Now atop the Big 12 conference, No. 14 Arizona State’s (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) 2024 campaign has captivated the masses, reaching new heights following its significant win over BYU on Saturday. With one game left on its regular season schedule, ASU is in a prime position to compete in the Big 12 Championship game, capping off its memorable beginnings in the conference.
Yet, with the standings sitting on a razor’s edge, a loss against interstate rival Arizona would more than likely terminate any chances of a title game appearance. For ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, the magnitude of his team's next showdown is a testament to their position, as each win makes the next matchup exponentially consequential.
“It's about us going and playing and preparing like we do,” Dillingham said. “I've said to the team, every game you win makes the next game the most important game. The more times you win the next game is more important. Doesn't matter who you play, doesn't matter where you play, it's the most important game because you won the last one, and if you go and win then the next game is more important than the game you just played. This is the most important game on our schedule because we've put ourselves in a position for it to matter not just from a rivalry perspective but from a bigger perspective of achieving aspirations.
“You're only as good as your next game you're as simple as that. You have to continue to prove to people constantly that you're deserving of something. Do I think that the body of work that we've put together is worthy of that? Yes. But do I think the body of work is worthy of it if we lose a game? No. So can you get blinded by all that.”
Since becoming head coach, Dillingham pioneered the slogan ‘active the valley,’ intending to inspire communal spirit around ASU athletics wholistically. We’ll perhaps nothing titillates Sun Devils like the prospect of besting Arizona (4-7, 2-6)
Saturday marks the 98th edition of the Territorial Cup and the 78th consecutive season the two sides have faced off since 1946. Dillingham, a Valley native, understands the sanctity of the showdown's extensive history, with societal bragging rights on the line for thousands of Arizonans.
“I grew up going to these games,” Dillingham said. “My family grew up going to the rivalry games so it's something that regardless of where I coach throughout the country, I would try to watch this game. If I couldn't watch it all, I try to record this game. If you're from Arizona whoever wins the Territorial Cup, that's a big deal so from that perspective it matters because it's something that's been a part of Thanksgiving I think of Thanksgiving like that's part of it to me.
“It's not like State boundaries. It's almost like brother-sister because we all live together everybody lives in the same valley together, right, and you're like, 'Oh, where'd you go to school?' It's usually one of those two options is probably the answer, so I would say it's very deep because of how closely connected the two schools are with their fan bases."
To ensure the legion of newcomers comprehends the magnitude of Saturday's game, Dillingham plans to display 2023's embarrassing 59-23 defeat at Mountain America Stadium, the most recent loss on Frank Kush's field. In order to construct a culture desperate to take down Arizona year after year, starting these film sessions in the summertime is on Dillingham's checklist as well.
“I definitely feel like educating people this transfer portal age on the significance of this game is something that we're going to do,” He said. “One thing that we're going to start doing is we're going to start doing educational sessions in the off-season about this rivalry instead of having to do it the week of the game and distracting the guys from the real thing, which is just go play smart tough take care of the football and worry about the team so I think that's where I'm going to grow next year is really educate these guys on the rivalry when they get into the program almost like a tutorial on why this game matters. I would just go through like us getting our butt kicked last year that would be what I would really focus on when explaining it.”
ASU will be riding a confident high heading down to Tuscon, winning four straight games in the month of November including two AP top-25 opponents, 42 days separate from the program's last loss to its kickoff against the Wildcats, however, those victories are not in the absence of strenuous moments. Going ahead 28-9 with two minutes to play in the third quarter, Sun Devils fans felt assured in the team's eminent win, yet BYU managed to climb back, scoring two touchdowns within 10 minutes to shrink the margin to just five points.
Following junior defensive back Javan Robinson's crucial interception with 1:04 remaining on the game clock, his side was in a prime position to run the clock down even so, the Sun Devils used an unorthodox approach to time-wasting, electing for redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt to retreat with the ball avoiding contact rather than handing the ball off to senior running back Cam Skattebo. This led to Leavitt attempting a fourth down, game-ending heave out of bounds, with one second left on the game clock. The Cougars regained possession with one second left on the clock where they nearly converted a Hail Mary attempt. With a multitude of options that could suffice in the game's closing moments, Dillingham admitted he did a poor job schematically to close out the game.
“It worked horribly,” Dillingham admitted. “ I probably would have tried to score and taken the risk of fumbling overtaking what we did. If it's a one-point lead, we have to do what we did, and that's where we got to get better; I got to coach that scenario better; I think that's the biggest takeaway. I didn't do a good enough job throughout the week, and I haven't been doing a good enough job throughout the week of those scenarios at the end of the game, even the Hail Mary. We just didn't do a good enough job with it. When you look at both sides of the ball, didn't do a good enough job at an end-of-the-game scenario. That's a reflection of me not getting those reps in practice whether it's in walkthrough mode, whether it's in full-speed mode.”
The Sun Devils will require 60 minutes of fixated football to emerge victorious. Despite their lackluster record, the Wildcats boast a roster of highly talented players, including 6-foot-5 wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. According to CBS Sports and ESPN, McMillan is a projected top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With 1251 receiving yards (third in NCAA) and 16 yards per reception, he leads the Big 12 conference in both statistics. Defending a player of his caliber will inevitably induce challenges unprecedented to any ASU has seen this season.
“Credit to you (McMillan). You're number one (in the FBS) in receiving yards, and people are still saying you don't look the same (as 2023),” Dillingham said. “I don't know if that's possible. That's an incredible compliment, to be honest, to T-Mac that he is the best in the country in yardage, and people still are doubting it, and I'm like, golly, this dude's unbelievable. He is incredible,”
Dillingham introduced a subtle remark during Monday's press conference, mentioning the previous time Arizona State concluded a season undefeated on home turf in 2004. Despite an impressive 8-1 record, the team was flying high heading into Tuscon for its final game of the season against a 2-8 Arizona team. With all the odds pointing in the Sun Devils' favor, the Wildcats took them down, scoring a season-high 34 points, then en route to their upset victory, as the current ASU head coach aims not to repeat sour history.
“That's the challenge this week; it is a rivalry game,” Dillingham said. “I think the last time Arizona State was undefeated at home was 2004 they were the 17th rank team in the country and they traveled to Arizona and they lost the Rivalry game. Anything happens in a rivalry game.”
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