The curtain-raising of Arizona State Football’s 2024 season began with a resounding victory, as a Sun Devil team playing with inspired purpose and determination proved itself head and shoulders above the competition.
An ideal start that saw junior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu tracking the first pass by the visitors and clenching an interception in his grasp, jolting 29 yards into the endzone. ASU (1-0) rode the hot hand for the entirety of Saturday’s game, forcing two more turnovers and another defensive touchdown by defensive end Justin Wodtly, stamping the 48-7 victory over Wyoming (0-1).
The win left Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham appreciating and treasuring the intensity level his players displayed throughout the game.
“I think the easiest thing to take away is the passion they have for the game,” Dillingham said. “They played hard, what I was proud of was we grew from playing smart. There were a few times that we had personal fouls toward us from the opponent, and our guys didn’t respond.
“We start our team meetings, and the only two things I show are effort plays and takeaways, that's it. It's just to get in their mind that if you play really hard and you win the turnover battle, all of these schemes that you’re about to go do are awesome, but they’re obsolete.”
ASU football has stressed the importance of passion for the game throughout the entire preseason, and the defense, in particular, manifested that approach in spades. Junior linebacker Keyshaun Elliot reeled in an interception of his own in the first quarter, a mere four minutes after his teammate's defensive touchdown.
Dillingham saw the special talent of both of his linebackers, Fiaseu and Elliott, junior transfers coming from San Diego State and New Mexico State, respectively. Although the formidable plays they’ve been able to provide between the lines were quite appealing, it's their off-the-field accomplishments that drove Dillingham to approach them in the transfer portal.
“What is so special about that, both of those guys were team captains,” Dillingham noted. “It’s funny how that works. I won’t forget Zyrus was in the portal, and they’re giving us the description, and they read me all these stats. Then, the last (was) team captain. I’m like, ‘Why didn’t you say that first?’ I don’t even want to watch the tape. I don’t need to know how he’s wired.
“Then Elliott goes in the portal; he’s a team captain for a team that won the most games in almost ever had in school history. Are we really gonna watch the tape?”
Offensively, the Sun Devils rallied behind the defensive momentum, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, who recorded his first career start. Leavitt looked confident in his ASU debut, completing 14-22 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, much to the delight of Dillingham.
“I thought he was good; I thought he was poised,” Dillingham described. “I just told him to be yourself, when in doubt, run, most of the time when you’re a running quarterback, you’re like, oh I wanna prove that I can throw, so you get out there and scramble, watch me show everybody that I can deal this thing, like no if you’re athletic you get out there, run and then fall down.
“We talk about all the time on first and second down, we don’t need you to be a superstar, we need you to manage the game. So, couldn’t be more proud of how he executed the plan, Are there some growing pains? Yeah, there are some things you can be better at. But the kid cares, and he’s passionate, he’s talented. That’s why I have so much belief in what he is.”
A talented showing offensively was exacerbated by a stout running back room. Five players from that group lined up at that position on Saturday, picking up 241 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and scoring two touchdowns on the ground.
And the contributions of that unit didn’t end on the ground, highlighted by sophomore Kyson Brown, who scored a 68-yard touchdown from a Leavitt on a screen pass, leaving multiple defenders in the dust as he steamrolled in for the longest score of the night.
Dillingham was glad to see the new and improved depth at his disposal in the backfield, but he gave credit where it was due to the offensive line and their crucial role in the prominent run game.
“It was balanced we got to keep that fresh,” Dillingham stated about the rotation at running back. “You see that Jason Brown got in there late. I think with all those running backs and everything that they did tonight, you have to tip your cap to everyone who helped win the game tonight.
“I can’t count on one hand the number of times there was a potential tackle-for-loss, kudos to (center) Leif [Fautanu], kudos to (left guard) Ben Coleman, (right tackle) Max [Iheanachor], and all those dudes played lights out.”
The exhausting offseason preparations pushed ASU beyond its opponent on Saturday night, and the details of the mental fortitude that Dillingham has ingrained in his players paid dividends in obvious fashion.
“Sometimes you get to face somebody else,” Dillingham explained, “and it hopefully goes smoothly, but the guys’ confidence level, they put in the work, the guys believe in themselves, and then to go play like that, it’s just kind of a stamp of the work that they’re put in.
“All that work made us better, if you don’t see results, it’s really hard to continue to work and motivate. It’s funny that people who put in the work usually make the right decisions.”
According to Dillingham, the season is the first step of a long journey, and the Sun Devils' commanding win will only aid the team’s confidence and belief going forward. However, he understands that the road ahead will almost certainly not be constantly smooth sailing, and when the difficult moments arise, the burden of proof to react constructively to trying situations still remains.
“Not everything is going to be roses and candy canes this year,” Dillingham admitted. “There’s going to be times that it smells, and we got to be able to respond. When we get that moment where we have to respond is where we get to find the makeup of our team. This is not going to be a clear path; we’re going to face adversity.”
Dillingham foresees his team facing challenges that Wyoming didn’t present in next Saturday's matchup against Mississippi State, a power-four conference program. ASU has never beaten an SEC opponent in program history, and the Bulldogs are brimming with confidence themselves as they opened up their 2024 season with a 56-7 win over Western Kentucky.
Saturday night’s contest marked a near-historic attendance count for the record books. 13,698 ASU students clogged the stadium’s south end zone and spilled over to their sections, marking the second-most student attendance since 2010. This was just shy of a 2014 contest against UCLA that saw 14,084 students in the stands.
Dillingham wishes that the entire fan base repeats their level of support and passion next Saturday, knowing they’ll need a formidable home-field advantage against the Bulldogs.
“There’s so many distractions around [Tempe] that we got to figure out a way to keep them in the seats,” Dillingham said concerning student attendance. “Unbelievable turnout, and on that note, we play an SEC team that just had a big win; we’ve never won an SEC game, so we need a sold-out crowd with the biggest student section that there’s ever been. We need it for all four quarters, all night long next Saturday.”
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