“He’s more like a point guard than he is a center. He’s 6-foot-9, he’s got really good footwork, he can dribble the ball, gets low. He can pass the ball. He’s one of our best passers for a big guy,” Hurley said. “He’s very advanced for someone that just turned 17 in July.”

Bobby Hurley spoke Friday on highly-touted freshmen Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon.

Quaintance’s ceiling is “scary” and Sanon has had a “smooth” adjustment. pic.twitter.com/0aZKGcx11O

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 27, 2024

The freshman played in a lineup with 7-foot Shawn Phillips Jr. during the open portion of practice on Friday and throughout the first week of practice.

While he expects a good amount of tinkering with such a new group, Hurley said he likes that combination because of Quaintance’s passing and Phillips’ ability to play above the rim.

“JQ’s passing ability, his high-low kicks to Shawn and Shawn when he gets that close to the basket, he knows how to finish,” Hurley said. “And then also their rebounding prowess, the two of them on the offensive glass especially is really good with their physicality, with their athletic ability.”

ASU freshman Jayden Quaintance with the spin and finish out of the double-big lineup. pic.twitter.com/NszeqpTfWn

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 27, 2024

“It’s scary what he can be as he keeps developing as a player,” Hurley added.

Adam Miller, a vocal leader in practice on Friday and one of two returners from last season’s ASU rotation along with Phillips, called Quaintance a “silent killer.”

“He’s the type of guy who draws a lot of contact and gets fouls every time and still finishes. It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen,” Miller said. “One of the strongest 17-year-olds I swear I’ve ever seen in my life. … Who’s ever guarding him is going to have a tough night.”

As for the other side of the floor, Quaintance’s athleticism and length give him the ability to guard all five positions.

“Whoever they were with (before ASU) prepared them well,” Miller said of all three freshmen, Joson Sanon and Amier Ali included. “These guys come in, they get extra work in, they don’t complain, they be where they need to be and they come out and compete.

“We got a good group of young guys, probably the best group of young guys I’ve ever played with.”

The former Cardinals head coach is back in the Valley for a game against his former pupil this week, and he said it’s been fun to see a more confident look to Murray.

“At the end of last year I thought you could see the confidence getting back in the knee as he made a bunch of plays and played really well, and he’s played great this season,” Kingsbury said at Arizona State University, where the Commanders have practiced this week. “They’re a couple plays away from being undefeated.”

“You see the speed, the quickness. The competitive nature is there. It’s been great to see the guy I basically banked my entire career on what he would be and I still believe in it. It’s cool to see him playing as well as he is.”

Kingsbury added that despite how things ended, he has “nothing but good memories” in Arizona.

“That’s why I still got my house here, I love it out here,” Kingsbury said. “I’ve always been grateful to Michael (Bidwill, Cardinals owner) for giving me the opportunity that he did, first fired college coach to ever get that opportunity.

“The guys in that building are some of my closest friends, and I continue to watch those guys play. James Conner, Budda (Baker), they still inspire me.”

Where has Kliff Kingsbury’s journey taken him since leaving Cardinals?

From when he initially left Arizona with a one-way ticket to Thailand, Kingsbury said he underwent a perspective change. He first spent a year as an analyst under head coach Lincoln Riley at USC, before he was two NFL teams’ choice for offensive coordinator this past off-season.

He said over time away from the NFL, he watched a ton of film and talked to other offensive minds, such as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken who transitioned from back-to-back national titles at Georgia to the Ravens.

Kingsbury said the biggest difference between head coaching and coordinating is how much more relationship-building can happen with your side of the ball as a coordinator.

“You’re spread pretty thin as a head coach between your staff and all members of the team,” Kingsbury said. “It’s been cool to just get to know those guys a little bit on a deeper level and spend more time in that room consistently.”

Kingsbury and the Commanders head into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.

“Started all this, laid the foundation. Obviously the people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me in my football career,” said Daniels, who played in Tempe from 2019-21. “And the relationships that I’ve made off the field here, still cherish them to this day.”

The No. 2 overall pick, Daniels is practicing in Tempe with the Washington Commanders this week ahead of a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He said he still has a good relationship with Herm Edwards, who was at the helm as ASU was hit with NCAA infractions for recruiting violations under his watch.

“I’m always talking to Herm. Love Herm. He recruited me here,” Daniels said. “Phenomenal head coach, phenomenal man. Looked out for me while I was here. I still talk to him today so that dynamic’s still there.”

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels discussed his departure from ASU and how much Herm Edwards means to him. pic.twitter.com/8LOW3e06uq

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 26, 2024

He said name, image and likeness (NIL), which saw its influence grow while Daniels was in college, did not play a factor in his decision to leave ASU after the 2021 season for LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy last year.

“It didn’t mean nothing to me. My time here was great, but I didn’t leave for any NIL purposes or things like that. NIL didn’t really have that much of an impact on me,” Daniels said. “But I’m never against players making money off their name, image and likeness. Just know what’s the end goal for you.”

He instead said the move gave him the chance to find himself, both as a man and a football player, after his arrival at ASU was his first time being on his own.

What did Jayden Daniels enjoy most about his time at Arizona State?

Although his Sun Devil tenure had bitter endings, ASU had a real moment developing pros under Edwards. Daniels listed Brandon Aiyuk, Rachaad White and Ricky Pearsall as three players he was proud to grow with.

“It’s awesome. It started here, we grew up and to see everybody live out their dreams, those are brothers to me,” Daniels said.

Aiyuk and Pearsall were each first-round picks and White was picked in the third, while Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU.

The quarterback pointed to an upset win over Oregon in which he won Pac-12 Player of the Week as a freshman among the moments that stand out to him from his time. He said his rapport with Aiyuk helped set up the game-winning touchdown the two connected on.

The other highlight Daniels pointed to from over his ASU career?

“Being undefeated versus Arizona,” Daniels said, the 70-7 win in 2020 included.

Overall, the quarterback had positive feelings about being back in his old stomping grounds.

“It’s cool, first time back in a while, being able just to walk around here and re-live some memories in my head,” Daniels said Wednesday. “But the main thing is to focus on the Arizona Cardinals.”

Daniels will lead the Commanders into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.

“I know just throughout the season what I’m most proud of is our guys don’t quit,” Dillingham said Monday after a loss to Texas Tech dropped ASU to 3-1 on the year. “Even when we made stupid mistakes, which (it was) uncharacteristic of us to do some of the things that were done last week … the positive was our guys that made those mistakes were able to regather their composure and go finish.”

One of the mistakes in Saturday’s 30-22 loss at Texas Tech was a taunting penalty by safety Myles Rowser, who had just picked up a big sack on third down for the Sun Devil defense.

The drive didn’t result in points for the Red Raiders following the free first down, but they were able to pin ASU at its own 2-yard line when they could’ve had to punt from inside their own 20.

“You could take a guy off the field and (tell him to) calm down, calm down … but at the end of the day, if you’ve got a competitor he knows he messed up,” Dillingham said. “If your guy isn’t harder on himself for making a mistake that hurts the team then he shouldn’t be on the field to begin with.

“Hopefully those guys that had some uncharacteristically kind of stupid penalties don’t have them again and they were learning experiences because we haven’t had those since I’ve been here.”

Rowser went on to tie for the most snaps and post the highest grade for the game among ASU defenders, according to Pro Football Focus. He had nine tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and three passes defensed in the otherwise outstanding performance.

What changes will Arizona State football make during the bye week?

Dillingham wants to get more of a rotation going at running back but says it’s hard to keep Cam Skattebo off the field.

“He’s always next to you like ‘I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,’ so it’s really hard to be like, ‘Well, if you’re good just stand here (while another running back is in),'” the head coach said.

Skattebo leads the nation in rushing attempts (86) through four weeks, which Dillingham doesn’t think is sustainable if the running back is to be fresh for the end of games and the season.

“We gotta do a better job as a staff of managing him and letting him know going into a game that we have to keep you fresh for later,” Dillingham added. “I’ve got to do a better job making sure we stay to a plan of how we want to rotate even if Skat’s telling us he’s good.”

Dillingham also said he wants to shrink down what’s being demanded of the players on a schematic basis.

He pointed to a short week leading up to the Texas State win and longer week that can sometimes be “a curse” leading into the Texas Tech loss as two situations where they didn’t manage that as well as they could have.

“I didn’t feel like our guys played fast enough, so we’ve gotta be able to shrink what we’re doing to make sure our guys can play fast,” Dillingham said. “When you have a billion things in, it’s hard … That’s me, I gotta do a better job of that, not just throwing ideas out there.”

ASU will look for the program’s first Big 12 win when the Sun Devils host Kansas on Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. MST at Mountain America Stadium.

Blessed to announce my commitment to Arizona State University!! Excited to continue to pursue my dream as a Sun devil #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/7iLPFiEIxG

— Jake Fette (@jake_fette1) September 23, 2024

Fette is rated as a four-star prospect, top 15 among quarterbacks and top-200 overall in the 2026 class by 247 Sports. The quarterback from El Paso Del Valle is the first 2026 commit for the Sun Devils.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham was in El Paso the day after ASU’s Week 3 win over Texas State to watch Fette star in a 62-6 win. He threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-18 passing in front of his future head coach, according to MaxPreps.

The program has prioritized recruiting efforts in Texas with a “Texas to Tempe” mantra that was all over coaches’ social medias following the announcement.

Great day!!!!!! #Texas2Tempe!! pic.twitter.com/bjsAU7XZBX

— Coach Dillingham (@KennyDillingham) September 23, 2024

💥 BOOM!! LFFGGGG #ForksUp 🔱#Texas2Tempe 📈 pic.twitter.com/BOTKmtfhn8

— Coach Arroyo (@coacharroyo) September 23, 2024

Dillingham has expressed excitement toward the thought of being “linked” to current ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt for “the next four years,” but in an age of college football where coaches don’t know who could leave at a moment’s notice, it’s important to have other plans in place.

Leavitt and true freshman Navi Bruzon — a former Gatorade Player of the Year at Peoria Liberty who walked on at ASU — are both in the fold with plenty of eligibility remaining.

Michael Tollefson is committed to ASU in the 2025 class and recently transferred from California to Phoenix Mountain Pointe to be closer to the program. He was seen recently at multiple practices and is expected to enroll in the spring.

Fette’s commitment further improves that long-term positional outlook.

Newest member of the fam. Welcome home, Braylon! 🤝💜

📰: https://t.co/7wp6wwy05W pic.twitter.com/FQIP6JPmPB

— Grand Canyon Men’s Basketball (@GCU_MBB) September 20, 2024

Braylon played his high school ball at Phoenix Pinnacle High after his family relocated to the Valley when Cam was drafted in 2019.

“It was really cool, especially when Cam was playing here,” Johnson told GCULopes.com’s Paul Coro of the love his family has felt in the area. “But it’s crazy seeing how much he’s still supported even though he’s not here anymore.”

“We are really excited to be adding Braylon to our roster,” GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. “He has tremendous upside, a great work ethic and comes from a terrific basketball family.”

Johnson averaged 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds as a senior, helping Pinnacle reach the 6A state semifinals.

Puff Johnson, a brother aged between Braylon and Cam, also played at Pinnacle. He considered GCU while in the transfer portal after starting his college career at North Carolina. He now plays for Penn State.

“GCU was the place I always wanted to go. It just always seemed like a great environment,” Braylon added. “The coaching staff is great, the fans are great, the games are crazy. I just thought it would be a great place for me to come in and grow and become a better player.”

The ‘Lopes enter the 2024-25 season returning most of the rotation that earned the program’s first NCAA tournament victory, including 2023 WAC Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster.

Conyers’ touchdown gave the Red Raiders a 24-10 lead in the third quarter as the Sun Devil defense struggled to get stops against an efficient offense.

WildConyers 💪

📺: @CFBonFOX | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/9FmsTHBu6t

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 21, 2024

Over 13% of Conyers’ snaps last season at ASU came at quarterback, according to Pro Football Focus. Texas Tech has him playing multiple positions again, but this year has looked more traditional for a tight end.

The versatile tight end left a lasting impact on ASU’s program, and head coach Kenny Dillingham said the two still have a good relationship.

Where did Arizona State football miss out on opportunities in 1st loss?

The Sun Devils (3-1) had a hard time finding a rhythm on offense after the first two drives were stalled by Texas Tech (3-1) takeaways.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw an interception on his first pass attempt after he was sacked while trying to create with his legs on the first dropback. The second drive saw ASU total 69 yards before failing to convert a fourth-and-one in the red zone.

It was the first game in which ASU failed to score in the first quarter.

On the final play of the first half, Leavitt launched a Hail Mary that traveled more than 60 air yards before going right through the hands of wide receiver Malik McClain, who would’ve had a touchdown on his first catch of the season after transferring from Penn State.

Wide receiver Jake Smith failed to adjust on a later deep shot in which he had plenty of open grass out in front. Dillingham told reporters postgame the sun impacted Smith’s ability to see the ball.

The Sun Devils finally broke open a big play with a 66-yard run by Cam Skattebo off a screen pass, and he punched in a touchdown on the next play. However, Ian Hershey’s extra point was blocked, keeping ASU at arm’s length.

Key fourth-quarter drops from tight end Chamon Metayer hurt ASU’s comeback efforts, as did eight penalties. It was the third straight week with at least eight ASU penalties after committing four in Week 1 against Wyoming.

Arizona State has a bye week coming up to reset before hosting Kansas on Oct. 5.

TEMPE — Arizona State and Cam Skattebo meeting Texas Tech and Tahj Brooks on Saturday will serve as an appetizer for the elite running back matchups to expect in the Big 12.

“You’re not a 1,000-yard rusher on accident. He’s absolutely dynamic,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said of Brooks. “When you look at the stats, the fact that he’s back is huge for them. Someone we’ve gotta control, gotta contain.”

For ASU entering its Big 12 debut, Skattebo has opened the season as the workhorse of all workhorses leading the nation with 68 rushing attempts through three weeks. Brooks has had similar usage on a per-game basis (44 total attempts) but missed the Red Raiders’ lone loss against Washington State in Week 2.

In both games he’s played, Brooks ran for more than 100 yards with a touchdown. He produced 1,541 yards last season and has been Texas Tech’s leading rusher for three straight seasons.

Red Raiders offensive coordinator Zach Kittley loves to establish the running back early to open up play action. All four of Texas Tech’s passing touchdowns in a Week 3 win over North Texas came off play action, with Brooks laying the wood on some key blocks.

Kittley has called Brooks the best pass-protecting running back he’s ever been around, and ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward said it’s an element the Sun Devils must be prepared for.

asu defensive coordinator brian ward said going against tahj brooks in pass pro is “like trying to run through a block of granite.” pic.twitter.com/24c3qpvIFP

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 19, 2024

With Skattebo looking to keep an exceptional start to his season going, the Red Raiders’ staff had their own top-notch running back to prepare for.

“I don’t know how you say it, but I know he’s a bad man,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told reporters after mispronouncing the running back’s name (it’s Skatte-BOO).

Skattebo is sixth nationally among running backs in yards after contact (258), according to Pro Football Focus. Among those six, he has the second-most rushes of 10-plus yards with 11.

“He’s in a lot of ways a lot like Tahj,” Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “When he gets one-on-ones, there’s not many guys that get him down and there’s no yardage. You better have a gang of guys there tackling because he’ll run through people.”

The matchup is a chance for the ASU rushing attack to establish itself as one of the best in the conference.

“I feel like every game for us is a statement game,” center Leif Fautanu said. “I feel like we try to put out the best film that we can, and this week we’ve got a good opportunity to put some yards on the ground. But again it just starts off with doing our job.”

After dealing with Brooks this week, the running back matchups don’t get much easier for Arizona State with Kansas’ Devin Neal and Utah’s Micah Bernard the next two on deck. Neal has reached the century mark in all three games, while Bernard has done so against both FBS opponents Utah has faced.

After a second bye week, more challenging running back matchups come with preseason conference player of the year Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State and UCF’s R.J. Harvey, a top-three rusher in the nation.

After giving up 134 rushing yards in the win over Texas State, the ASU rushing defense dropped from one of the best in the nation to sixth in the Big 12. This matchup with Brooks and Texas Tech should provide a clearer expectation for how ASU will hold up throughout conference play.

Former Arizona State TE Jalin Conyers facing old team

Tight end Jalin Conyers, now with Texas Tech, was among the most important players for Arizona State in Dillingham’s first season, making an impact with his versatility last season.

In addition to catching 30 passes for 362 yards with limited quarterback play, Conyers ran 22 times and completed five passes last year.

Through three games with his new team, he has again taken snaps at quarterback and in the backfield, according to PFF. However, it’s much more of an orthodox tight end role than at ASU, where more than 13% of his snaps came at quarterback.

Dillingham said playing closer to family was a big factor in Conyers’ decision, one the coach fully supported.

kenny dillingham raved about jalin conyers and his move to texas tech … after he gave us some grief for forgetting to ask pic.twitter.com/9ZFtr2F7KG

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 17, 2024

McGuire said Conyers is excited for the matchup, and Kittley said he planned to speak with the tight end about the ASU defense.

The Sun Devils expect to start six defensive newcomers on Saturday, so Conyers’ familiarity will only be so helpful.

ASU, meanwhile, has a former Red Raider on its roster in starting right guard Cade Briggs. He was Texas Tech’s backup center in 2022 and appeared in two games before arriving in Tempe last year.

How to watch, listen to Arizona State football vs. Texas Tech

The Sun Devils match up against the Red Raiders at 12:30 p.m. MST in Lubbock.

You can listen to play-by-play on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 or 98.7 FM-HD 2, with pregame coverage beginning at 10 a.m. MST. FS1 will have the TV broadcast.

TEMPE — In less than a month, Arizona State football has gone from being picked to finish last in the conference to entering Week 4 as one of seven unbeaten teams in the Big 12.

It was a whirlwind for many on the outside, but head coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday this is the same team he has seen everyday since spring.

“We’re the same team that we were before we played a game,” Dillingham said. “We’ve played a few games, but that’s really about it. We’re the same team that just needs to get better and better and better.

“The best opponents that we face this year are in our future, they’re not in our past. We have to get better every single week if we want to continue to have fun Saturdays.”

kenny dillingham said today it’s easier to get buy-in when the stuff you preach in practice translates to winning games, but that comes with the added pressure of expectations pic.twitter.com/hM54dHIplI

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 16, 2024

With the “fun Saturdays” ASU has already logged, some bowl projectors have ASU reaching the Sun Bowl or Independence Bowl, while talk of a bowl for last year’s squad never started.

Dillingham could tell there was a stark contrast between the two squads by the way this group attacked the off-season.

“To be honest, just the work they would put in in the weight room and the lack of people on (negative) lists,” Dillingham said. “The minimum expectation was so much higher all offseason.”

He praised the maturity of his team, saying they never complained in an adverse environment in San Marcos, Texas, even when the team had to come back out for a final final play.

“Our guys didn’t flinch in that game which was awesome to see. There was never a wavering, never a flinch just on the sideline with their body language, with anything. That’s a really good sign of the direction of the program is when you win games like that, when your guys don’t flinch,” Dillingham said.

Arizona State (3-0) now enters conference play in the Big 12 for the first time, with the only other undefeated teams being No. 12 Utah, No. 13 Kansas State, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Iowa State (2-0), UCF and BYU. ASU received three votes in the latest AP poll.

ASU plays its first Big 12 game on Saturday at Texas Tech.

Kenny Dillingham explains the importance of firsts. And the Red Raiders' tortilla toss. pic.twitter.com/maeB2MhAWE

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 16, 2024

Impact defenders Prince Dorbah, Jordan Crook expected to make season debuts

Some of the expected top performers on ASU’s defensive front in defensive end Prince Dorbah and linebacker Jordan Crook are likely to make their season debuts on Saturday.

Dorbah was tied for the team lead in sacks last season and Crook is an Arkansas transfer whose intelligence has been lauded by Dillingham.

Dillingham praised reserve defenders Blazen Lono-Wong and Caleb McCullough, who were each involved in tackles for loss on Saturday, for stepping up as improved depth compared to last year.

The other players up front have set a high bar for what’s expected. Defensive linemen C.J. Fite and Justin Wodtly have each come up with big man touchdowns while linebackers Zyrus Fiaseu and Keyshaun Elliott had interceptions on ASU’s first two defensive drives of the season.

Dillingham said he also expects offensive lineman Sean Na’a, one of the youngest members of the Tillman Leadership Council as a true sophomore, to make his season debut as well.

Running backs Raleek Brown and DeCarlos Brooks are considered questionable for Saturday.

Dillingham said it’s a disservice to play Brown if he’s not at 100% given his top-end speed and is waiting to see how Brooks handles the week ahead. Brown had three touches for three yards in his limited ASU debut against Texas State while Brooks didn’t see action.

ASU and Texas Tech match up in Lubbock on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Listen to the action on the Arizona Sports app, 620 AM or 98.7 FM-HD 2 with pregame coverage starting at 10 a.m. or watch on FS1.

Beachum stepped into Williams’ spot to play 39 snaps and close out Week 1 on Sunday.

“There’s a comfort level with Beach being the vet that he is and how many games he’s played,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “Who’s ever in there we feel good about getting the job done.”

Beachum started 48 games for the Cardinals over 2020-22 with nearly every snap coming at right tackle. He took on more of a reserve role in 2023, appearing in 11 games (two starts) as Arizona’s swing tackle.

“It hurts any time one of your starting offensive linemen goes down,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “I’ve obviously been around (Beachum) for quite some time now, so I’m very comfortable with him being in the game.”

In each of his previous seasons with the team, Beachum was rated by PFF as much better in pass blocking than run blocking.

The opposite was true on Sunday with two sacks allowed on four pressures.

“The calls are the same, everything’s the same. It’s just a different person in there,” tight end Trey McBride said Wednesday.

Behind Beachum, the Cardinals have three depth options on the practice squad with regular season experience and can look for further external options.

Jackson Barton has nine games of regular season experience and appeared in one game for Arizona last year. Luke Tenuta played three games for the Green Bay Packers in 2022.

Charlie Heck, who has appeared in 41 games for the Houston Texans since 2020, was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday. Nearly all of his snaps have come at right tackle.

“We feel good about the plan moving forward,” Gannon said.

TEMPE — Arizona State football’s road matchup with Texas State on Thursday is far from a trap game because the Sun Devils understand how good the Bobcats are.

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham went so far as to call Texas State the best team the Sun Devils have faced thus far.

“This is the best football team we’ve played, these guys play hard. You watch the tape, they play with passion … they are explosive,” Dillingham said. “We have to be fresh, we have to be healthy and we have to be fundamentally sound.”

While Arizona State (2-0) won its opener in a blowout with polar opposite halves in the second game, Texas State (2-0) has seen the reverse.

In their first game, the Bobcats built an 18-0 halftime lead over Lamar before escaping with a 34-27 win. Then on Saturday, they stomped UTSA 49-10 — a matchup of two popular picks for the Group of Five playoff spot — with over 500 yards of total offense to show for it.

“They’re physical, they play hard, they play with effort,” running back Cam Skattebo said. “I played against that head coach at Sacramento State when he was at Incarnate Word, so I know what he brings to the table as a coach.”

Sacramento State was bested 66-63 by head coach G.J. Kinne and Incarnate Word in the 2022 FCS quarterfinals. Skattebo rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score in the loss.

In Kinne, Dillingham sees an offensive mind who built a creative run scheme from coordinating at UCF under Gus Malzahn, Dillingham’s former boss at Auburn.

kenny dillingham on monday talked about the extensive run scheme texas state head coach gj kinne has cultivated.

he also said the bobcats could compete at a power 4 level and kinne will land on coaching watchlists. pic.twitter.com/TtiJbmkOJf

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 11, 2024

“All those guys are gonna be physical, those guys are gonna play hard,” Skattebo added. “They’re all smart, they don’t recruit dumb guys.”

The physicality translated to holes for explosive play-makers to capitalize on Saturday. Four of Texas State’s seven touchdowns were on plays of at least 20 yards, and two of those were more than 40 yards.

Arizona State has given up just one play of over 30 yards so far, the 80-yard touchdown by Mississippi State’s Kevin Coleman Jr. to cut ASU’s lead to seven late.

What will Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo do for an encore?

Skattebo had by far the most productive Week 2 for a running back, with his 262 rushing yards beating the second-most in the country by more than 50 yards.

“I think it was a mentality thing,” Skattebo said Tuesday of what went right. “The guys up front realized that we were better than them, and I was behind them with a lot of anger. I had 50 yards in the first seven carries and I was like, ‘This is gonna be a long day boys. Let’s put it to these guys,’ and they trusted it. That’s what we had our game plan set to be.”

He saw limited action in the open portion of Tuesday’s practice. Dillingham emphasized that Skattebo needed to get to Thursday feeling fresh.

ASU’s overall rushing attack is seventh in the FBS at 293.5 yards per game. The Texas State rush defense is nothing to scoff at, ranked in the top 20 in yards allowed. The Bobcats have 9.5 tackles for loss.

The Bobcats crowd the box and thrive on chaos, which the Sun Devils hope to neutralize through physicality and heavier packages that have shown up in practice this week.

Youth vs. experience in the quarterback matchup

From a passing standpoint, Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is still waiting for everything to click into place going into his third start.

His own run game, however, has been one of the brighter spots of the offense outside of Skattebo. Leavitt has 115 rushing yards on 19 carries through two games, with both touchdowns coming against Mississippi State.

Dillingham on Monday reiterated his confidence in the downfield passing coming around, but there might not be time to wait with a blitz-happy Texas State team up next.

“They’re going to blitz and they’re gonna blitz a lot on early downs,” Dillingham said. “They create chaos. These guys play very, very aggressively on defense, and we have to be ready to combat that in early downs.”

Both of Leavitt’s touchdown passes this season have come under pressure, and his completion percentage is about 15% higher when blitzed, according to Pro Football Focus. His 66.7% on those dropbacks is top 30 in the country.

Blitzes could lead to a susceptible back end of the Bobcats’ defense for Leavitt to make good on 20-plus yard throws, but he’s 0-for-6 so far as a Sun Devil.

On the other sideline is Jordan McCloud, a former Arizona Wildcats quarterback with more schools on his resume than Leavitt has collegiate starts.

With a stop in South Florida prior to Arizona, McCloud was the Sun Belt player of the year with James Madison in 2023 before transferring in-conference to Texas State.

A dual threat in his own right, McCloud is unflappable with nearly 40 starts under his belt, according to Dillingham.

“You’re not gonna go out there and run something new and think they’re not gonna figure this out or he’s gonna get rattled here. You’re not gonna spook them,” Dillingham said. “I think that the challenge this week is how can we not let him know what’s happening, and we can’t give things away.”

ASU is Texas-touring for 1st road trip

Dillingham showed up to his Monday press conference in a “Texas to Tempe” shirt. Defensive backs coach Bryan Carrington wore a “Texas Devils” shirt at practice on Tuesday.

The ASU staff knows how important Texas is as a recruiting base and how key good showings are when there are games in the Lone Star State.

Arizona State has never had this many players from Texas, including defensive lineman C.J. Fite, whose father played for Texas State.

C.J. Fite, who had a “thicc-six” against Mississippi State, is excited to go on the road and play Texas State on Thursday.

Having grown up about five hours northeast of Texas State, Fite had to get 13 tickets for friends and family. pic.twitter.com/0Yc2Qe9CcX

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 10, 2024

“I think it’s awesome for those guys to get to go back home,” Dillingham said.

The coach said he’s intrigued by whom the Tillman Leadership Council will choose to be the gameday captain. Last week’s was running back Kyson Brown, originally from Mississippi.

ASU goes to Texas Tech next week, the Sun Devils’ final game in Texas this season. Four Big 12 schools are based in Texas, so trips will be regular occurrences.

How to catch Arizona State vs. Texas State

The Sun Devils and the Bobcats face off at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at UFCU Stadium.

Listen to coverage beginning at 2 p.m. on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 and 98.7 FM HD-2. Matt Barrie, an ASU alum, will be on play-by-play duties for the TV broadcast on ESPN.

Leavitt completed 50% of his passes en route to 69 passing yards in a 30-23 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, a statline that resembled ASU’s limited quarterback play from a year ago.

“He’s through two games, he has no (turnovers), we have very limited procedure penalties, he’s getting us into good calls, converted/extended three different third downs with his legs,” Dillingham said. “Then he missed a couple throws.

“I can sleep really well at night if our quarterback is just missing a few throws. I can’t sleep if he’s throwing to the wrong person, if he’s turning the football over, if he’s panicking when guys are aligned wrong or when the running back goes the wrong way … he doesn’t do any of that.”

ASU didn’t need success through the air to amass a 30-3 lead early in the second half, as running back Cam Skattebo earned national player of the week honors for his 262-yard explosion.

Dillingham said his insistence to feed Skattebo took Leavitt out of rhythm, although a 1-for-5 first quarter after connecting on the first two attempts suggests the quarterback never had his rhythm to begin with.

“I did a bad job,” Dillingham said postgame. “I’m over there telling coach Arroyo, ‘Keep running it, they can’t stop it,’ and that’s the head coach side of me. But I’m forgetting that I ruined everything with the quarterback’s rhythm. That was a bad job by me, I should’ve just let him kinda go with the flow and let him call the game how he was calling it.”

Leavitt helped out with the ground game with nearly as many rushing yards (68) as passing yards (69). He also ran for two touchdowns.

Sam Leavitt looking for deep throws to translate from practice to games

So far this season, Leavitt has not connected on a downfield throw despite available opportunities, but the quarterback said it’s a matter of time before the Sun Devils start connecting in-game.

“Just rep ’em in practice. I feel like we were super close to a couple of them, should’ve had them but I don’t think it’s much more than that,” Leavitt said postgame. “Couple pregame jitters and I just had a little too much juice, so I feel like we’re gonna come back and really start connecting on those.”

Leavitt had Jordyn Tyson deep for a would-be touchdown on ASU’s first drive, but the throw was just in front of the receiver.

Tyson, who later made blocks that opened up Skattebo’s game-sealing run, is one of the receivers Leavitt has shown great downfield chemistry with in practice, along with Jake Smith and Malik McClain.

“That’s what gives me great confidence is he’s missing throws that he makes routinely in practice in his second start with no rhythm,” Dillingham said Monday.

“He has so much passion, I mean the guys feed off the passion,” Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “Our guys love football … they love to compete, and he’s the ultimate competitor.”

Skattebo had nearly as many total yards (297) as Mississippi State (298), and he dragged the Sun Devils to the win after they had given up 20 unanswered points.

He waited until the two-minute warning to break off his best run of the game, a 39-yard breakaway he stopped short to set up three Sam Leavitt kneel downs.

“The last time I told you to slide to win a game, you scored. Make sure you slide,” Dillingham said he told Skattebo before the final drive. “Skat of this year falls down, we take three knees, we win the football game. That’s the growth he’s made as a person.”

The run that sealed it for ASU and put Cam Skattebo into second place for rushing yards in a single game by a Sun Devil.

Watch Skattebo's postgame interview: https://t.co/umCatTyQKr pic.twitter.com/yxf3Y95w88

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024

Dillingham believes Skattebo’s growth will earn him NFL consideration, but he didn’t think so before a significant amount of change over the offseason.

“Listen, if you want to play on Sundays … you’re gonna drop weight, you’re gonna get in better shape, you’re gonna be faster, you’re gonna control your passion and you’re gonna channel it,” Dillingham said he told Skattebo. “And he’s done everything I’ve asked him.

“Right now, that looked like a Sunday player.”

Skattebo has come a long way from being an unranked high school prospect to a Big Sky standout to now staking claim to a Power Four program’s record books.

When he arrived, Arizona State was in a dark place, and he took the brunt of it by playing entirely too many positions. Now that he’s able to just be a running back, it has freed him up immensely and paid dividends.

“I think today was fun. That’s the most fun I’ve had in a football game in a long time,” Skattebo said. “Bullying dudes, grown men that are 300 pounds, that’s fun to us … my body feels great and we won the (expletive) football game, so I’m happy.”

Skattebo looks like one of the best running backs in a Big 12 loaded with great running backs, and suddenly Arizona State (2-0) has a chance at an undefeated nonconference schedule.

After ASU averaged 18.8 first downs per game in 2023, they’ve averaged 26.5 through two games this season, including 19 by Skattebo on Saturday.

However, there’s added urgency to move onto the next game with a Thursday road trip to Texas State coming up for ASU, so there’s no time for the running back to feel tired.

Kenny Dillingham said ASU sent running back Cam Skattebo to the Austin Powers cryo chamber after 36 touches on Saturday.

His toe is the only thing a little sore. pic.twitter.com/ms918WYaFm

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 9, 2024

Skattebo’s efforts on Saturday netted him AP national player of the week and Big 12 offensive player of the week.

Fite, a true sophomore weighing 295 pounds, used his body to block the ball from running out of bounds, recovered the ball and ran it in.

A couple of highlights from Arizona State’s dominant first half against Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/dKQEH35jL8

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024

The score gave ASU, seeking its first SEC win in program history, a 20-3 lead in the first half.

“In practice, we set a standard on defense: any time the ball comes out, go pick it up,” Fite said. “So I saw the ball, I went and got it.”

The Arizona State defense had racked up a sack and three tackles for loss prior to the touchdown, as the Sun Devils were in the Mississippi State backfield on seemingly every drop back.

“Playin’ out the play, same thing we keep preaching,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “We’re gonna play the ball, we’re gonna play hard, we’re gonna play passionate. I think we did that for 35 minutes of the game. I think there was a lull where we got comfortable, and I think that lull was how we practiced on Tuesday for the first 14 periods.

“It was a great lesson for us that you can’t get comfortable in a football game.”

It was the second straight week with a big man touchdown from Arizona State defensive linemen, with Justin Wodtly running in a similar touchdown after a botched backwards pass from Wyoming in Week 1.

“The guys are probably bored of it. We start our team meetings and the only two things I show are effort plays and takeaways,” Dillingham said after the first win. “It’s just to get in their mind that if you play really hard and you win the turnover battle, all of these schemes that you’re about to go do are awesome.”

At the time of Fite’s touchdown, the Arizona State defense had outscored its opponents 21-10 over the season, including Zyrus Fiaseu’s pick-six that began the season.

Leavitt made defenders miss on both runs, including a sweet spin move on the first run before he escaped pressure and got to the sideline for the touchdown.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt's legs give Arizona State an early 7-0 lead vs. Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/jsGZYDMtrn

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024

The 10-play, 79-yard drive — with 58 yards coming on the ground — was key as ASU dominating time of possession would help neutralize a Mississippi State offense that wants to run up the pace.

The Sun Devils’ second drive went 65 yards in 12 plays and stalled out in the red zone. ASU settled for the 10-0 first-quarter lead.

Cam Skattebo pushed the drive forward with a few chunk plays, as Leavitt’s passing struggled to the tune of a 3-of-7 start, including missing an open Jordyn Tyson for a would-be touchdown on the first drive.

Leavitt punched in a second rushing touchdown from one yard out on ASU’s final drive of the half to earn a 27-3 advantage at the break.

Skattebo would go on to have the second best rushing day in program history, with Leavitt continuing to struggle as head coach Kenny Dillingham said he took the quarterback out of rhythm with the run frequency.

“We wanna be balanced like we were last week but at the end of the day, we were running the ball well,” Dillingham said. “We didn’t put our quarterback in a position to be in a rhythm there because we thought we had a big enough lead.”

The quarterback wasn’t concerned about the misses, because he believes the success in practice will translate eventually.

“I feel like we were super close to a couple of them, should’ve had them,” Leavitt said. “But I don’t think it’s much more than that, couple pregame jitters and just had a little too much juice. But I feel like we’re gonna come back and start really connecting on those.”

TEMPE — Mississippi State’s high-tempo offense is a problem the Arizona State coaches have worked to solve ahead of a matchup at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said the tempo gives new Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby the chance to “play quarterback” in signal caller Blake Shapen’s ear. In-helmet communications, which are new to college football this season, turn off at the 20-second mark on the play clock. 

In their Week 1 victory over Eastern Kentucky, the Bulldogs consistently snapped the ball well before that, oftentimes even before the 30-second mark. Their drives took less than two minutes on average.

ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward said he has lost sleep this week over getting his defense’s pre-snap disguises right, given Lebby can read the field himself and make the call in real time. 

ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward on the challenges of getting presnap disguises right against a team that utilizes tempo as much as Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/gosHG9Ya8B

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 4, 2024

Lebby was most recently the offensive coordinator for two years at Oklahoma after two seasons coordinating under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. Those units finished third, 13th, sixth and third in yards per game nationwide. His UCF offense ranked second the year before that tenure.

At one point committed to both ASU football and baseball, Shapen joined Lebby’s new staff as a transfer from Baylor. After Week 1, Shapen was ranked the second-best quarterback in the nation by Pro Football Focus after he completed 15 of 20 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns against EKU.

“Obviously that system is super quarterback-driven. He came from a completely, drastically different system,” Dillingham said. “So this is a big change for him in terms of the style of play, the freedom they give their quarterback.”

Shapen on Saturday threw a gorgeous deep ball on shots set up by the pace, which wore down the defense and softened the back end by being so effective in the short game.

asu defensive coordinator brian ward on what he’s expecting from former asu commit blake shapen and the mississippi state offense pic.twitter.com/BM33n1M55L

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 5, 2024

Where can Arizona State exploit the Mississippi State defense?

ASU’s offensive coaches this week have emphasized staying true to their own identity against a talented Mississippi State defense coordinated by Coleman Hutzler, who was Alabama’s outside linebackers coach the last two years.

“They’re obviously a really talented football team that (is) tough, well-coached … they’ve got a new energy, a new juice,” ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “On the perimeter, they’ve got some real guys, so being able to run the football effectively in any game really is our mantra, our identity, as we saw starting last week.

“Being able to put guys in the box and be able to take advantage of guys on the perimeter is something that give (the receivers) a one-on-one situation if we can get to that. And if we don’t get to that, then we’ve gotta be able to do it in other ways.”

As many as four running backs were in the rotation in the season opener. Quarterback Sam Leavitt additionally rushed eight times for 47 yards. The Sun Devils averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a team.

Running back Kyson Brown, who grew up about an hour away from Mississippi State but was never offered by the Bulldogs, ripped off the Sun Devils’ biggest offensive play on Saturday when he took a screen pass 68 yards for a touchdown.

He clocked one of the fastest game speeds nationwide on the play, according to Reel Analytics.

#CFB's Fastest Five Players of Week 1:

T-5. @ASUFootball's Kyson Brown (@KysonBrown11)

RB, 68-yard TD, 20.0 MPH 💨
#ForksUp #ActivateTheValley #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/sV4fmk9Q9H

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 3, 2024

Punt coverage is biggest special teams key

Arizona State punter Kanyon Floyd only needed to punt twice in ASU’s win over Wyoming. 

He sent his first collegiate punt into the end zone for a touchback from the Wyoming 41-yard line. Dillingham said postgame a communication slip-up on his part led to Floyd not sky-punting it in that situation. 

His second punt went 51 yards from the ASU 29. The punt coverage team gave up a six-yard return.

With a tougher opponent coming up and Floyd likely having to do a bit more on Saturday, the ASU coverage team will have to be on its game, as MSU wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. has game-breaking potential as a return man. 

Coleman’s opener started with punt returns of 32 yards (nullified by penalty), 18 yards, seven yards and 30 yards before EKU stopped punting to him.

While serving as Florida State’s offensive coordinator, Dillingham recruited Coleman before the 2022 top-75 overall prospect chose Deion Sanders and Jackson State. 

The Bulldogs also blocked an Eastern Kentucky punt that freshman wide receiver Mario Craver recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Coleman and Craver also each caught a touchdown.

Gold in, cowbells out

After the ASU students nearly broke the attendance record for a game since 2010 in the opener, Dillingham has called since postgame for it to be broken this week.

Packing the stadium with gold is especially important to former SEC defensive back Laterrance Welch, who played at Mississippi State under the “cowbell effect” last season while with LSU.

“All I can remember is them cowbells, the most aggravating (sound),” Welch said. “You line up, they start ringing them.”

Dillingham hasn’t shied away from reminding his team that a win on Saturday would be the program’s first against an SEC opponent.

Many of the players, including running back Cam Skattebo, have taken the approach of just looking forward to playing another game.

ASU RB Cam Skattebo on what the Week 1 blowout win said about the Sun Devils and what the approach is going into Week 2 against Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/EdfsW6p2iy

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) September 3, 2024

Catch ASU square off against Mississippi State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Listen on the Arizona Sports app, 98.7 HD-2 or 620 AM or watch on ESPN (Spanish broadcast on ESPN3).

Leavitt didn’t attempt many deep shots in Arizona State’s 48-7 win over Wyoming, his first collegiate start. Dillingham attributed that to short fields and game flow.

“The first time we had an open field we had the ball on the (Wyoming 42-yard line), which you can’t really take too many shots (from),” Dillingham said. “On the second possession, we chucked it deep and he threw a great ball, so we’re not playing scared with him, moral of the story. We’re gonna be aggressive with him.”

kenny dillingham on arizona state “not playing scared” with sam leavitt at quarterback: pic.twitter.com/SdXdt0jWJV

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 3, 2024

Leavitt averaged 11.7 yards per attempt even without connecting on the few deep shots attempted.

Dillingham said he wants to stay balanced offensively, but he isn’t expecting a ratio of 49 runs (4.9 yards per carry as a team) to 22 pass attempts for every game.

“Obviously, you’d always love to be balanced. I don’t know if it was about Sam. I think Sam is a high learner even though he’s a (redshirt) freshman,” Dillingham said. “I don’t think we tailored the plan to say. ‘Hey let’s protect him.'”

The nature of the blowout added to the run frequency, as did Wyoming’s inability to stop the Sun Devils.

“I didn’t think we were gonna be able to run the ball at that high of a percentage,” Dillingham said.

Five of the six players who carried the ball at least four times saw an average of more than four yards per rush, with Leavitt being one of them at 5.9 yards per carry on eight rushes.

His mobility and poise were on display throughout, taking two sacks on eight pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Leavitt turned the poise into points when he stepped up to avoid pressure and throw on the move to tight end Chamon Metayer for Leavitt’s second score of the day. The drive included two third downs he converted with his legs.

“The student section tonight was absolutely incredible,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said before joking that it’s hard to keep fans in their seats for entire games when it’s a blowout.

It was the second-largest student attendance since 2010 at 13,698, the university said. The mark was less than 400 shy of the record set in 2013 when the Sun Devils hosted UCLA.

“The crowd showed out. I don’t think they realize how much of an impact they have,” linebacker Keyshaun Elliott said.

The ASU athletic department geared up to the opener with an enhanced game day experience that included half-price parking and water.

New value and signature concessions were added as well, such as elk bratwurst for the Wyoming game and alligator po’boy for the upcoming Mississippi State game.

“It was pretty dope. I didn’t think it would be that loud running out,” quarterback Sam Leavitt said. “Hopefully more people start showing up and we get this thing really rocking.”

Overall attendance was announced at 48,108 for the game, though only fragments remained late with the win in hand. One of the late highlights from the crowd was a fan with a yo-yo who took everyone by storm with his skills.

The Yo-yo kid at the ASU game tonight was absolutely electric pic.twitter.com/TEIOVwYdAu

— Goldschmidt Happened (@GoldyHappens) September 1, 2024

Dillingham called on the Arizona State faithful to pack the stadium for Week 2 opponent, Mississippi State.

“We’ve never won an SEC game in Arizona State history,” the head coach said. “So we need a sold out crowd with the biggest student section that there’s ever been. We need it loud for four quarters all night long next Saturday.”

Catch Arizona State’s big test vs. Mississippi State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST on ESPN, the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM and 98.7 HD-2.

The 17-year-old was seen during pregame festivities and throughout the game with his family and basketball coach Bobby Hurley, as well as several assistants from Hurley’s staff.

Head Sun Devils football coach Kenny Dillingham also introduced himself to the Peat family, which includes offensive linemen brothers and basketball-playing sisters.

Koa’s older brother, Keona, is a walk-on offensive lineman with the Sun Devils and had a one-yard carry on ASU’s final drive.

A consensus five-star prospect, the 6-foot-8 senior has won Arizona state championships in each of his three seasons playing for the Pumas and has three gold medals playing for Team USA junior national teams.

Peat played alongside Arizona State freshman Jayden Quaintance on the 2023 U16 USA squad, Quaintance still needing to play at least two years of college before he’s eligible to be drafted. If Peat commits and Quaintance doesn’t transfer, the two could be headed for a reunion.

Peat later won USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year for his performance in that tournament, averaging 17.2 points (58.7% shooting), 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

This past July, Peat (26 points, eight rebounds) spearheaded a 129-88 win over Italy to lift Team USA to gold in the 2024 U17 World Cup. He averaged 17.9 points (62.5% from the field), 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals over seven games in Turkey.

The senior has not given a timetable for his decision, and has scheduled upcoming visits to Arkansas (Sept. 14), Baylor (Sept. 27) and Arizona (Oct. 4).

Head coach Kenny Dillingham has been confident the transfer has all the tools to succeed at this level, but even he was surprised by how Leavitt operated in a 48-7 win over Wyoming.

“I thought there’d be more freeze moments,” Dillingham said. “There were only a couple where he got to the sideline and he’s like ‘what am I doing?’ Not many of those moments.”

He finished 14-for-22 with 258 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters.

“There’s always gonna be things you want back, but overall we flowed into the next drive really well,” Leavitt said. “We weren’t focused on the last drive, which I think was a major factor in our success today.”

He said he encouraged his teammates coming out of halftime, not wanting to see the foot come off the gas with a 27-0 lead.

Leavitt displayed pocket presence beyond his experience, evading pressure to make plays such as an improvised throw to Chamon Metayer that the tight end took to the house.

Chamon Mateyer adds another TD to the tally! 👊 @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/4SrgMkSpkD

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 1, 2024

On the same drive, Leavitt used his legs to convert two third downs. He finished with 47 yards on the ground while showing an indifference to sliding, which Dillingham said is not part of the conversation because Leavitt’s not good at it.

“It’s kind of an awkward thing to do if you’re not good at it and we’ve practiced it a little bit, but it’s just not comfortable for him,” Dillingham said. “So he’s just gotta learn how to dive-slide forward to protect himself some, but I think it would do him a disservice to try to get him to slide and jam his feet into the ground.

“But I definitely don’t want him to get hit as much.”

Arizona State kept an “everybody eats” approach to the passing game as seven players caught passes before any one receiver had 50 yards.

Leavitt’s ability to keep the offense on schedule kept himself in a position to make the easy plays. Only three of the 11 third downs he faced were 3rd-and-longs.

The Sun Devils also had success on screen plays, one of which Kyson Brown took 68 yards for Leavitt’s second touchdown.

MAMA, THERE GOES THAT MAN 😈 @KysonBrown11 TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE 🔱

📺 FS1
📱 https://t.co/YDxGTNeZJO#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/Ys6QiECAiy

— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 1, 2024

Dillingham had seen enough after three quarters, and Jeff Sims played the rest of the way.

“The kid played an unbelievable game, and I’m excited about the future with him,” Dillingham said. “That’s what’s really exciting is that kid has four more years potentially to play here. And I think this program is gonna grow and grow with him, and that’s super exciting.”