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Football lifts lid on 2026 campaign against Morgan State

The Sun Devils will kick off the fourth season under head coach Kenny Dillingham, taking on an HBCU for the first time in program history.

ASU Game Notes Morgan State Game Notes Kenny Dillingham Weekly Presser https://thesundevils.com/2026-27-asu-all-access-on-fox-10-features
Football lifts lid on 2026 campaign against Morgan StateFootball lifts lid on 2026 campaign against Morgan State
Peter Vander Stoep

The Sun Devils are 11-2 in their last two seasons at Mountain America Stadium.

TEMPE — Sun Devil Football will lift the lid on the 2026 season this Saturday, Sept. 5 as the program takes on Morgan State at Mountain America Stadium, scheduled for a 7 p.m. AZT kickoff.

FIRST MEETING

  • The Sun Devils and Morgan State meet for the first time.
  • Saturday will mark the first time in program history that the Sun Devils will square off with an HBCU.
  • In fact, since the NCAA Division I classifications split in 1978, the Sun Devils have only ever played programs out of the Big Sky Conference when taking on an FCS program - a streak that will end on Saturday with the MEAC’s Morgan State coming into town.

OPENING NIGHT

  • The Sun Devils are looking for their 27th consecutive victory in a HOME opener, with the current 26-game mark the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Illinois (28) - though it should be noted ASU’s streak excludes 2020 due to the unusual circumstance of that season and Sun Devils not having a home opener until December.
  • Arizona State is currently 83-28-2 all-time on Opening Day and 65-15-1 on Opening Day at home. The Sun Devils have won 23 consecutive Opening Day games when the game  is played at Mountain America Stadium.

ON THE BEARS

  • The 2026 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of fifth-year head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 24th coach in school history, previously served 13 seasons as the head football coach at Bowie State. There, he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championships in 2021, 2019, and 2018; five NCAA playoff berths; and three CIAA Coach of the Year honors.
  • The Bears featured one of the most aggressive fronts in the FCS last season, ranking in the top-15 nationally in sacks (2.83) and tackles for loss (7.67) per game with an overall defense that was 41st with just 351.2 yards allowed per game.
  • Linebacker Arturo Mattocks was named to the Deacon Jones Player of the Year preseason watchlist while defensive back Aki Harvey was named to the Aeneas Williams Award Watch List, both honoring the best player and defensive back - respectively - among HBCU’s in the nation.
  • The Bears actually opened their season last week alongside the majority of the FCS schools in the nation, grinding out a 17-7 victory at North Carolina A&T

OVER THE AIR

  • The game will be braodcast nationally via ESPN+ with James Westling and Michael Bumpus on the call.
  • The Sun Devil Athletics Radio Network will provide wall-to-wall coverage of Saturday’s opener, complete with a pregame and postgame show, all broadcast on ESPN 620 AM. Long-time Voice of the Sun Devils Tim Healey will provide the action alongside Rose Bowl winning former quarterback-now-analyst Jeff van Raaphorst with Kevin Turner providing insights from the sidelines. Turner joins Jeff Munn and recently graduated Sun Devil lineman Ben Coleman on the pre-game show with Munn and Coleman hosting the halftime and postgame shows as well.

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD…

  • Be the 27th consecutive victory in a HOME opener for the Sun Devils, currently the second-longest active streak in the nation behind Illinois (28) - (2020 excluded due to unusual circumstances across country and ASU not having a home opener until December)
  • Improve Kenny Dillingham to 4-0 in season openers as Arizona State’s head coach.
  • Improve ASU to 84-28-2 on Opening Day in history and 66-15-1 on Opening Day at home
  • Be ASU’s 24th consecutive Opening Day win when the game is at Mountain America Stadium.

10 THINGS

1.  Kenny Dillingham is 6-6 in games against AP-ranked opponents and all six of those victories have come in a row, the longest active streak in the FBS.

2. Arizona State is one of just six FBS teams (Indiana, Missouri, Delaware, Bowling Green, Toledo) to not allow 450 or more yards in a regular season game over the last two seasons.

3.  ASU held 10 of its 11 FBS opponents under the scoring average they entered the game with in the regular season, with the lone exception being the Utah game.

4. ASU’s 18 scoring drives in the final five minutes of either the first or second half last season were ninth-most in the FBS. The team has 34 such drives over the last two seasons combined, good for eighth in the FBS.

5. The Sun Devils are 16-6 under Dillingham when leading in time of possession compared to a 6-11 mark when they don’t.

6.  The Sun Devils have allowed just four sacks of the teams last five games after it had allowed 24 through the first eight. The four sacks were tied for second-lowest in the nation from Week 10 onwards.

7.  The Sun Devils will post over 17,000 round-trip miles on the road this season - and that’s even with a 100 mile trip down south to take on Arizona at the end of the year. For perspective, ASU logged only 9,000 road miles a season ago.

8.  The entire Sun Devil roster features just 118 combined starts for players that have started a game for Arizona State - notable as the team had nearly that total on its offensive line alone last season.

9. The Sun Devils are 10-2 over the last two seasons in games decided by seven or fewer points - the most such victories in the FBS.

10. Arizona State has gone for it on fourth down 116 times under Dillingham, the sixth-most in the FBS (though only third in the Big 12 behind Baylor (141) and West Virginia (119).

BY THE NUMBERS

17K - All told, Sun Devil Football will post over 17,000 round-trip miles over the course of the coming season. For perspective, ASU logged approximately only 9,000 air miles during the 2025 campaign. In fact, ASU will be making two of its longest road trips of all time this season alone. The approximate 5,200 miles between Phoenix and London represents the second-longest trip in history, behind only that 1990 Coca-Cola Classic in London. The Sun Devils have played seven games all told in Honolulu, Hawai’i (four regular season games at Hawai’i and three appearances in the Aloha/Hawai’i Bowls - ~2,900 miles). Arizona State took on Miami (FL) in a road tilt in 1997 (~1970 miles), and then ASU’s contest at UCF this season (~1,850 miles) is next on the list.ASU will leave the continental United States to play a football game for the first time since taking part in the 2006 Hawai’i Bowl when it heads across the Atlantic to historic Wembley Stadium to take part in the first-of-its-kind FBS contest in the inaugural Union Jack Classic on Sept. 19 in London. It will be just the second time ASU has traveled internationally for a game outside of the 1990 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo against Houston.

34 - Removing garbage time, ASU has 34 scoring drives in the final five minutes of a half over the last two seasons - good for eighth in the country. For perspective, in the previous three seasons from 2021-23, ASU managed just 28 TOTAL scoring drives in the final five minutes of a half (28-97) - a 28.9 percent score percentage that was 102nd in the FBS. ASU had 18 scoring drives that ended in the final five minutes of either the first or second half last season in non-garbage time, tied for the ninth-most in the FBS.ASU has a 147-74 advantage since the start of last season in the “middle eight” of games (last four minutes of first half, first four minutes of second half). The Sun Devils have a 31.5 percent (17-of-54) offensive touchdown drive rate in the final five minutes of the first half dating back to the start of 2024, the 21st-best percentage in the nation (does not include pick six against UCF in 2024, which makes it 18 total touchdowns). The 17 offensive touchdowns are sixth-most in the FBS in that time. For perspective, in the previous five seasons (2019-23), ASU scored just 17 TOTAL touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half - at a 17.7 rate (17-of-96) that was 112th in the FBS.

28 - ASU has allowed just 28 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 94 games - tied for fourth-fewest in the FBS (Washington 21, Wisconsin 23, Cal 26). The FBS average in that span is 51.27 such plays. ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17, giving up a nation-leading 55 such plays in that span - 13 more than any other school in the FBS. ASU has allowed just 16 total 50+ yard plays in the Dillingham/Ward era, tied for 35th-lowest since 2023. ASU has allowed just 18 catches for 50 or more yards since 2018, tied for sixth-lowest in the FBS in that time. The team has allowed just 11 in the Dillingham/Ward era. ASU’s has allowed just 63 total plays of 30 or more yards in three seasons under defensive coordinator Brian Ward, tied for the 27th-lowest total in the FBS. Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 149 plays OVER 30 yards (1.6 per game/94 games). That is tied for the fifth-lowest tally in the FBS in that time. (Kennesaw 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.

11 - Arizona State has one of the top honors colleges in the nation, as Barrett, The Honors College is consistently ranked high in several areas. The 11 football players in Barrett this year include Kyson Brown, Cory Butler, Cam Dyer, Jake Fette, Martell Hughes, Isaiah Iosefa, Davis Kinney, Cardae Mack, Mason Marden, Landen Miree and Uriah Neloms. Additionally, 11 different Sun Devils have already earned their undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University and will compete as graduates this season with two others that earned their degrees prior to arriving at Arizona State: Kyson Brown (BA in interdisciplinary studies, 2026), Derek Eusebio (BA in business (sports business), 2026), Zyrus Fiaseu (BA in liberal studies, 2025), CJ Fite (BS in business entrepreneurship, 2025), My’Keil Gardner (BS in family and human development, 2026), Jaren Hamilton (BA in liberal studies, 2026), Roman Pitre (BA in interdisciplinary studies, 2025),  Clayton Smith (BA in liberal studies, 2025), Zac Swanson (BA in liberal studies, 2026), Tyler Wigglesworth (BA in mass communication and media studies, 2026), Blazen Lono Wong (BS in communication, 2025) Mikey Keene (BS is business administration, 2024 (Fresno State)) and Lyrik Rawls (BS in business administration, 2024 (Oklahoma State)).

10 - The Sun Devils are 10-2 over the last two seasons in games decided by seven or fewer points - the most such victories in the FBS. ASU’s 10 such victories in a two-year span are tied for the most over a two-season span in Big 12 history and tied for the eighth-most for any FBS team since the 1996 season. The Sun Devils have won seven games in the past two seasons in which they were trailing or tied at some point in the fourth quarter - including four last year (Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia).Last season, the Sun Devils scored 51 points while trailing in non-garbage time in the fourth quarter of games - 15th-most in the FBS - and scored on 9-of-19 fourth quarter drives when trailing, a 47.4 conversion rate that was 35th-best in the FBS. Those nine scoring drives were tied for eighth-most in the FBS. Since the start of the 2024, ASU has scored on 16-of-31 fourth quarter drives while trailing in non-garbage time - a 51.6 rate that is 14th nationally. When trailing in the fourth quarter of regular season games over the last two seasons, ASU has turned the ball over just three times in its comeback attempts - on the final drive at Mississippi State and then twice in last year’s season finale against Arizona - which is tied for the 22nd-lowest total in the FBS.

2 - The Sun Devils allowed just two sacks in their last five contests last season - which was tied for the second lowest total in the FBS from Week 10 onwards. The five total sack yards allowed for the month were second-lowest in the country. ASU had allowed 24 sacks in the first eight games of the season (3.0 per game) prior to the 0.40 over the final five games of the season. Overall in 2025, ASU had a team pass blocking grade of 74.8 according to PFF, good for 27th in the FBS despite running out seven different starting combinations of that offensive line last season. As a team, ASU was 40th in the country in only allowing 1.50 sacks per game in 2024 after ranking 96th in 2023 with 2.50 allowed per game. The team gave its quarterbacks 3.26 seconds to throw per play last year, 38th-most nationally. ASU’s quarterbacks had an average time to throw of 3.51 seconds in 2024, which was good for 14th-best in the FBS after ranking 128th in the country in 2023 at 2.48 seconds.

WHO’S THIS GUY?

  • There are no shortage of new faces on the Sun Devil roster in 2026, featuring 30 collegiate transfers from all levels and 18 incoming freshman - with the 48 combined newcomers making up 44.9 percent of the team’s current 107-man roster.
  • All those new faces put ASU in a vastly different position than it found itself in at the beginning of last season, when the Sun Devils entered the year with 16 players that had started at least six games during the 2024 College Football Playoff run - a total that was tied for the most in the nation.
  • The 2026 roster, however, features just three such players - DL C.J. Fite (13), DB Boogie Wilson (10)  and OL Wade Helton (7). And of that trio, only Fite started on Opening Day last season with Wilson and Helton filling in later in the year to replace injured starters.
  • The longest active starting streak in ASU games for the Sun Devils is Fite with 27, following by a steep dropoff to Helton with five, Maki Stewart with three and then a slew of players who only have one consecutive start - in the Sun Bowl against Duke last season.
  • Another example of the fresh look for the the 2026 edition of the Sun Devils comes along the offense line. Last year, the ASU group at that position entered the season with 134 combined starts to its collective credit. The 2026 version will feature just 33 - 14 of which coming by way of Luke Baklenko, who did not start a game at Oklahoma last season.
  • In fact, the entire Sun Devils roster features just 118 combined starts - a smidge over one start per player on the team. -

SCHEDULE ODDS & ENDS (BUT MOSTLY ODDS)

  • September 5 will mark the latest opening night for Sun Devil Football since 2015 (also Sept. 5) and tied for the fifth-latest start for a season opener since the 1996 season.
  • The Sun Devils are 11-2 in their last two seasons at Mountain America Stadium, highlighted by a sellout of every game in 2025 and in eight consecutive games dating back to 2024 in one of the most electric environments in college football.
  • Arizona State’s road schedule features two teams that took part in the College Football Playoff this past season (Texas A&M and Texas Tech) and one that was one of the first two teams left out of the CFP (BYU).
  • With two road games and a bye following the Morgan State tilt, it will mark the first time since the 1991 season that ASU will play just a single home game before the month of October (ignoring the unique circumstances of the COVID-altered 2020 season in which ASU didn’t have a home opener until December). The 1982 season was the last time it occurred prior to that, before it was a more commonplace practice, pre-1975, when the season typically did not start until the second or third week of September.
  • ASU will leave the continental United States to play a football game for the first time since taking part in the 2006 Hawai’i Bowl when it heads across the Atlantic to historic Wembley Stadium to take part in the first-of-its-kind FBS contest in the inaugural Union Jack Classic on Sept. 19 in London. It will be just the second time ASU has traveled internationally for a game outside of the 1990 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo against Houston.
  • Despite taking place overseas, the Union Jack Classic will be a Kansas home game and count toward the Big 12 Conference schedule. As such, it will be ASU’s first time taking part in a conference game before Sept. 20 of a season since squaring off with Colorado in Boulder in Week Three of the 2014 season (Sept. 13). It will be just the fifth time since 2000 that the Sun Devils will be playing a conference game within their first three games of the season.
  • All told, Sun Devil Football will post over 17,000 round-trip miles over the course of the coming season. For perspective, ASU logged approximately only 9,000 air miles during the 2025 campaign.
  • In fact, ASU will be making two of its longest road trips of all time this season alone. The approximate 5,200 miles between Phoenix and London represents the second-longest trip in history, behind only that 1990 Coca-Cola Classic in London. The Sun Devils have played seven games all told in Honolulu, Hawai’i (four regular season games at Hawai’i and three appearances in the Aloha/Hawai’i Bowls - ~2,900 miles). Arizona State took on Miami (FL) in a road tilt in 1997 (~1970 miles), and then ASU’s contest at UCF this season (~1,850 miles) is next on the list.
  • ASU will be playing games in Orlando and College Station for the first time in program history. ASU previously played Texas A&M in a neutral-site game in Houston in 2015, and both contests in program history against UCF have taken place in Tempe.
  • The Sun Devils will play games in nine consecutive weekends following its Bye Weekend on Sept. 26. That will be the most since ASU closed with 11-straight weekends in the 2009 season. The 2003 season started with 11 consecutive weekends of action prior to a bye week ahead of the Territorial Cup. There were also nine-game stretches in the middle of the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS

  • The Sun Devils are 10-2 over the last two seasons in games decided by seven or fewer points - the most such victories in the FBS.
  • ASU’s 10 such victories in a two-year span are tied for the most over a two-season span in Big 12 history and tied for the eighth-most for any FBS team since the 1996 season.
  • The Sun Devils have won seven games in the past two seasons in which they were trailing or tied at some point in the fourth quarter - including four last year (Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia).
  • Last season, the Sun Devils scored 51 points while trailing in non-garbage time in the fourth quarter of games - 15th-most in the FBS - and scored on 9-of-19 fourth quarter drives when trailing, a 47.4 conversion rate that was 35th-best in the FBS. Those nine scoring drives were tied for eighth-most in the FBS.
  • Since the start of the 2024, ASU has scored on 16-of-31 fourth quarter drives while trailing in non-garbage time - a 51.6 rate that is 14th nationally.
  • When trailing in the fourth quarter of regular season games over the last two seasons, ASU has turned the ball over just three times in its comeback attempts - on the final drive at Mississippi State and then twice in last year’s season finale against Arizona - which is tied for the 22nd-lowest total in the FBS.
  • The team’s 13 third OR fourth down conversions in the fourth quarter of one-score games in the last two years are 17th in the FBS.
  • ASU’s .230 EPA per play over the last two seasons while trailing in the fourth quarter is 14th-best in the FBS.
  • The Sun Devil defense deserves credit as well for allowing the comebacks, posting a -.083 EPA when trailing in the fourth quarter of games over the last two seasons that is 32nd best nationally.
  • Opponents are averaging just 3.8 yards per play when ASU is trailing in the fourth quarter in non-garbage time over the last two seasons - the 13th-lowest tally in the FBS.
  • Over the last two seasons with ASU trailing in the fourth quarter of non-garbage time, opponents have picked up a first down just 25 times on 116 opportunites - a 21.6 conversion rate that is 16th-lowest in the FBS.
  • Only twice over the last two seasons has a team added to its lead when the Sun Devils were within eight points in the fourth quarter - at Texas Tech in 2024 with the Red Raiders adding a field goal with 13:42 remaining in a 24-16 game to make it an 11-point game  and then against Arizona last season with the Wildcats adding a field goal with 12:05 remaining in a 13-7 game to extend their lead to nine points.
  • The six total points allowed in such a scenario over the last two seasons (excluding lead-extending extra-point tries) is tied for the fifth-lowest total in the country.
  • Since Kenny Dillingham took the reins in 2023, 14 of the 22 Sun Devil victories in that time have been by 10 points or less.
  • The Big 12 had 30 conference games decided by eight points or fewer last season. ASU was in six of them, and went 5-1. Thirteen games were decided by three points or less, and ASU was 3-0 with wins over Baylor and TCU (both 27-24) and West Virginia.

FINISH THEM

  • Arizona State had won 16 straight games when leading at halftime prior to the Arizona game last season, which had been the longest active streak among Big 12 teams.
  • ASU had 18 scoring drives that ended in the final five minutes of either the first or second half last season in non-garbage time, tied for the ninth-most in the FBS.
  • Removing garbage time, ASU has 34 scoring drives in the final five minutes of a half over the last two seasons - good for eighth in the country. For perspective, in the previous three seasons from 2021-23, ASU managed just 28 TOTAL scoring drives in the final five minutes of a half (28-97) - a 28.9 percent score percentage that was 102nd in the FBS.
  • The Sun Devils have a 31.5 percent (17-of-54) offensive touchdown drive rate in the final five minutes of the first half dating back to the start of 2024, the 21st-best percentage in the nation (does not include pick six against UCF in 2024, which makes it 18 total touchdowns). The 17 offensive touchdowns are sixth-most in the FBS in that time. For perspective, in the previous five seasons (2019-23), ASU scored just 17 TOTAL touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half - at a 17.7 rate (17-of-96) that was 112th in the FBS.
  • Conversely, ASU has allowed just five touchdown drives in the final five minutes of the first half dating back to 2024 and held opponents to a 5-for-48 touchdown drive percentage in that stretch (10.4 percent) that is tied for eighth-best in the nation (drives that end at any point in the final five minutes of the half).
  • Opponents have managed just a 27.4 first down conversion rate in the fourth quarter of games over the last two seasons (119-of-435), a total that is 36th-lowest in the FBS.
  • ASU has a 147-74 advantage since the start of last season in the “middle eight” of games (last four minutes of first half, first four minutes of second half).

KEEP THEM IN FRONT OF YOU

  • ASU has allowed just 28 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 94 games - tied for fourth-fewest in the FBS (Washington 21, Wisconsin 23, Cal 26). The FBS average in that span is 51.27 such plays. ASU ranked in the bottom 10 nationally in 50+ yards played allowed each year from 2014-17, giving up a nation-leading 55 such plays in that span - 13 more than any other school in the FBS.
  • ASU has allowed just 16 total 50+ yard plays in the Dillingham/Ward era, tied for 35th-lowest since 2023.
  • ASU has allowed just 18 catches for 50 or more yards since 2018, tied for sixth-lowest in the FBS in that time. The team has allowed just 11 in the Dillingham/Ward era.
  • ASU’s has allowed just 63 total plays of 30 or more yards in three seasons under defensive coordinator Brian Ward, tied for the 27th-lowest total in the FBS.
  • Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 149 plays OVER 30 yards (1.6 per game/94 games). That is tied for the fifth-lowest tally in the FBS in that time. (Kennesaw 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.

RULE OF THIRDS (OR QUARTERS)

  • Overall, opponentsmanaged just a 36.5 percent conversion rate on third downs against the ASU defense last  season, tied for 37th nationally. ASU was 97th in the category in 2024 (43.0)
  • The Sun Devils held Iowa State to 2-of-14 (14.3%) on third down, their lowest conversion percentage of the season. It was the best third down defense by ASU since the season opener when they held NAU to 2-of-15 on third down. Since 2010, the 14.3% was tied for Iowa State’s third-worst conversion rate in a single game.
  • Last season marked the first time ASU had held two opponents (vs. NAU, at Iowa State) for two or fewer third down conversions on ten or more attempts since the 2010 season (vs. NAU and Oregon).
  • On offense, the Sun Devils had six fourth down conversions in the fourth quarter of one-score games last season - tied for the 10th-most in the FBS.
  • The team’s 13 third OR fourth down conversions in the fourth quarter of one-score games were 13th in the FBS.

NO FLY ZONE

  • The Sun Devils will be looking to remain stalwart in the passing game with a slew of new faces this season.
  • With the departures of NFL Draft selection Keith Abney and transfer Javan Robinson — a duo that had started 26 consecutive games together at corner for ASU up until the Sun Bowl to conclude last year — this could have been the most wide-open competition of camp. Instead, Rodney Bimage and Ashton Stamps have looked the part of guys who aren’t going anywhere, not just with their play on the field but with the confidence they exude off of it.
  • Bimage was perhaps the hottest player in the Sun Devil lineup prior to his season-ending concussion sustained in the West Virginia victory last season. Among FBS corners with at least 100 snaps played in coverage, his 4.4 yards allowed per reception were third-lowest in the country. Only 35.7 percent of opponents passes in Bimage’s direction resulted in a reception (on 107 snaps) - the 13th-lowest tally nationally. He allowed just .21 yards per coverage snap last season, the third-lowest total among FBS corners with at least 100 coverage snaps, while tying for second with his 1.6 yards allowed per coverage target. His 7.1 1D/TD percentage when targeted was tied for the lowest allowed in the FBS.
  • While Stamps saw limited game action last season, he was a lockdown corner when it mattered most in 2024 while at LSU and did not allow a single touchdown while in man coverage on the season and posting a 72.0 grade in man defense - where ASU loves to stick its corners - that was 25th-best among the 150+ corners with at least 100 man coverage snaps for the season.
  • The team will look for plenty of help from others behind those two corners with a slew of versatile safeties that can play a number of positions, highlighted by Boogie Wilson - the only returning Sun Devil outside of C.J. Fite to start 10 games last season - Montana Warren, Lyrik Rawls and Jessiah McGrew.
  • Wilson was fourth among all Big 12 secondary with just 10 receptions allowed (min. 250 coverage snaps) in the regular season. Opponents threw Wilson’s way just 18 times, the third-lowest total among Big 12 secondary players in the regular season.
  • Rawls was not credited with a touchdown allowed in coverage last season - one of just nine Big 12 safeties with 250+ coverage snaps with such a claim. His 13.3 forced incompletion rate while targeted was seventh among Big 12 safeties while he was credited with 10 defensive stops in coverage, good for 10th among league safeties.
  • McGrew was the nation’s 27th-highest graded safety in coverage (83.6) at FIU last year and  his 19.4 forced incompletion percentage when targeted was 22nd among FBS safeties while his 12.9 percent interception rate was 18th
  • Warren will likely take the first snaps of the season at the nickel corner role but can flip to strong safety just as easily. Warren, Fite and Kyson Brown are the lone remaining members of Kenny Dillingham’s inaugural signing class that remain on the roster this season.
  • ASU ranked 13th in the FBS with 74 passes defending last year (66 PBUs, 9 INT). The Sun Devils were 16th in the nation with 69 passes defended in 2024 and 14th with 16 interceptions.
  • ASU’s exceptional work in harrying opposing quarterbacks was due in large part to ASU’s coverage down the field. The Sun Devils have an average time to force a pressure of 2.70 seconds, which was the second-LONGEST time in the FBS to harry an opposing QB - a credit to ASU’s secondary given Arizona State’s gaudy sack and pressure numbers.

HOLD THE LINE

  • The Sun Devils were 23rd in the FBS with 34 sacks last season and 19th with 86 tackles for loss. The sack total was especially notable as the team had just 24 TOTAL sacks during the 2024 season.
  • Last year’s results in the categories were marked change in trend from the previous couple seasons, where ASU finished in the lower half of the country in both categories (73rd and 70th in sacks in 2024 and 2023, 83rd and 96th in TFLs).
  • ASU had this success despite blitzing just 20.4 percent of the time, the third-LOWEST total in the country. The team brought four or fewer pass rushers 446 times this year - the seventh-MOST in the country.
  • Arizona State 28 sacks with four or fewer pass rushers were the ninth-most in the FBS.
  • ASU allowed an average of just 5.13 yards per play last  season, good for 36th in the country. Opponents averaged just 5.23 yards per play in 2024 - 40th-lowest in the country after being 93rd at 5.95 in 2023. Only 22.2 percent of opponent plays gained 7 or more yards, the 23rd-lowest tally in the country after ranking 105th in 2023 at 35.1 percent.
  • ASU forced 139 plays for loss or for no gain last year - 32nd-most in the FBS.

IN THE TRENCHES

  • The Sun Devils will look toward veteran and Pat Tillman Leadership Council member C.J. Fite to anchor the defensive front this season. FIte has played in 38 games in his Sun Devil career and has racked up 76 tackles (40 solo)
  • Last season, his 72.6 grade on run defense was 15th among defensive interior players with at least 250 run defense snaps on the season
  • His 1,469 snaps are the the fourth-most among returning interior linemen in the FBS over the last three seasons combined. Ironically, it is also fourth in the Big 12 as he ranks behind Texas Tech’s A.J. Holmes Jr. (1,664), Baylor’s Hosea Wheeler (1,492) and BYU’s Keanu Tanuvasa (1,476)
  • Among interior linemen with at least 600 run defensive snaps over the last three seasons, his 75.0 run defense grade was 17th in the FBS. His 17 tackles for loss or no gain on run plays are 30th-most among FBS interior defenders over the last three seasons.
  • Others looking to bolster the defensive interior alongside Fite include the most veteran Sun Devil on the entire roster wiin the form of Blazen Lono-Wong - the lone player on the ASU roster to pre-date head coach Kenny Dillingham. Zac Swanson is another force along that line, looking to compete at 100 percent health for the first time in several seasons.
  • The team has no shortage of threats at the edges and fans can expect to see line change-like substitutions at those positions throughout the year. Jalen Thompson, a veteran from Michigan State, brings over 1,000 defensive snaps with him this season. His 19 plays where he was credited with beating his defender but denied an opportunity at a QB pressure last season were tied for the eighth-most in the Big Ten.
  • Emar’rion Winston recorded eight tackles for loss or not gain as an edge defender on run plays last season at Baylor, tied for the sixth-most among edge defenders in the Big 12.

MIDDLE OF THE LINEUP

  • The Sun Devils also find themselves in a position where they will have to replace nearly 23 percent of their tackles for a season ago with the departure of linebackers Jordan Crook (101) and Keyshaun Elliott (98).
  • Elliott was a fifth-round selection by the Bears this offseason while Crook joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL where he has 42 tackles this season. The duo started every regular season game at linebacker last year and 20 games between them in 2024, leaving a massive hole to fill in ASU’s base nickel formation that only ever features two linebackers on the field at a given time.
  • Poised to replace one of the spots is Colorado State transfer Owen Long. Long was the FBS leader in tackles per game and total tackles in 2025 at Colorado State (12.6 tackles per game/151 tackles)  - the next closest player averaged 11.8 per game with 142 tackles.
  • A Third-Team All-American by the AP, Long recorded 33 “stops” on run defense as a sophomore, good for 30th among FBS linebackers.
  • Promising junior Martell Hughes saw spot duty behind Elliott and Crook the last two seasons, but will now get his chance to shine. Hughes had 39 tackles in 2025 (16 solo) and grabbed three interceptions. All three interceptions came against ranked teams, as he sealed the TCU game and also snatched one vs. Texas Tech while finishing up the regular season with one against Arizona.
  • The three interceptions were tied for fourth among FBS linebackers for the season

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

  • For two consecutive seasons, the Sun Devil offensive line had been one of the most experienced in the nation entering the season - a note that will change as it it enters the 2026 campaign with a combined 33 career starts among the position group - 14 of which come from Luke Baklenko, who didn’t start a single game at Oklahoma last season.
  • To put that into perspective, ASU entered the 2025 season with 134 starts to its collective credit across the FBS/FCS level, good for the 12th highest total in the nation coming into the year. Last year the group entered with a combined 156 career starts spread amongst them entering the 2024 season, the fifth-highest tally in the country.
  • What the team may lack in experience, however, it more than makes up for in size as the 2026 version of the road grades might be the robust in program history. Taking all the offensive linemen into consideration, the group has an average height of just a tick under 6-5 with an average weight of 317 pounds. For perspective, ASU’s 2024 roster had an average height of just under 6-4 and 309 pounds. The 2014 roster was just under 6-4 and 299 pounds, while 2013 was 6-3 and 295 pounds.
  • Beef in the trenches is the cornerstone of any program hoping to be a contender. Just take a look at last year’s final Top-10 teams in the AP polls, which checked in with a combined OL height/weight average of 6-5 and 312 pounds.
  • Hoping to lead that group this season will be Maki Stewart, fresh off one of the most promising freshman lineman campaigns  in recent Sun Devil memory. Stewart made four starts on the interior line over the second half of the season and recorded the sixth-best run-blocking grade among Big 12 interior lineman with a score of 74.2 (min. 200 total snaps)
  • That was the third-highest grade among ALL freshmen (true or redshirt) interior linemen in the FBS for the season (min. 200 snaps). His 72.0 overall offensive grade was fifth among freshmen interior lineman for the season.
  • Wade Helton is the only returning offensive player for the Sun Devils to start at least six games a year ago as a redshirt freshman. Helton’s 422 snaps at center were the eighth-most among centers designated as true or redshirt freshman in the FBS last season and second among Power Four freshmen.
  • ASU was one of just 19 schools in the FBS that had two freshmen linemen (true or redshirt) play 200 or more snaps last season.
  • Overall in 2025, ASU had a team pass blocking grade of 74.8 according to PFF, good for 27th in the FBS despite running out seven different starting combinations of that offensive line last season. ASU’s offensive linemen received a 82.0 pass blocking grade from PFF as a group in 2024, the 23rd-best tally nationally.
  • The Sun Devils allowed just two sacks in their last five contests last season - which was tied for the second lowest total from Week 10 onwards. The five total sack yards allowed for the month were second-lowest in the country. ASU had allowed 24 sacks in the first eight games of the season (3.0 per game) prior to the 0.40 over the final five games of the season.
  • As a team, ASU was 40th in the country in only allowing 1.50 sacks per game in 2024 after ranking 96th in 2023 with 2.50 allowed per game.
  • The team gave its quarterbacks 3.26 seconds to throw per play last year, 38th-most nationally. ASU’s quarterbacks had an average time to throw of 3.51 seconds in 2024, which was good for 14th-best in the FBS after ranking 128th in the country in 2023 at 2.48 seconds.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

  • The Sun Devils gave up just 342.3 yards per game in the regular season last year, good for 42nd in the FBS. ASU allowed just 339.6 yards per game in 2024, good for 38th nationally after ranking 89th a in 2023 (396.8).
  • ASU’s yardage tally was especially notable as the team faced five teams ranked in the FBS’s Top-25 in total offense yards per game (Texas Tech, Texas State, Utah, Baylor, TCU) in the regular season
  • ASU avoided letting teams get going when pinned deep as opponents scored just .73 points per drive on drives starting inside their own 20-yard line against ASU, the 14th-lowest total nationally.
  • ASU’s -0.105 defensive EPA per play in the regular season ranked 26th in the FBS. In 2024, ASU’s defense ranked 21st in overall defensive EPA at -0.070.
  • Only 74.5 percent (38-of-51) of opponent non-garbage time drives that reached the ASU red zone season resulted in points for the opponent - the 11th-lowest tally in the FBS. Teams scored a touchdown or recorded a field goal attempt just 83.0 percent of the time when reaching ASU’s red zone in the season - the ninth-lowest total in the FBS.
  • Opponents had a field goal attempt or scored a touchdown just 75.7 percent of the time time when reaching the ASU 40-yard line - the 21st-lowest total in the FBS.
  • ASU allowed opponents to pick up just 45.6 percent of the yards available to them, good for 47th nationally. The team allowed offenses to pick up just 45.2 of their available yards in 2024, the 48th-lowest total nationally. ASU was 124th in the country in 2023 in allowing 56.3 percent of available yards.
  • Opponents picked up just 65.4 percent of their available yards up to their own 40-yard line last season - the 42nd-lowest total in the country - and just 57.3 percent of the yards to the ASU 40, which was 36th. In 2024, ASU was much improved in keeping opponents from getting across the 50, allowing other teams to pick up just 67.6 percent of their available yards up to their own 40-yard line - the 62nd-lowest total in the FBS while also allowing only 58.5 percent of opponent yards up to the ASU 40 - 51st nationally. For perspective on this improvement the last two seasons, ASU ranked 121st and 126 in those categories in 2023.
  • Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 56 occasions over 94 games (59.6 percent of the time). For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017. The team has accomplished the feat 27 times in 39 games under Kenny Dillingham and Brian Ward.
  • ASU is one of just six FBS teams to not allow 450 or more yards in a single regular season game over the last two seasons (Bowling Green, Delaware, Indiana, Missouri and Toledo).
  • ASU has held opponents to 30 points or less in 64 of 94 games since 2018 (68.1 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. ASU has accomplished this 30 times in 38 games under Kenny Dillingham and Brian Ward.
  • ASU held 10 of its 11  FBS regular season opponents to fewer points than they were averaging per game coming into the contest (Miss St. 24/34.0, Texas State 15/47.5, Baylor 24/38.0, TCU 24/41.7, TTU 22/47.5, Houston 24/29.4, Iowa State (19/29.0, WVU 23/23.4, CU 17/22.0, ARIZ 23/33.5) ASU was 11 for 14 in holding opponents under their season scoring average in 2024., following the season opener: Mississippi State (23/56.0), Texas State (28/41.5), Texas Tech (30/44.7), Utah (19/28.3), Cincinnati (24/31.0), Oklahoma State (21/30.5), UCF (31/33.2) Kansas State (14/31.2), BYU (21/31.6), Arizona (7/23.1), Iowa State (19/31.2).
  • The Sun Devils faced four teams that entered the contest averaging over 500.0 yards of total offense per game and held those teams to an average of 301.25 yards per game (Texas State/Baylor/TCU/Texas Tech).

A CUT ABOVE THE REST

  • Kenny Dillingham announced Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley as the team’s starting quarterback ahead of the team’s opening against Morgan State.
  • Boley completed 65.8 percent of his passes last season as a redshirt freshman (198-of-301), breaking the UK freshman record for completion percentage in a season previous held by Jared Lorenzen in 2000
  • In 2025, Boley the school freshman record for touchdown passes in a season in SEC games with 12 and set the UK freshman record for touchdown passes in a game with five vs. Tennessee.
  • He became the first UK quarterback with a completion percentage of at least 74 percent in four games (min. 20 attempts) in one season since Tim Couch in 1998 (vs. Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Tennessee Tech) and became the first UK freshman quarterback with a touchdown pass in five straight games since Jared Lorenzen had six in the 2000 season (vs. Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee Tech and Vanderbilt).
  • He was the first UK quarterback to complete at least 74.3 percent of his passes (min. 30 attempts) in consecutive games since Dusty Bonner in 1999 and the first UK quarterback with at least 26 completions in consecutive games since 2015 (Patrick Towles) and consecutive conference games since 2010 (Mike Hartline)
  • In eight SEC games, Boley ranked 3rd in pass completion percentage (66.52), behind UGA’s Gunner Stockton (71.1) and Vandy’s Diego Pavia (70.1), 6th in pass completions (155), 7th in passing TDs (12) and 8th in total offense TDs (13). In his last six SEC games, completed 144-211-8 for 1,422 yards and 12 touchdowns. His pass completion percentage in those six games was 68.2 percent.
  • Much ado has been made over his interception numbers over his first two seasons of collegiate football, but as always, context is important. Of his 16 career interceptions - all but two came while Kentucky was trailing in a game and attempting to come back. Additionally, of those 16, all but four came the final four minutes of the first or second halves and/or came on 3rd-and-10 or longer.

WIDE OPEN SPACES

  • Boley will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal with a receiver room that is as deep as any at ASU in recent seasons. For good reason, there was plenty of excitement over ASU’s gains in the transfer portal at the wide receiver position in the offseason, but that trio of Reed Harris, Omarion Miller and Raiden Vines-Bright have been reminded every day in camp that there are also three very good returning wideouts in the room with them in Jalen Moss, Jaren Hamilton and Corey Butler.
  • The transfer group featured the No. 2 (Harris) and No. 4 (Miller) wideout transfers in the nation, according to 247Sports, while Vines-Bright was productive as a true freshman for Washington last year.
  • Harris started all 12 games at wide receiver in 2025, totaling 39 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns - career highs in each category. His 17.26 yards per reception on the year were 30th in the FBS and third in the ACC
  • Miller earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors in 2025 and played  in 11 games during the 2025 season, starting in eight. He finished the season leading Colorado in all three receiving stats with 45 receptions forn 808 yards and eight touchdowns
  • Miller had either 100 yards receiving or a receiving touchdown in each of the last four games of the season. His 17.9 yards per reception were tops in the Big 12 and 18th in the FBS and his 11 catches on contested targets were fourth in the Big 12 and 30th in the FBS.
  • Miller and Vines-Bright have been among the standouts in camp among the new players on the roster, with both constantly filling the social feeds with highlights from one-on-one and skelly drills, giving defenders a handful in man coverage.
  • Moss was electric in the Sun Bowl with five catches for 129 yards and a touchdown and he and Hamilton both recorded 100-yard games for ASU last season - half of the four players on the season to reach the century mark receiving - the first time ASU had four or more players reach the milestone in a game in a season since 2017 (5).

GOLD RUSH

  • ASU ranked 27th in the country in averaging 193.62 rushing yards per game last season after ranking 20th in the FBS in averaging 199.9 rushing yards per game in 2024.
  • ASU was the only team in the country that had two different players rush for over 200 yards in a game last year. Four different Sun Devils had a 100+ yard rushing game last season in Raleek Brown, Kanye Udoh, Jeff Sims and Jason Brown. It was the first time that had happened at ASU since the 1996 season.
  • ASU was one of just 13 teams in the country to have four separate players reach the century mark for the year.
  • The team has rushed for 200 or more yards 16 times under Kenny Dillingham, compiling a 12-4 record when it does. ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 29 of the team’s 39 games under Kenny Dillingham.
  • ASU posted a first down or touchdown when it rushed the ball 29.2 percent of the time last year, good for the Top-50 nationally. ASU averaged a rushing first down or touchdown 31.0 percent of the time in 2024, good for 23rd nationally.
  • The team ranked 29th last season in averaging 3.4 yards after contact per rush. The running attack was especially efficient in punishing opponents in 2024 as well, earning 3.6 yards after contact per rush - 21st in the FBS.
  • The team did, however, struggle mightily to move the ball on third- and fourth- and short on the season after managing a paltry 56.0 conversion percentage on 3rd and 4th and 1-2 yard scenarios — the seventh-worst total in the nation.
  • The Sun Devils forced 120 missed tackles on running plays this year, good for 22nd in the FBS. ASU forced 177 missed tackles on run plays in 2024, second-most in the FBS and were tied for third in the FBS in averaging 0.31 missed tackles forced per running play.
  • ASU has received a team rushing grade of 95.7 from PFF since the start of 2023, good for 15th-best nationally.
  • The team’s 0.28 missed tackles forced per rush since 2023 are second in the FBS. The team has averaged 3.3 yards after contact per rush in that time - tied for 27th in the FBS. The team’s 29.5 first down/touchdown percentage since 2023 is 36th in the FBS.
  • The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher 11 times in the last 15 seasons - with one of the lone exceptions being the shortened 2020 season. For comparison, from 1976-2010, ASU had just eight 1000-yard rushers over 34 years.
  • ASU’s 355 rushing yards at Colorado were its eighth-most in a single game since 1996 and fourth-most in a road game. At the time, was the 11th-most by an FBS team this season on the road. The Sun Devils recorded 205 total yards of offense in the fourth quarter of the game - ALL OF WHICH came by way of the run (on 17 rushes). ASU ran the ball on its final 19 plays of the game. It was the first time three different running backs rushed for a touchdown in a single game since the 70-7 Arizona victory in 2020 (Rachaad White, Daniyel Ngata, Jackson He).

BUT ALSO NO RUSH

  • ASU ranked 31st nationally in allowing just 124.0 rush yards per game last season.
  • The Sun Devils held opponents to just 112.9 rushing yards per game in 2024, the 21st-best total in the country and tops in the Big 12. That came despite ASU playing four of the Top-15 teams in the nation last season in rushing offense (5. UCF/11. Kansas State/13. Kansas./15. Texas State). No other team in the Top-30 faced more than two such opponents in the regular season. ASU was 36th in the FBS in allowing just 133.5 rush yards per game to opponents in 2023.
  • ASU has now held opponents to 140 or fewer yards in 27 of 39 games (69.2 percent) in the Kenny Dillingham era.
  • The Sun Devils have held opponents under 100 rushing yards 18 times in the 39 games in the Dillingham/Ward era. Between the 2018-22 seasons, it had happened just 13 total times in 55 games.
  • ASU has held eight of its last 16 opponents dating back to the 2024 season under 100 rushing yards.

TIME AND TIME AGAIN

  • ASU has controlled the ball for over 32 minutes in 18 of 39 games (46.15 percent) under Kenny Dillingham. It had reached the 32-minute mark just 17 times in 55 games from 2018-22 (30.9 percent)
  • The Sun Devils are 16-6 under Dillingham when leading in time of possession compared to a 6-11 mark when they don’t.

KENNY THE GIANT SLAYER

  • Kenny Dillingham has won six straight games vs. ranked teams in the regular season, the best mark in the nation entering 2026.
  • At 6-6 overall against AP Top 25 teams, he is the only active coach in the Big 12 with at least a .500 record against ranked opponents.
  • The Sun Devils have won six-straight games over Big 12 teams ranked in the Top-25 (2-0 last season), which is tied for the sixth-longest streak in Big 12 history.
  • ASU’s 6-1 record against AP Top-25 teams since the start of 2024 is best by win percentage in the country.

MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM, HOME OF THE ASU SUN DEVILS

  • Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics have announced a multi-year naming rights partnership in 2023 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.
  • 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

  • Arizona State has one of the top honors colleges in the nation, as Barrett, The Honors College is consistently ranked high in several areas. Football players in Barrett this year include Kyson Brown, Cory Butler, Cam Dyer, Jake Fette, Martell Hughes, Isaiah Iosefa, Davis Kinney, Cardae Mack, Mason Marden, Landen Miree and Uriah Neloms.
  • Additionally, 11 different Sun Devils have already earned their undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University and will compete as graduates this season with two others that earned their degrees prior to arriving at Arizona State:

Kyson Brown: BA in interdisciplinary studies, 2026

Derek Eusebio: BA in business (sports business), 2026

Zyrus Fiaseu: BA in liberal studies, 2025

CJ Fite: BS in business entrepreneurship, 2025

My’Keil Gardner: BS in family and human development, 2026

Jaren Hamilton: BA in liberal studies, 2026

Roman Pitre: BA in interdisciplinary studies, 2025

Clayton Smith: BA in liberal studies, 2025

Zac Swanson: BA in liberal studies, 2026

Tyler Wigglesworth: BA in mass communication and media studies, 2026

Blazen Lono Wong: BS in communication, 2025

Mikey Keene: BS is business administration, 2024 (Fresno State)

Lyrik Rawls: BS in business administration, 2024 (Oklahoma State)