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Photo Oct 24 2026, 1 26 41 PM (2)

The ASU victory …

  • Improved ASU to 7-1 in its all-time series against Kansas State.
  • Helped the Sun Devils avoid losing consecutive regular season games for the first time since the final two games of the 2023 campaign. 
  • Keep the Sun Devils from dropping below .500 in the second half of the season for the first time since that same ‘23 season.

Return of the Mack

  • True freshman Cardae Mack is the first ASU running back to score four rushing touchdowns in a game since Kalen Ballage’s NCAA record-tying seven against Texas Tech on Sept. 10, 2016.
  • His 159 yards and four rushing touchdowns were both the most allowed by K-State this season. 
  • Mack became the first Sun Devil freshman to record four rushing touchdowns since Leon Burton’s had five on Oct. 1, 1955 against San Diego Navy.
    • It was the first time a true freshman has accounted for four total Demario Richard had four total (two rushing, two receiving) in the 2014 Sun Bowl. 
  • He is the first Power Four running back to accomplish the feat since Florida’s Jadan Baugh on Oct. 19, 2024.
    • He is just the seventh FBS Power Conference running back in the last decade (since the start of 2016) to reach the four-rushing touchdown milestone, joining Baugh (Florida, 2024), Evan Hull (Northwestern, 2019), Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State, 2x, 2018), AJ Dillon (Boston College, 2016), Damarea Crockett (Missouri, 2016) and Benny Snell, Jr. (Kentucky, 2016). Only four of those other games came against another Power Conference team. 
  • Mack’s 159 rushing yards were the most by a Sun Devil true freshman back since Keegan Herring had 197 yards against Northwestern on Sept. 17, 2005. 
  • Mack had two rushing touchdowns in the first half against alone, marking the second time in the last three games Mack has had two or more rushing touchdowns in a game for Arizona State. 
  • The freshman showed he could be the workhorse back, rushing for 26 attempts today after he entered the game with only 29 attempts on the season. 
  • Mack has 313 rushing yards in his last two home games at Mountain America Stadium with six rushing touchdowns. 
  • Mack has now scored in three consecutive games for the Sun Devils (2 rushing vs. Hawai’i, 1 receiving at Texas Tech and four rushing today). 
  • Mack became just the 17th Power Conference true freshman running back since 2016 to have multiple 150+-yard rushing games in the regular season. That list includes current NFL running backs Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Braelon Allen, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, AJ Dillon.

Getting GReedy

  • Sun Devil junior wide receiver Reed Harris continued his tear to start the 2026 season.
  • Harris finished with 147 receiving yards on six catches, giving him four 100-yard efforts through his first seven games.
    • He now has six career 100-yard games. In 29 career games at Boston College, he reached the century mark twice. In seven games as a Sun Devil, he has already done it four times.

Reed Harris 100-yard receiving games
189 yards/9 catches, 2 TDs at Texas A&M/Sept. 12, 2026 (ASU)
147 yards/7 catches vs. Kansas State/Oct. 24, 2026 (ASU)
142 yards/5 catches, TD vs. Georgia Tech/Nov. 15, 2025 (Boston College)
141 yards/7 catches at Stanford/Sept. 14, 2025 (Boston College)
137 yards/6 catches, 2 TDs vs. Morgan State/Sept. 5, 2026 (ASU)
125 yards/7 catches vs. Baylor/Oct. 3, 2026 (ASU)

  • The 147 receiving yards were the most allowed by Kansas State to an individual opponent this season.
  • Reed Harris had 116 receiving yards in the first quarter. This was the first time a Sun Devil had 100+ receiving yards in one quarter of a game since Jalen Moss had 100 in the first quarter against Duke in the Sun Bowl last year. 
  • Through seven games he has 41 catches for 653 yards and eight touchdowns, putting him on an insane pace.
    • 12 games at this pace would result in a 70-catch, 1,120 yard season for Harris


Middle of the lineup

  • Junior linebacker Martell Hughes recorded a career high 14 tackles in the win, which was his third career game this year with 10+ tackles, all coming this year.
  • Hughes had already entered the game with a team-leading 5.5 tackles for loss and added 1.5 today to bring his total to 7.0 for the year. He added a pass breakup in today’s contest as well. 
  • Owen Long also added another double-digit tackle game, recording 10 today and also posting 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. 
  • The duo recorded 24 of ASU’s 73 tackles on the season (32.9 percent), notable as ASU only plays two linebackers on the field at any given time in their nickel defense. They now have 118 of ASU 444 tackles on the year  (26.5 percent). Long has 64 tackles on the year with Hughes posting 54. The next closest Sun Devils has 37.

Sack Lunch

  • The Sun Devils recorded three sacks for 22 yards in the contest - notable as Kansas State came into the game ranked fifth in the country in fewest sacks allowed (3) and first nationally in fewest lost yards from sacks (6).
  • Freshman Julian Hugo continued his young tear as he recorded a sack for the third consecutive game and now has four for 37 yards on the season - especially notable as he has just six total tackles.
  • The last time a Sun Devil true freshman defensive player had sacks in three consecutive games was Terrell Suggs in ASU’s final three regular season games of the 2000 season. Dexter Davis as a redshirt freshman had a sack in ASU’s final three games of 2006. 

Stop Sign

  • Kansas State came into the game ranked second in the nation converting on 59% (51-of-86) of its third-down attempts. 
    • The Sun Devils held the Wildcats’ offense to just 4-of-15 (26.6%) on third downs today. 
    • Opponents had had four straight games with 35%+ completion rate against ASU, including a 9-of-15 effort by Baylor in the last Big 12 home game.
  • Kansas State went 0-for-4 on fourth down conversions today. Arizona State opponents are now 5-of-15 (33.3%) on fourth down this season. 

Getting defensive

  • Kansas State came into the game ranked 16th nationally in total offense, averaging 464.7 yards per game. The Sun Devils held them to only 278 total yards, their lowest total of the season and lowest since only having 193 against Arizona in the fourth game of last season.
  • ASU has held opponents to 30 points or less 35 times in 46 games (76.1 percent) under Kenny Dillingham and Brian Ward. ASU held opponents under the 30-point mark in 69 of 102 games since 2018 (67.6 percent). This is notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of the 43 previous games (74.4 percent) in a span from 2013- 17. 
  • Arizona State has held opponents to 400 or fewer yards of total offense 31 times in 46 games (67.4 percent) under Kenny Dillingham and Brian Ward. Since 2018, ASU has done so on 60 occasions in 102 games (58.8 percent). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-17.
  • The 10 tackles for loss were a new season high and the most a Kansas State opponent has had this season (previous high was five by Houston).
  • Through six games, Kansas State opponents had broken up only 11 total passes. ASU broke up nine passes alone in their victory over the Wildcats.

No rush

  • Kansas State came into the game ranked sixth nationally in rushing offense with 239.8 yards per game before being held to just 84 total on Saturday. Its previous low this season was 117 against Houston. 
  • The Wildcats had posted 14 consecutive games with over a 100 rushing yards dating back to last season. 
  • Today marked only the third time in the last three seasons that K-State had been held under 100 rushing yards. 
  • K-State running back Joe Jackson was coming off a 27-carry, 159-yard, one touchdown game in the Wildcats’ win over Kansas last week. He had nine carries for 17 yards against the Sun Devils. 
  • ASU has held opponents to 140 or fewer rushing yards in 31 of 47 games (66.0 percent) in the Kenny Dillingham era. The Sun Devils have held opponents under 100 rushing yards 20 times in those 47 games (42.5 percent). Between 2018 and 2022, it happened just 13 times in 55 games.
  • The Wildcats were second in rushing yards per carry (6.23) and tied for sixth nationally in runs of 20 or more yards (15) coming into the game. Against the Sun Devils, they averaged only 2.6 yards per rush and had only one rush of 20+ yards.

Odds and ends

  • In Kenny Dillingham’s time at Arizona State, the Sun Devils are 25-4 when leading or tied at halftime (4-0 this season), compared to a 1-16 mark when trailing.
  • Kansas State came into the game 4-0 when leading the game heading into the fourth quarter. Arizona State handed them their first loss in this scenario, outsourcing the Wildcats 14-0 in the final frame.