Analyzing the 2023 football schedule
The Kenny Dillingham era kicks off in August with a schedule that offers a degree of comfort with a rare eight home games, a well-timed bye week, and ending the season with two consecutive contests in Tempe. Here’s our examination of the 2023 slate for ASU.
(As a reminder, Arizona State will skip Stanford and Oregon State as part of the scheduled rotation)
Thursday Aug. 31 Southern Utah (2022 record 5-6)
The Thunderbirds will be the so-called glorified scrimmage of the season, but with a plethora of new faces on this Sun Devil squad, a convincing win may be more important than usual to instill confidence for the rest of the year.
Saturday Sep. 9 Oklahoma State (7-6)
The Cowboys won their first five games last year, including a 34-17 home win over ASU, but faltered down the stretch losing five of their last six contests. Does that less than ideal momentum carries into Tempe? This game may be more winnable than some may think.
Saturday Sep. 16 Fresno State (10-4)
The Bulldogs earned a spot in the final Top-25 AP Poll of the last season and, at the very least, will be a very formidable opponent for the Sun Devils. Is this the toughest non-conference game in 2023? We tend to believe so.
Saturday Sep. 23 USC (11-3)
In what will be the last meeting for a while between these two teams, Arizona State much like its Pac-12 brethren, would love nothing more than to send the Trojans to the Big Ten with a loss. If nothing else, ASU is coming battle-tested to their fourth consecutive home game.
Saturday Sep. 30 at Cal (4-8)
There are a plethora of issues to figure out in Berkeley, as the Golden Bears have had anything but a productive off-season to date. Chances are that if they do have an opportunity to hit their stride, it may be later in the season than earlier. Granted, this may not be saying much, looking at the matchups away from Tempe, but this is by far the most winnable road game for ASU and an excellent chance to finish the month of September on a high note.
Saturday Oct. 7 Colorado (1-11)
No one cares that the Buffaloes were in the basement of the Pac-12’s 2022 standings. NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders being named head coach is all the rage not only in Boulder but also a major storyline for the league and one that made waves nationally too. Is there substance behind the hype? Let’s just say that this game is less daunting than others being played at Sun Devil Stadium this year.
Saturday Oct. 14 BYE A one-week hiatus smack in the middle of the campaign, let alone ahead of one of the longest road trips of the year, is exactly what the doctor had ordered.
Saturday Oct. 21 at Washington (11-2)
This is a whale of a game on the road against a Husky squad that isn’t only a legit contender for the Pac-12 crown, but one that would love to avenge the loss in Tempe that prevented them from being the Pac-12 Championship Game and having a chance at the Rose Bowl. As mentioned, to have a bye week before such a high caliber contest doesn’t hurt.
Saturday Oct. 28 Washington State (7-6)
An obvious intrigue with a game with ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward and linebackers’ coach AJ Cooper facing off against their 2022 colleagues. Will the mutual familiarity generate a surprise result?
Saturday Nov. 4 at Utah (10-4)
ASU faces the reigning Pac-12 champions on the road in what could be adverse weather conditions. Not a great combination, to say the least, but curious to see on Arizona State performs as a potential large underdog.
Saturday Nov. 11 at UCLA (9-4)
Last regular season visit to the Rose Bowl for quite a while. Much like USC, everyone will be gunning for the Bruins in their final year as a conference member. And this is a venue where the Sun Devils have been successful in recent years.
Saturday Nov. 18 Oregon (7-2)
Whether folks in the program will say so publicly or privately, this is the game circled more than any other in the fall, as Kenny Dillingham faces the team where he served as their offensive coordinator a short year ago. The chess match between him and the staff of his former employer will be fascinating in a contest that could have ASU facing its sixth Top-25 program in the regular season. A win on this day would arguably send more tidal waves than any other victory this year.
Saturday Nov. 25 Arizona (5-7)
It took a handful of turnovers by ASU for the Wildcats to squeak out a three-point home win to snap a five-game losing streak to their in-state rival. Will be interesting to see if this Territorial Cup matchup will be for bowl eligibility for one of the teams, if not both.
And yes, I can see ASU playing this schedule and finishing with a 6-6 mark. Yet, it will have to make some serious strides prior to November.
And if you're looking for a good omen...This is only the third time this century that ASU has had an eight-game home schedule. And the other two years were certainly memorable, with a co-Pac 10 championship in 2007 and a Pac-12 South title in 2013.
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
