Sun Devils Football on the Rise

Kenny Dillingham became the head coach at his alma mater, Arizona State, immediately following the conclusion of the 2022 season. The Sun Devils, who finished 3-9 that season, needed a spark.  

In a statement to the Sun Devils’ fanbase after his hiring, Dillingham promised he and his staff would work harder than anyone to build a team that the community could rally behind and be proud of. 

Now, the 8-2 Sun Devils prepare to host the Big 12’s top team, BYU, Saturday afternoon in Tempe with a chance at the Big 12 title game on the line. 

The turnaround was not immediate at Arizona State. The Sun Devils finished 3-9 once again in Dillingham’s first season at the helm. 

So, what have been some of the keys to the turnaround for Dillingham and ASU?

It starts with the transfer portal addition of his quarterback, Sam Leavitt. Leavitt began his career at Michigan State. The former four-star recruit and No.2 QB from Oregon in the class of ‘23 redshirted his freshman season in East Lansing. 

Leavitt has played lights out ball each of the last three weeks to get his team into a position for conference championship contention. Leavitt’s trio of passing touchdowns in each of the past three games tops the Sun Devils total team passing touchdowns from a season ago. 

This past weekend, in a game with massive stakes for the Big 12 Championship Game, Leavitt shredded a tough Kansas State defense, throwing for 275 yards and three scores. 

His number one wideout, Colorado transfer Jordyn Tyson, exploded for 12 catches, 176 yards and two scores in the win. 

Tyson, who earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance at K-State, hauled in 22 passes for 470 yards and four touchdowns last season in his freshman year with the Buffs. Although Tyson started his career on a solid note, the decision to join the Sun Devils catapulted him to the next level. 

The true sophomore receiver has cleared his numbers from last season through ten games in 2024 with 58 catches, 833 yards and nine touchdowns. The two will look to continue to develop chemistry as they finish the season. Look out for what could be a monstrous showing for the duo in 2025. 

In the backfield, Cam Skattebo provides nothing but consistency for the Sun Devils and Coach Dillingham. The former Sacramento State transfer provided rare bright spots for a struggling offense last season.  

This year, Skattebo averages 5.4 yards per carry to the tune of 1,074 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Additionally, the workhorse back has pulled in 31 passes for 448 yards and two more scores. 

After years as an offensive coordinator at Auburn, Florida State and Oregon where Dillingham produced high powered offenses, it comes as little surprise that the offense has improved rapidly in just his second season. 

However, improvements to the defense may be a bigger reason for the Sun Devils resurgence. Arizona State allows just 22.8 points per game to opponents this season compared to 31.83 a season ago.  

Two-time transfer Myles Rowser leads ASU with 77 total tackles. The hard-hitting safety started his career at Campbell before playing for New Mexico State last season. 

Rowser’s running mate at safety, Xavion Alford, committed to Texas as a four-star out of high school where he played a season, and played last season at USC. Alford has 65 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions for Arizona State this season. 

One of the biggest games in Sun Devils history looms for Coach Dillingham Saturday.

However, no matter the outcome, Dillingham is well on his way to keeping his promise to Sun Devil nation to build a team they could rally behind.