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Football Back Home to Square Off With Buffs

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Football Back Home to Square Off With BuffsFootball Back Home to Square Off With Buffs

THE GAME -  Sun Devil Football returns home after its first road game of the season, setting its sights on the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. Scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. AZT kickoff, the contest will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network (Jordan Kent, Lincoln Kennedy) and available over the airwaves locally on either Arizona Sports 98.7 FM  or ESPN 620 AM, depending on whether the Arizona Diamondbacks advance in the MLB Playoffs (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).

ON THE BUFFALOES -  The Sun Devils lead the all-time series against Colorado, 10-3, and are winners of the last two after Colorado had won three-straight. The contest features the two "freshest" looking rosters in the FBS with Colorado entering the season with a nation-leading 87 new players on the roster and the Sun Devils checking in right behind them at 78.

KICKING OFF

  • ASU has held opponents to less than 30 points in 37 of 60 games since 2018 (61.7 percent), notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of the 43 previous games (74.4 percent) in a span from 2013-17.
  • Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to 400 total yards of offense or less on 33 occasions over 60 games (55.0 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
  • Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 46 of 60 games (76.6 percent).
  • ASU's 2.2 points per drive allowed after a turnover are ranked behind only SDSU and Old Dominion for fewest among FBS teams with at least 10 turnovers this year despite turning the ball over an FBS-high 13 times.
  • Following the Cal game, Bram Walden had the highest pass-blocking grade of ANY player in the FBS for Week 5 at 92.4.
  • On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 31.6 percent of the time (6 of 19), 41st in the FBS but 8th among the 40 teams that have faced 13 or more such drives.
  • Opponents have just 10 touchdowns on 20 red zone drives - a 50.0 percent conversion percentage that is the 32nd-lowest tally in the FBS. This comes despite ASU facing 61 red zone plays this season - the 10th most in the FBS.
  • Coach Dillingham had his work cut out for him after taking the job nine months ago, essentially rebuilding the whole roster with 78 total newcomers this season - the second-most of any FBS school behind only Colorado (87). The team's 40 total transfers from all levels are also the second most in the FBS while the squad's 52 scholarship newcomers are third.  ASU's 29 returning scholarship players are the second-fewest behind Colorado (9).
  • The Sun Devils have forced 74 missed tackles on offense this season, the 14th-best tally in the FBS.
  • B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.9 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (18 of 107), 12th among all defensive linemen/edge defenders who have played at least 100 snaps on a pass rush. His 23 QB pressures are tied for 6th nationally.
  • Dashaun Mallory is tied for second among FBS interior linemen with six tackles for loss or no gain this season. His nine total defensive "stops" are 10th among FBS interior linemen. Mallory's average depth of tackle is 0.82 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the sixth smallest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

  • Help the Sun Devils avoid its worst six-game start (1-5) in the modern era of football (power WWII)
  • Give ASU its third straight win over the Buffs in the series and improve ASU to 11-3 all-time in the series
  • Be the second-straight season ASU entered the bye week with a win and a 2-4 record.

MILESTONE WATCH

  • 5 receptions for Jalin Conyers to move into 7th among all-time ASU tight ends (currently 9th at 61, Ryan McReynolds and Kendrick Bates tied at 7th at 65).
  • 7 receptions for Conyers to move into 6th among all-time ASU tight ends (Ron Wetzel currently 6th at 67)
  • 337 receiving yards for Conyers to become just the seventh tight end in program history to reach the 1,000 career receiving yard tally (currently at 663).
  • 289 rushing yards for Cam Skattebo to reach 2500 in his career (currently at 2211)
  • 2 receptions for Elijhah Badger to reach 100 for his career (currently at 98)

MAKING THE GRADE - PFF STANDOUTS
Week 5

  • 92.4 - Bram Walden - Pass Blocking - Highest grade among ALL FBS players for the week
  • 90.6 - Sione Finau - Pass Blocking - 3rd among all players in the FBS, 1st among all FBS guards
  • 79.2 - Shamari Simmons - Run Defense - 7th among all Pac-12 players, 2nd among Pac-12 safeites, 14th among FBS safeties
  • 78.0 - Dashaun Mallory - Run Defense - 11th among all Pac-12 players, 1st among Pac-12 defensive interior linement, 12th among FBS interior linemen

Season

  • 79.1 - B.J. Green - Overall Defense - 8th among all Pac-12 players, 3rd among Pac-12 edge defenders, 25th among FBS edge defenders
  • 79.5 - Dashaun Mallory - Rush Defense - 7th among all Pac-12 players, 1st among Pac-12 interior linemen, 6th among FBS interior linemen
  • 79.4 - Leif Fautanu - Pass Blocking - 19th among all Pac-12 players, 4th among Pac-12 centers, 19th among all FBS centers

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. The Sun Devils feature 78 new players on the roster in 2023, the second-most of any FBS institution behind only Colorado (88)

2. The Sun Devil defense has allowed just 13 total plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 30th in the FBS.

3. ASU is 14th among all FBS programs in forcing opponents to miss 74 total tackles on offense this season.

4. Following the Cal game, Bram Walden had the highest pass-blocking grade of ANY player in the FBS for Week 5 at 92.4.

5. Opponents have just 10 touchdowns on 20 red zone drives - a 50.0 percent conversion percentage that is the 32nd-lowest tally in the FBS. This comes despite ASU facing 61 red zone plays this season - the 10th most in the FBS.

6. Cam Skattebo has been stuffed for loss or no gain on just 10.2 percent of his career rushes, the fifth-lowest tally among all active FBS and FCS running backs.

7.  SInce 2021, ASU has given up just 1.91 yards after contact per reception to opponents, the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS.

8. B.J. Green III has 23 quarterbacks pressures this season, good for sixth among all FBS players.

9. ASU has allowed just 95 plays over 30 yards since the 2018 season, the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS in that time.

10. Dashaun Mallory's 6 tackles for loss or no gain this season are tied for second among all FBS interior linemen while his nine defensive "stops" are tied for 10th among FBS interior linemen.

BY THE NUMBERS
78 - Kenny Dillingham has put together a roster with 78 total newcomers this season - the second-most of any FBS school behind only Colorado (88). The team's 40 total transfers from all levels are  the second most in the FBS while the squad's 52 scholarship newcomers are third. ASU's 29 returning scholarship players are the second-fewest behind Colorado (9) and the team's 134 total starts returning were the fourth-lowest in the FBS. Jaden Rashada became just the second true freshman quarterback in program history to start the season opener, and was the only true freshman quarterback to start in a team's FBS opener.

74 - The Sun Devils have forced 74 missed tackles on offense this season, a total good for 14th in the FBS. Cam Skattebo has forced 29 this season on rushing plays, a total good for 8th among FBS running backs. His 36 overall missed tackles forced on offense are 7th among all FBS players. Elijhah Badger has forced nine missed tackles on offense this season, tied for 23rd among all FBS receivers. He has added 11 more on kick returns, which is tied for 8th among all returners in the country. Jalin Conyers' six missed tackles forced this season are 4th among FBS tight ends despite missing a game and a half.

37 - Cam Skattebo has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 37.2 percent of his career carries, third among all active FBS/FCS backs (min. 200 attempts). He has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 10.2 percent of his career carries, the fifth-lowest tally among all active backs (min. 200 attempts).He has forced 133 career missed tackles on rushing plays, 9th among active FBS/FCS halfbacks while his 0.40 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt are fourth (min. 200 attempts). Skattebo is 20th among all active FBS AND FCS running backs with 2,211 career rushing yards while his 6.6 yards per carry are sixth among that group. (min. 200 carries)

36 - ASU has allowed just 36 passing touchdowns since the start of 2021 - tied for the 16th-fewest in the FBS. The team has allowed a touchdown on just 3.8 percent of passes thrown against it in that time (36/949) - the 17th-lowest tally in the FBS. ASU has allowed just 5.2 yards after the catch per completion since 2021 - the 26th-lowest tally in the FBS. ASU has given up just 1.91 yards after contact per reception - the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS. The secondary has contested a target on 17.4 percent of passing plays since the start of 2021 - good for 30th in the FBS in that time.Opponents have an NFL quarterback rating of just 81.3 since the start of 2021 - the 28th-lowest mark in the FBS.

17 - B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.9 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (23 of 136), 12th among all defensive linemen/edge defenders who have played at least 100 snaps on a pass rush. Green has 23 quarterback pressures this season, good for 6th among all FBS defensive linemen and edge defenders. He is tied for the FBS lead with six quarterback hits this season. Amongst active FBS linemen/edge rushers with at least 300 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 18.9 career pressure percentage is second. Green's 17.7 career "win" percentage on pass rushing plays is 8th among all active FBS linemen since 2021. His 19 quarterback hits in that time are 11th.

2 - Dashaun Mallory is tied for second among FBS interior linemen with six tackles for loss or no gain this season. His nine total defensive "stops" are 10th among FBS interior linemen.  Mallory's average depth of tackle is 0.82 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the sixth smallest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen. His 79.5 grade from pro Football on  Rush Defense this season is seventh among all Pac-12 players, tops among Pac-12 interior linemen and 6th among FBS interior linemen

RUSH HOUR

  • ASU has forced 38 missed tackles on rushing plays this season, 33rd in the FBS. 67.2 percent of the team's rushing yards have come after first contact, 22nd in the FBS.
  • Despite playing significantly fewer games than the teams ahead of it, ASU's 76 rushing touchdowns since the beginning of 2020 are Top-50 among all FBS teams. ASU has accomplished the feat in 34 games, where none of the teams ranked ahead of ASU have fewer than 39 games over the last three-plus seasons.
  • ASU has received a team rushing grade of 94.4 from PFF since the 2020 season, the 32nd-highest tally in the FBS
  • Since 2020, ASU has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 18.4 percent of its rushes - good for the 37th-lowest tally in the FBS. The team has averaged 3.2 yards after contact per rush in that time - 32nd in the FBS.
  • Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 30.4 percent of its rushes - 24th-most in the FBS. The team is averaging 5.5 yards per rush in that time, tied for 27 in the FBS.
  • Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 46 of 60 games (76.6 percent).
  • The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher nine times in the last 12 seasons  - with one of the lone exceptions being the shortened 2020 season. For comparison, from 1976-2010, ASU had a 1000-yard rusher just eight times.

KEEP THEM IN FRONT OF YOU

  • ASU has allowed just 13 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 60 games. The .22 50+ yard plays per game allowed are second-fewest in the FBS in that time behind only Washington (.18 per game on 11 plays over 61 games). ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17.
  • ASU has allowed just 8 catches for 50 or more yards in that span, third in the FBS behind only Washington and Penn State (7).
  • ASU has allowed just 13 total plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 30th in the FBS.
  • ASU was the only team in the FBS to not allow a 50-yard play in 2021 and had a streak of 18 games without allowing a 50-yard play snapped against Utah last year. It was the longest active streak in the FBS at the time and tied for the second-longest streak in the FBS overall since 2012 (Iowa State, 2018-19), behind only UCLA's 21-game streak from 2013-15.
  • Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 33 occasions over 60 games (55.0 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
  • Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 95 TOTAL 30-plus yard plays (1.6 per game/60 games)). That is the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS in that time (James Madison and Sam Houston State excluded as they joined the FBS after 2018). For perspective, from 2014-17, ASU gave up 38, 44, 40, 40 such plays each SEASON, respectively ranked 116th, 124th, 117th and 119th.

NO FLY ZONE

  • ASU's corners have posted three of the top-10 lowest successful play percentages against them among Pac-12 corners when targeted this season with Jordan Clark, Ro Torrence and Demetries Ford ranking 6th, 8th and 10th in the league (min. 100 coverage snaps) at 46.7, 50.0 and 50.4 respectively.
  • ASU is 36th nationally this season in allowing a first down on just 30.9 percent of the passing plays against it this season. The team ranks 34th in the FBS in forcing an incompletion on 12.1 percent of passes this season.
  • Opponents have an NFL quarterback rating of just 81.3 since the start of 2021 - the 28th-lowest mark in the FBS.
  • The 6.76 opponent passing yards per attempt in that time are 34th in the FBS.
  • ASU has allowed just 5.2 yards after the catch per completion since 2021 - the 26th-lowest tally in the FBS. ASU has given up just 1.91 yards after contact per reception - the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS.
  • ASU has allowed just 36 passing touchdowns since the start of 2021 - tied for the 16th-fewest in the FBS. The team has allowed a touchdown on just 3.8 percent of passes thrown against it in that time (36/949) - the 17th-lowest tally in the FBS.
  • The secondary has contested a target on 17.4 percent of passing plays since the start of 2021 - good for 30th in the FBS in that time.
  • Since 2018, the Sun Devil secondary has allowed just 28 total passing plays over 40 yards. For perspective, it had 12 alone in 2017, 22 in 2016 and 24 in 2015 – the latter two ranking second to last and last, respectively, in the nation. ASU has allowed just 12 passing plays over 20 yards this season, tied for 26th-lowest in the FBS.

GREEN LIGHT, GO

  • B.J. Green III has forced a QB pressure on 16.9 percent of his pass rushing plays this season (23 of 136), 12th among all defensive linemen/edge defenders who have played at least 100 snaps on a pass rush.
  • Green has 23 quarterback pressures this season, good for 6th among all FBS defensive linemen and edge defenders. He is tied for the FBS lead with six quarterback hits this season.
  • Amongst active FBS linemen/edge rushers with at least 300 pass rushing snaps since 2021, Green's 18.9 career pressure percentage is second behind only UCLA's Laiatu Latu.
  • Green's 17.7 career "win" percentage on pass rushing plays is 8th among all active FBS linemen since 2021. His 19 quarterback hits in that time are 11th.
  • Green was fourth among FBS interior linemen with 11 QB hits last season.
  • His 37 total quarterback pressures were 10th among FBS interior linemen, however, he did so on significantly fewer snaps.
  • Green's 20.0 win percentage on pass rushing plays was second in the FBS among interior linemen and 15th among all defensive linemen, period.
  • Green generated a QB pressure on 22.4 percent of his pass-rushing snaps - the-third best tally of any defensive lineman in the FBS and two percentage points higher than any other lineman (min. 150 pass rush snaps and four percentage points better than any other FBS interior lineman.
  • Green had a pass rush productive rating ((sacks + (.5 x hits) + (.5 x hurries)/play count) of 12.4 last season, tops among all FBS interior lineman and eighth among all defensive linemen.

BADGER DON'T CARE

  • Elijhah Badger has forced nine missed tackles on offense this season, tied for 23rd among all FBS receivers. He has added 11 more on kick returns, which is tied for 8th among all returners in the country.
  • Badger leads the FBS with 87.0 kickoff return yards per game and his 29.00 average per return are 12th.
  • Badger leads the Pac-12 and is third in the country in averaging 148.80 all-purpose yards per game.
  • On the receiving end, Badger sits fourth in the league in averaging 7.3 yards after the catch per reception (min. 100 snaps) - a tally that is also good for the Top-50 wide receivers nationally
  • Badger emerged as one of the top receiving threats in the Pac-12 in 2022, finishing seventh in the league among wide receivers with a receiving grade of 77.3 on the season (min. 50 targets) and Top-35 in the FBS.
  • He finished with 864 receiving yards (top-50 in the FBS regular season among receivers) and 5.8 receptions per game (32nd in the FBS).
  • Badger was responsible for 41 of ASU's 145 first downs by passing last year (28.3 percent) - the 33rd-most first downs among FBS receivers over the regular season.
  • His 25 missed tackles forced were tops among Pac-12 receivers and second among all FBS receivers during the regular season.
  • He had 24 explosive receptions (15+ yards) on the season, good for 23rd among FBS receivers in the regular season and third in the Pac-12.
  • His 32.0 adjusted target share percentage (targets/plays with an aimed pass) last season was second among all Pac-12 receivers.
  • Badger finished with 70 receptions, the 9th most in single-season program history. It was the fifth-most in a 12-game season.

PROS AND CON-YERS

  • Jalin Conyers has immediately picked up where he left off, posting 152 yards after the catch this season (includes yards on passes caught behind the line of scrimmage), which is good for 5th among FBS tight ends despite missing a game and a half.
  • Last season, Conyers had 229 receiving yards after the catch - the 21st-highest tally of all FBS tight ends. More impressively, 228 of those came in the final six games of ASU's season - fourth-most of all FBS tight ends from Week 7 onwards.
  • He finished with 170 total yards after contact last season - fifth among all FBS tight ends despite only being significantly involved in the offense in the latter half of the year. His 54 yards after contact this season are 12th among FBS tight ends.
  • Another trend Conyers has resumed is forcing missed tackles, and his six this season are 4th among FBS tight ends despite missing a game and a half. Last season, he forced 21 missed tackles on the year - the most of any FBS tight end. 18 of those  came in ASU's final six games. No other FBS tight end had more than 14 from Week 7 through the conclusion of the bowl season.
  • 346 of Conyers' 422 receiving yards came in the final five games - the highest tally among FBS tight ends in the final five weeks of the regular season. His five touchdowns were the most among FBS tight ends in that time while his 126 first downs receiving were second.
  • He had 161 yards after contact in that stretch. Only one other FBS tight had more than 100 over the final five weeks (119).
  • He had a 122.0 NFL QBR rating when targeted last year, the 23rd-best tally among FBS tight ends while his 80.4 completion percentage when targeted was sixth in the FBS.
  • Conyers was the only tight end in the FBS last season to record three touchdown receptions in a game. The three touchdown receptions against Colorado were the most by a tight end in ASU single game history.
  • Conyers and fellow tight end Messiah Swinson were the first tight end duo to each have 150+ receiving yards in a season at ASU since 2006.

WILD SKATT

  • Among the flurry of new Sun Devil players this year, one exceptional offensive threat will be the addition of running back Cam Skattebo.
  • Skattebo has an overall offensive grade of 76.2 this season from PFF, 11th among all FBS halfbacks with at least 150 snaps played and tops among Pac-12 running backs.
  • Skattebo is 20th among all active FBS AND FCS running backs with 2,211 career rushing yards while his 6.6 yards per carry are sixth among that group. (min. 200 carries)
  • He has forced 133 career missed tackles on rushing plays, 9th among active FBS/FCS halfbacks while his 0.40 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt are fourth (min. 200 attempts).
  • He has forced 29 this season on rushing plays, 8th among FBS running backs. His 36 overall missed tackles forced on offense are 7th among all FBS players.
  • Skattebo has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 37.2 percent of his career carries, third among all active FBS/FCS backs (min. 200 attempts)
  • He has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 10.2 percent of his career carries, the fifth-lowest tally among all active backs (min. 200 attempts).

IN THE TRENCHES

  • The Sun Devils have had some success on both sides of the ball along the offensive and defensive lines.
  • Dashaun Mallory is tied for second among FBS interior linemen with six tackles for loss or no gain this season. His nine total defensive "stops" are 10th among FBS interior linemen.
  • Mallory's average depth of tackle is 0.82 yards, showing that he's owning the line of scrimmage as that's the sixth smallest depth of tackle average among FBS interior linemen.
  • Following the Cal game, Bram Walden had the highest pass-blocking grade of ANY player in the FBS for Week 5 at 92.4.
  • The Sun Devil defense thus far has been succesful in harrying opposing quarterbacks, giving team's just an average of 2.28 seconds to throw the ball - the 11th-fastest time in the FBS.
  • Walden (7), Leif Fautanu (6) and Sione Finau (5) all rank within the Top-50 in the FBS as their respective positions (tackle, center, guard) in fewest quarterback pressures allowed (min. 150 pass blocking snaps played).

GETTING DEFENSIVE

  • The Sun Devils will look to Brian Ward to lead the defense this season, with the defensive coordinator from Washington State looking to right the ship that struggled at times at ASU last season after a stringing together several impressive years prior.
  • Facing eight turnovers against Fresno State, ASU's defense held the Bulldogs to just 15 points off those turnovers with no touchdowns. It was the fewest points off turnovers allowed by any FBS team with 8+ turnovers in a game since at least 2012 and the only team to not allowed even a touchdown in the span.
  • There have been 43 games since 2017 where an FBS team has forced six or more turnovers in a game. In only six of those did the team turning the ball over hold the opponent to under 30 points in the contest like ASU managed against the Bulldogs (29).
  • ASU's 2.2 points per drive allowed after a turnover are ranked behind only SDSU and Old Dominion for fewest among FBS teams with at least 10 turnovers this year, despite leading the FBS with 13 turnovers this season.
  • In each of the four games following the season opener, ASU has held its opponent at or below its season scoring averaging entering the game (Oklahoma State 27/27.0, Fresno State 29/36.5, USC 42/59.3, Cal 24/32.8)
  • On opponent drives starting within 60 yards of the ASU end zone, the Sun Devils have allowed a touchdown just 31.6 percent of the time (6 of 19), 41st in the FBS but 8th among the 40 teams that have faced 13 or more such drives.
  • Opponents have just 10 touchdowns on 20 red zone drives - a 50.0 percent conversion percentage that is the 32nd-lowest tally in the FBS. This comes despite ASU facing 61 red zone plays this season - the 10th most in the FBS.
  • Ward led one of the elite defenses in the Pac-12 this past season, as the Cougars were third in the league and 33rd in the FBS in allowing just 22.4 points per game - tied for the sixth-best total in program history and lowest since a 19.7 mark in 2003.  That tally seems improbable for a program that hadn't finished in the Top 40 in the category for nearly two decades and 90th or worse in six seasons since 2009.
  • Washington State's three defensive touchdowns were 10th in the FBS and the .775 red zone conversion defense was 23rd in the country. The team was also 35th in the nation in allowing just 127.4 rushing yards per game. The defense finished in the top-three in the league in third down conversion percentage allowed (.371), first downs allowed (239), tackles for loss per game (6.2), and turnovers gained (21).
  • Sharp College Football's advanced metrics tabbed Ward's defensive 24th in the FBS in forcing negative drives and 15th in opponent drive efficiency.
  • Sure tackling was a staple of Ward's defense with the Cougars finishing 13th in the FBS with just 118 tackles on the year.

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

  • ASU has forced 73 offensive turnovers overall since 2019, good for Top-40 among all FBS teams despite playing significantly fewer games than most schools in 2020.
  • The Sun Devils have 22 pick sixes since the 2012 season, a tally good for seventh in the FBS.
  • Taking out ASU's COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, the Sun Devils have at least one pick six in 22 consecutive seasons dating back to 2020 - the longest streak in the FBS.
  • ASU has outscored opponents 891-516 in points off takeaways since 2012.
  • Since 2012, ASU has scored 64.0 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (151 of 236) while finding the end zone 111 times in that span (47.0 percent).
  • Conversely, opponents have scored just 49.2 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (92 of 187) with 64 touchdowns (34.2 percent).
  • In one of the more interesting displays of bad luck over the past season-plus, the Sun Devils have seen opponents put the ball on the ground 21 times and recovered just two of those.

MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM, HOME OF THE ASU SUN DEVILS

  • Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics have announced a multi-year naming rights partnership with Mountain America Credit Union to form one of the most dynamic naming rights deals in college athletics.
  • The 15-year partnership with Sun Devil Athletics – the most important deal in athletics department history - includes ASU's football stadium, which will now be called Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils.
  • The partnership happens as a fever pitch surrounds Sun Devil Football and the hiring of Sun Devil graduate Kenny Dillingham, one of eight Arizona State alumni leading programs as head coaches at the University. ASU fans have been "Activating the Valley" leading up to the start of the 2023 college football season, as over 90 percent of football season tickets have been renewed so far, and 4,000 new season tickets have been sold. And now, with the record-breaking football naming partnership and comprehensive relationship with Mountain America, numerous Olympic sports teams will be showcased, and multiple areas of the Sun Devil fan experience, from in-stadium entertainment to digital marketing, will be impacted.
  • Both Mountain America and ASU are committed to giving back to the community, and this partnership will provide support to the community and student-athletes in a variety of ways: Football Field Goals: Mountain America will donate $250 to the Sun Devil Club for every field goal made to enhance ASU's student-athlete experience, Shoe Donation Program: ASU and Mountain America will develop a shoe donation program, providing brand-new shoes to community members in need, Scholarships: Each year, Mountain America will provide $20,000 to ASU student-athletes, with $10,000 going to women's sports and $10,000 to men's sports, Financial Education Programs: Mountain America will offer special student-athlete financial education programs, including personal coaching sessions, Internship Program: Mountain America will also provide an internship program for student-athletes to help students develop the skills and experience needed for future endeavors.

SMART DEVILS

  • ASU will compete with 22 young men this season that have already earned their undergraduate degrees: Emmit Bohle, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Trenton Bourguet, BS Communication, 2022, Ben Bray, BAE Secondary Education (Mathematics), 2023, Jordan Clark, BS Communication, 2022 , Jalin Conyers, BA Liberal Studies, 2023 , Anthonie Cooper, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2022, Christopher Edmonds, BA Liberal Studies, 2022, Michael Matus, MBA Business Administration, 2023, Gio Sanders, BS Psychology, 2022, Messiah Swinson, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Macen Williams, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023, Cade Briggs, BA University Studies, 2023 (Texas Tech), Trae Brown, BA Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2022 (Washington State), Joshua Carlson, BA Business Administration, 2022 (New Mexico State), Ben Coleman, BA Media Studiees, 2022 (California), Sione Finau, BS Consumer Science Concentration, 2023 (Purdue), Demetries Ford, BS Criminal Justice, 2023 (Austin Peay), Dario Longhetto, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (California), Dashaun Mallory, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (Michigan State), Joey Ramos, BS Business Management, 2022 (Iowa State), Melquan Stovall, BS Business Administration/Organization and Innovation Management, 2022 (Colorado State), Slater Zellers, BA Legal Studies, 2023(California).