McCloud has completed 68% of his passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions during his fifth college season and fourth stop.

McCloud is backed up by R.J. Martinez, who threw for 4,598 yards while at Northern Arizona from 2021-22. Martinez played sparingly at Baylor in 2023 before landing with the Bobcats.

The Arizona State connection at Texas State is backup offensive lineman Ezra Dotson-Oyetade. He was the top center prospect in the country for the 2021 high school recruiting class but did not break into the lineups at ASU or his last stop, TCU.

How to watch and listen to ASU vs. Texas State

ASU football visits Texas State on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. MST. The game airs on ESPN 620 AM, 98.7 HD-2 and the Arizona Sports app. Watch on ESPN.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks’ lease at Chase Field ends after 2027, and as the 2025 calendar year sits on the horizon, Derrick Hall said Tuesday that he is feeling an urgency to unite with local leaders to fund a renovation of the downtown Phoenix stadium.

“We’re not much further than we have been, unfortunately,” the D-backs CEO and president told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show. “I don’t know who that (blame) goes on. Place it on us, place it on our partners. But there just hasn’t been much urgency. I think we’re realizing now as we look at the calendar that there needs to be much more.”

To recap: The D-backs have landed on a plan for how to fund an estimated $400-500 million upgrade to the guts of Chase Field, which is owned by the county. The building has dealt with issues from its roof to its cooling system of late. While the team has been open about those issues, owner Ken Kendrick and Hall have remained firm that they are pursuing a resolution to stay at the club’s original ballpark.

To pay for renovations, the Diamondbacks plan to follow a similar path as the Arizona Cardinals, who in a proposition passed before building what’s now State Farm Stadium created a financial stream via recaptured income and stadium sales taxes. Some of that money is funneled back into any upgrades and upkeep for their Glendale home.

“You’re taking income tax, you’re taking sales tax. Everything that’s generated through football and non-football events there then goes back into the building — not all of it — but the majority of it goes back into the building so that they can renovate that,” Hall said Tuesday. “That makes sense for us.

“If we can look at some of the sales tax we’re generating for state, county, city, put that back into the stadium — not to the D-backs, not to our operations — but merely for the renovation each and every year so you have that funding pipeline, that’s what makes the most sense. And that’s what most municipalities are doing for their stadiums.”

Now, the D-backs’ blueprint will likely need help in the next state legislative session that begins shortly after 2025 begins, Hall said.

Hall is making sure to publicize his own urgency to find a solution, but he remains confident the Diamondbacks will stay at Chase Field.

“I don’t think it’s much of an uphill battle. Now, you never know. It seems like we have the support,” Hall said. “When we talk to people privately, those that are working in the government in any of the three municipalities (Phoenix, Maricopa County and Arizona), they all seem to get it.

“There’s already precedent. That’s what’s happening at the NFL stadium, locally … We’ve got support from all the business leaders and organizations.”

Who is supporting the D-backs’ pursuit of a new Chase Field renovation revenue stream?

The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Downtown Phoenix Inc. have told Hall they are supportive of the MLB club’s pursuit to remain at its current location, he said.

The county and team have had their past disagreements — which led to Arizona eyeing options to move away from downtown Phoenix — but are in a better place these days.

Regardless, Maricopa County does not have the funds to help with renovations like the city of Phoenix did with the Phoenix Suns’ Footprint Center upgrades in 2019.

The Suns needed a city council vote to pass a $230 million facelift. Phoenix paid for $150 million of the project, with the team under then-owner Robert Sarver covering the rest.

More recently, the backdrop looms of the Arizona Coyotes failing to find a stadium home before the franchise was moved to Utah.

The Coyotes failed to land a Tempe arena via a failed citizen vote. Then, the NHL franchise attempted to purchase land in Phoenix, but it lacked governmental support.

Hall believes the Diamondbacks have a good chance of staying at Chase Field with a different type of plan. Lease negotiations with the county are ongoing in case the issue isn’t resolved soon, but the D-backs hope to finally see movement to help their renovation plans starting early in 2025.

“I think there’s an appetite now to make sure that we do it the right way,” Hall said.

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Those are facts.

Murray admitted he didn’t see his rookie wideout. But is it Murray’s fault?

If you were to watch the game on CBS, which showed a follow-up clip of only Harrison running alone in a close-up frame, you would have thought Murray messed up.

Kyler Murray danced in the pocket for 6 seconds and somehow NEVER SAW A WIDE OPEN MARVIN HARRISON JR FOR A GAME-CHANGING TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/HG5ysapKB8

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 8, 2024

Even if you were at the game, it looked egregious in real-time. A screenshot of Harrison sprinting away from two Buffalo defenders trying to recover went viral.

Life in the NFL is more complicated than that.

In the video, we have no context for where Murray was in the play, which he eventually finished by hitting Greg Dortch for a shorter gain. Was he running for his life? Did he see a better option elsewhere?

In the stillshot, we don’t know what Murray was doing just before. Did he pump Harrison’s way when, just a second prior, it looked like a corner was on top of the rookie receiver with a safety also in the area? Would he even have time to connect with Harrison if he saw his rookie in that moment?

Kyler Murray missing an open Marvin Harrison Jr. isn’t explained by the stillshot

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky apparently got lots of texts about the viral screenshot, because he pulled up the all-22 view with a long explanation to show why he doesn’t put much blame on Murray for a what-could’ve-been play in Arizona’s 34-28 Week 1 loss.

I hate freeze frames pic.twitter.com/yqU1DCduow

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 9, 2024

“The stillshot looks like ‘Kyler Murray misses Marvin Harrison Jr. wide open, how does he miss that?'” Orlovsky said to begin a two-minute-long breakdown on X.

“The right guard, center, left guard and left tackle are going left. The back and the right tackle are (moving) left to the right. So really, rules-wise, would tell me if two (Bills) from off the ball blitzed to this (right) side, you would be hot. You would at least feel warm as a quarterback, especially if those people vacate and you have a slot receiver replacing him … so Kyler I would say, Kyler is going to throw the ball to Dortch here in this spot (vacated by blitzers). That’s the thought process.”

At this point in the play, Harrison is on the same side of the field as Dortch but still is followed by a corner in coverage.

That corner actually breaks off as Murray pumps to throw the ball to Dortch, leaving Harrison to break open. But Murray pulls the ball down worried he can’t complete the throw to Dortch.

“Kyler’s going to throw that slot, kind of replace hot. And then that defender jumps (looking like a delayed blitz). We’re in danger of battled ball, tipped ball, interception, whatever (if Murray attempts a pass to Dortch). So he goes to reset, and he goes to work his left (side). He’s still working left (as Harrison gets wide open).”

By the time Murray is back to rescanning the right side, both the Bills’ safety and cornerback have realized their errors and are sprinting to catch Harrison.

“As (Murray) retraces here, you might sit there and say, ‘Oh my gosh, how do you not see him?’ but you got to remember: You’re thinking, am I hot, am I warm? … The last thing you can do in this situation is take a sack. That’s a hard thing to see right there. (Murray) probably peeks at (Harrison) here and says, ‘Oh.’ But (he sees) two bodies running downfield. So I honestly don’t sit there like, ‘What a miss to Marvin Harrison here.'”

Consuming football is a complicated thing because TV frames don’t cover the entire field.

Even for former NFL players, it’s a tough ask with the all-22 view. If they didn’t play a position and didn’t play in that exact scheme, they’re left to guess what broke down, who was at fault and what was supposed to happen instead.

Orlovsky is doing guessing himself, but with the full all-22 video in front of him, the full context shows that it’s not as simple as Murray missing an easy throw — even if Harrison was certainly wide open.

The Cardinals have more than that to clean up.

Murray had a stellar first half followed by a 31-yard passing second half. Harrison and No. 2 receiver Michael Wilson had drops in the game. The run game outside of Murray couldn’t do much. The defense didn’t hold up on a few key possessions before and right after halftime. As in, it’s more complicated than that one play.

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Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort believes that the start of the 2024 season does not always represent a hard deadline to reach contract extensions with his currently employed players.

The Cardinals have reached notable extensions with starting center Hjalte Froholdt and pass rusher Zaven Collins this offseason, but the franchise enters the season with three of its four captains entering contract years: Budda Baker, James Conner and Kyzir White.

“We were able to come to terms, excited about getting Zaven and Fro extended,” Ossenfort told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Friday. “There’s been discussions with a lot of players. Some of those, it always takes two to get a deal done. Those are individually based and we’ll see how those go as we go throughout the year.

“I don’t know (if) there’s a hard and fast rule about before the season starts and once the season starts (talks are) over. I think those are always case-by-case. Love that both Budda and James, what they bring to our team as captains, both on the field, off the field, what they do for us, both high-level performers.”

Some teams, players and agents do treat Week 1 as an artificial deadline.

Among the most high-profile cases in the NFL is that of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who spoke to the media on Friday. He said that it was, in his mind, a deadline day to reach an agreement.

The Miami Dolphins made Jalen Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in a deal reported Friday morning, two days before their season opener, while the Pittsburgh Steelers extended tight end Pat Freiermuth ahead of a self-imposed deadline where the franchise does not negotiate contracts in-season.

Arizona Cardinals captains entering contract seasons in 2024

S Budda Baker — $14.2 million base, $19 million cap hit

RB James Conner — $4.3 million base, $8.9 million cap hit

ILB Kyzir White — $5 million base, $6.8 million cap hit

Arizona Cardinals contract figures via Spotrac.

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There is a history that builds those feelings here.

When former NFL receiver Brice Butler spoke this summer on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s substandard leadership, it probably felt like a “here we go again” moment for Cardinals fans.

It’s easy to grab onto and dramatize bad opinions. But is a retired receiver on a Las Vegas Raiders podcast representative of the wider national feelings about Arizona’s franchise quarterback?

Speaking of which: How does it feel to have people crap on a franchise quarterback when, especially in the Valley, having one at all should be celebrated as a win? I’m talking to you all who consumed too much of Josh Rosen, Ryan Lindley, Matt Leinart, Kevin Kolb, Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Jeff Blake.

Butler was parroting an old, lazy take. To be fair, that old, lazy perspective was built as Murray went from MVP candidate to reportedly refusing to re-enter a playoff game in a matter of months. He wiped his social media account clean of Cardinals references during his contract negotiations and his agent used weird fonts in public letters that were hard to read.

Remember, it was the Cardinals who put in the handholding “homework clause” in Murray’s contract that he eventually signed. The team scrubbed the clause after it became public.

Reminder: Murray’s worst leadership issues — sideline pouting during bad times — in his first several seasons seem insignificant next to the flaws of his former general manager and former head coach. Murray outlasted both, and in the sports world, the last man standing is usually the one to blame the least.

Now Murray is older and more comfortable. He’s been pretty candid about that this offseason.

It’s helped that the Cardinals’ new leadership got him to buy in. Now the Valley gets to judge Murray based on football.

Are there flaws with Murray? Like all players, yes.

So back to the talk of narrative. Do smart football people, the ones who watch multiple Cardinals games, really buy into what regular Cardinals observers know are dated opinions about Murray?

A look around NFL preview content ahead of the 2024 season would say the views of Murray are actually pretty optimistic moving forward.

The below takes are only a sampling. But it should be pointed out that when this many people make the same “bold” take that Murray is in for a big season, maybe it’s not just bold but the correct expectation.

And the correct narrative is that Kyler Murray could help make the Cardinals relevant again.

NFL analysts who predict a big 2024 from Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

— The Athletic’s Mike Jones made one of his bold predictions that Murray gets his groove back: “Murray worked his way back to play in the final eight games of last season and showed promise in new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system. Now another year removed from his ACL surgery, a second season in Petzing’s offense and with rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. by his side, look for Murray to reclaim his status as one of the NFL’s most electrifying playmakers.”

— For Pro Football Focus, Trevor Sikkema’s similar piece of predicting put a number to his high opinion of Murray, that the quarterback would throw for more than 4,000 passing yards: “In Kyler Murray‘s most recent full seasons, he finished just shy of 4,000 yards passing. Those happened to be the first two years of his career. With a rejuvenated receiving corps this season, he can get over the 4,000-yard mark for the first time as a pro.”

— ESPN’s Seth Walder analyzed the Cardinals and landed with another Murray-centric bold prediction: “Murray will finish in the top 10 in QBR. We witnessed Murray’s upside when he was his most accurate self in 2021 — ranking third in completion percentage over expectation at plus-3%, per NFL Next Gen Stats — on top of his usual mobility. Now, almost two years removed from his torn ACL, there’s a chance we see that version of Murray again.”

— At The Ringer, Steven Ruiz put together a quarterback ranking, where Murray is 13th. Ruiz made his list by ranking players based on creativity, timing, accuracy, arm talent, pocket presence and decision-making: “Murray is one of the more underappreciated talents in the league today. He is a genuine force multiplier in the run game and helps lead Arizona to a top-10 rushing offense every year. He’s got a big arm and just enough pocket presence and field vision to use it to make big-time throws from the pocket. He’s even more dangerous outside of the pocket, where his height isn’t an issue and his speed makes him the most dangerous player on the field.”

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At outside linebacker, there is one minor shakeup from the preseason.

Rookie Xavier Thomas has moved into a true backup spot behind Dennis Gardeck and ahead of Jesse Luketa, who had an edge on the depth chart over the 2024 fifth-round pick throughout the preseason.

The Arizona Cardinals’ Week 1 depth chart is out: pic.twitter.com/ntTbmMqDbv

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 3, 2024

Thomas posted five tackles, two for loss, and two sacks in the preseason.

Luketa had seven tackles and a sack himself.

He’s a 2022 seventh-round pick by Arizona who has 21 games of experience but has primarily been a special teams player. He did receive 132 defensive snaps on defense last season with the Cardinals.

It’s Greg Dortch szn at slot

Greg Dortch is not only on the first team at slot receiver alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson but listed as an “or” starter at both return positions. That all was expected but worth a mention.

Running back DeeJay Dallas, who made the team ahead of Michael Carter, is listed as a return man with Dortch for both kicks and punts. Dallas is fourth on the running back depth chart behind James Conner, rookie Trey Benson and second-year pro Emari Demercado, in that order.

The Cardinals have been open that there is some give and take about allowing Dortch to be rested while impacting special teams on top of his offensive duties.

Dortch is ahead of undrafted rookie Xavier Weaver on the depth chart. Weaver impressed in the preseason and beat out 2024 sixth-round pick Tejhuan Palmer, among others, to make the 53-man roster.

TE Tip Reiman has work to do

Arizona’s drafting of Illinois tight end Tip Reiman in the third round garnered looks since he fit with the team’s smash-mouth intentions so well, but his listing at third on the depth chart is interesting for several reasons.

For one, it means there is curiosity about how often he’ll be used to start the season, as he’s primarily a run-blocker. He caught a pass for three yards in the preseason.

But it’s also about who is No. 2 on the Cardinals’ depth chart behind Trey McBride, who is projected to produce big receiving numbers. That would be Elijah Higgins, a converted receiver who was picked up off waivers before the 2023 regular season began.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Higgins caught 14 passes (19 targets) for 163 yards over 11 games with Arizona last year.

It’s officially Evan Brown’s gig at left tackle

Most of the starting spots on the offensive line looked clear-cut heading into training camp.

Paris Johnson Jr. would take over for the departed D.J. Humphries at left tackle, center Hjalte Froholdt is back and newly extended, right guard Will Hernandez has his job on lock, while Arizona picked up Jonah Williams to start with Johnson leaving right tackle vacant.

Left guard was an open competition, but it’s Evan Brown’s gig to begin the year, his first with the Cardinals.

He looked like the favorite with 40 career starts, but most of those were at center or right guard for the Lions and Seahawks in the past three seasons.

Defensive line leaning on veterans while Darius Robinson is injured

Without Robinson, it is unchanged from the preseason at the interior of the defensive line, with defensive tackles Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols bracketing nose tackle Roy Lopez.

Second-year pro Dante Stills and veteran L.J. Collier will back up the tackles, while Khyiris Tonga is in the middle behind Lopez.

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McMillan, an AP first-team preseason All-American, set the school record with 304 yards receiving and tied another with four touchdown catches in the Wildcats’ 61-39 win over New Mexico.

It was the first 300-yard receiving game in the Bowl Subdivision since Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba amassed 347 against Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl.

The 6-foot-5, 212-pound third-year player from Waimanalo, Hawaii, averaged 30.4 yards on his 10 catches and in the third quarter surpassed the previous school record of 283 yards by Jeremy McDaniel in 1996. McMillan matched Jacob Cowing’s touchdown catches record set against Southern California last season.

It was McMillan’s fifth straight 100-yard receiving game and eighth of his career.

He had touchdown catches of 69, 17 and 78 yards in the first half and a 40-yarder early in the third quarter.

McMillan’s game is second in Big 12 history behind Baylor’s Terrance Williams’ 314-yard, single-game record (2012).

Arizona faces Northern Arizona in Week 1 with a 7 p.m. tipoff in Tucson.

AP college football player of the week runner-up – Week 1

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

The third-year player from Jacksonville, Florida, set school records with 267 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the Broncos’ 56-45 win at Georgia Southern.

Jeanty shed two would-be tacklers on his way to a career-long 77-yard touchdown after the Broncos went three-and-out on their first possession. He also had TD runs of 26, 1, 5 and 1 yards before breaking a 75-yarder that gave the Broncos the lead for good early in the fourth quarter.

Jeanty’s six rushing touchdowns tied the Mountain West Conference record and were the most in the FBS since Pittsburgh’s Israel Abanikanda had six against Virginia Tech in 2022.

Honorable mention

Miami QB Cam Ward, who was 26 of 35 for 385 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-17 win at Florida; Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who passed for 445 yards and four TDs in a 31-26 win over North Dakota State; and Abilene Christian QB Maverick McIvor, who threw for 506 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-51 overtime loss at Texas Tech.

Six more stats

— North Dakota churned out 23 plays on a drive in a 21-3 loss at Iowa State, the most in an FBS game since at least 2014, according to SportRadar. The Fighting Hawks moved 88 yards in 12 minutes, 24 seconds — all for a 26-yard field goal.

— Purdue’s Hudson Card tied the FBS record for completion percentage (minimum 20 completions), completing 24 of 25 passes (96%) for 273 yards and four TDs in a 49-0 win over Indiana State.

— Mississippi’s 772 total yards in a 76-0 rout of FCS team Furman were the most in a Division I game since UCF piled up 798 against Memphis in 2020.

— There were two 100-yard interception returns in Week 1, matching last season’s total. The pick-6s were by Washington State’s Stephen Hall (vs. Portland State) and Tulane’s Rayshawn Pleasant (vs. Southeastern Louisiana).

— On his first play for Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech transfer Justin Pegues returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to start a 41-17 win over Fordham.

— Missouri was the only team to not allow a scrimmage play of 10 yards or longer, according to SportRadar. The Tigers limited Murray State to 85 yards in a 51-0 win and gave up one 9-yard pass and two 9-yard runs.

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Nobody out of 28 participants in an NFL.com poll, for example, named Arizona as an NFL playoff pick. All three other teams in the NFC West received at least a vote to win the division, while the Cardinals didn’t receive a single vote to make it as a Wild Card squad.

While some football watchers have Kyler Murray on their minds with the expectation that he could leap back into sniffing top-10 quarterback territory, the view of the Cardinals as a whole remains tepid at best.

But not in the opinion of NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt.

.@KyleBrandt has the @AZCardinals making the playoffs this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/M3u745c3qB

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 3, 2024

“Here’s my sweet, sweet baby. Make sure we’re nice in focus and 1080p because nobody else likely on this show and certainly no other show is going to put this up,” Brandt said Monday before revealing the Cardinals are one of his NFL playoff picks. “Boom! Believe in yourself, kids. Believe in your convictions, be unafraid be committed, get in there and pick the team you love and don’t apologize for squat.

“Big year from this team. Kyler is back. He’s going to become a star. I don’t care how small he is, I care how big his arm is. The Arizona Cardinals are going to grab one of these Wild Cards in the NFC.”

Brandt may be mostly alone, but there is unbiased backing to his bullishness for picking the Cardinals to make the playoffs.

ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks the Cardinals 23rd to begin this season. With it, the model gives Arizona a 19% shot of making the playoffs. The projected win total for that model sits at 7.2 for Arizona, which isn’t good enough to push for a playoff spot but is a significant leap forward compared to last season.

And if the Cardinals steal a win or two extra, suddenly they’re right in the NFL playoff mix.

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He didn’t disappoint by any means in 2023 for a struggling ASU team that could call him a bright spot. But head coach Kenny Dillingham has changed the expectations for Skattebo in 2024.

Dillingham said Skattebo enters the Sun Devils’ season, with an opener against Wyoming set for Saturday night, as a legitimate 2025 NFL Draft prospect.

Skattebo has given his coach reason to set the bar that high.

“His mindset: he’s a different person mentally in terms of how focused he is and how driven he is this year,” Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “That’s a guy, he had a great year last year but he didn’t even — I mean, he’s a different player. This Cam has the potential to play on Sundays. Last year’s Cam did not. That’s how drastic of a change he made, his decision he wanted to achieve being a Sunday player.”

"This Cam has the potential to play on Sundays. Last year's Cam did not," Kenny Dillingham said of Cam Skattebo on @Bickley_Marotta.

"That's how drastic of a change he made — his decision he wanted to achieve being a Sunday player." pic.twitter.com/rgew9WHdsw

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) August 30, 2024

The Arizona State running back has trimmed down his body fat since last season, and tracking data available to the team has shown he’s a faster player, Dillingham has said.

Just keeping it to his running backs room, Skattebo should have more support with a depth chart that includes returnees DeCarlos Brooks and Kyson Brown. Transfer additions Alton McCaskill (Colorado) and the currently injured Raleek Brown (USC) are expected to receive playing time as well.

“We just got a bunch of different punches we can throw at people,” Dillingham said Friday. “I think the best part about it is it can keep guys fresh. Nobody wants to face a fresh Cam in the fourth quarter with six minutes left in a one-score game.”

Cam Skattebo could be more focused on running back duties for Arizona State in 2024

The hope is Skattebo will be able to do more by doing less.

Last year, he rushed 164 times for 783 yards (4.8 yards per carry) behind a strung-together offensive line and without the Sun Devils posing a threat of stretching the field with a deep passing game.

On top of that, Skattebo was asked to punt eight times and play some packages as a quarterback. He threw 15 passes last season, including for a touchdown and interception each.

You would think any quarterback work for Skattebo in 2024 will fall under the category of “trick play” opposed to “reluctantly necessary part of the offense.”

Because of injuries and skillsets, Dillingham went wacky with swinging gates and non-quarterback quarterbacks in his first year leading ASU.

“I definitely don’t want to get out there and run the swinging gate … that’s not why I took this job,” Dillingham told Bickley & Marotta. “Like I said before, that wasn’t on my bingo card last year.

“I always think you should show a defense empty, you should show a defense unbalanced, you show should a defense a trip … like, you should show (opponents) things that they have to be dialed into their rules,” the head coach added of his offense’s identity. “You’re going to see an offense that’s dedicated to running the football with vertical play-action of throwing the ball deep. You have to stretch the field vertically if you want to be a good football game ’cause that sets up the run. Quick-game is great … but at the end of the day, we’re going to throw it deep and we’re going to run it.”

The Sun Devils begin the 2024 season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST against the Wyoming Cowboys. Tune to ESPN 620 AM, 98.7 HD-2 or the Arizona Sports app to listen or watch on FS1.

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