Territorial Cup clash awaits Sun Devil Football in Tucson
The Sun Devils are looking for at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title.
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THE GAME - #16 (CFP)/#14 (AP) Sun Devil Football will conclude the 2024 regular season on the road on Saturday, Nov. 30 as the team travels down the I-10 to Tucson to take on rival Arizona at Arizona Stadium in the 98th Territorial Cup. Scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. AZT kickoff, the contest will be broadcast nationally on FOX (Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams). The game will also be available over the local airwaves in Arizona on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).
ON THE TERRITORIAL CUP - This will be the 98th Duel in the Desert, with Arizona leading the all-time series 51-45-1. A majority of those Wildcat wins came prior to 1950, however. Since 1949, ASU holds a 44-31-1 record in the series. The winner of the game will receive (or retain) the Territorial Cup Trophy, and the game is recognized by the NCAA as the nation's oldest rivalry trophy game. After the Sun Devils had a five-game winning streak in the rivalry - tied for the second longest for either school in the series - ended in 2022, ASU is looking to ensure the Wildcats don't post their first three-game winning streak in the series since the 1993-95 campaigns.
#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. Jordyn Tyson's 749 receiving yards since Week 6 are the most among all FBS wide receivers - one more than Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan's 748.
2. The Sun Devils are 5-0 in games decided by 7 points or less (2nd most wins in FBS) and 6-1 in one-score games overall (t-most wins)
3. Sam Leavitt (88.2) is the nation's highest graded freshman player (true or redshirt) on either side of the ball, 4.3 points ahead of Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith.
4. After ranking 120th in converting just 31.76 percent a year of their third downs a year ago, ASU currently sits 14th in the country in converting 47.68 percent of its third down attempts this year - 72-of-151.
5. ASU is outscoring opponents 73-16 in the "middle eight" of games this year (last four minutes of first half and first four minutes of second half).
6. The Sun Devils have recorded 14 touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first and second halves this season, a total tied for fourth in the FBS - one of the FBS lead.
7. The Sun Devil defense has allowed just 4.5 yards per third down to opponent offenses - the 24th-lowest total in the country after allowing 5.3 per third down play a year ago (67th).
8. Cam Skattebo's is the only FBS player with 1,000+ rushing yards and 350+ receiving yards - a stat that has remained constant since Nov. 2.
9. Among FBS slot defenders, Shamari Simmons is one of just 11 players in the country not credited with a TD allowed (min. 200 snaps), despite playing the 32nd-most slot coverage snaps in the country (318).
10. Sam Leavitt is tied for second in the FBS in leading three game-winning drives in the fourth quarter this season (Texas State, Kansas, Utah), a mark that is tied for first among Big 12 QBs since 2011.
BY THE NUMBERS
60 - Kenny Dillingham has put together a roster with 60 total newcomers this season - the ninth-most of any FBS school behind after being second a year ago. The Sun Devils have just three players in their final year of eligibility that started their careers at Arizona State (Trenton Bourguet, Caleb McCullough and Anthonie Cooper) - tied for the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS. ASU's 46 scholarship newcomers are tied for third-most in the FBS while the teams 58 returning players are tied for the fifth-lowest tally in the FBS. Only 38 of those players are scholarship student-athletes, tied for the third-lowest mark in the FBS.
50 - 50.0 percent of Sun Devil offensive drives have resulted in ASU scoring a touchdown or getting in range for a field goal attempt - good for 29th nationally. Only 40.9 percent of opponent drives have done the same, a net +9.1 percent difference that is the 38th-best in the FBS. ASU was dead last (133rd) in the category last year with a net -29.0 tally as only 28 percent of its drives resulted in a TD/FGA (124th) compared to a 57 percent success rate for opponents (132nd of 133). The Sun Devils are averaging 2.77 points per drive this season, good for 29th nationally and have a net .62 points per drive over opponents advatage that is 33rd in the country.
7 - Playing the third-most snaps in coverage in the Big 12 this season (396), Xavion Alford has allowed just seven receptions, and 4th-fewest in the FBS (min. 300 coverage snaps). Opponents have chosen to throw his way on just 3.5 percent of coverage snaps, the 3rd-lowest total among all FBS players. His 14 targets on the year are 5th-lowest in the FBS.He has allowed just 76 yards in coverage this season - 4th-lowest among all FBS players.He has allowed just 0.19 yards per coverage snap this season, lowest in the Big 12 and 2nd in the FBS.Alford has forced an incompletion 35.7 percent of the time when targeted, the best tally among all FBS players.
3 - Leif Fautanu has played 3,398 snaps in his career, third-most among active FBS centers, behind only NMSU's Canaan Yarro (3,442) and Texas' Jake Majors (3,411) and has started 48 consecutive games in his career out of his 54 total starts.He started all 12 games for the Sun Devils a year ago, playing all but one snap of the season (helmet came off) for the team at center (850). Leif Fautanu also has just five pressures credited against him, tied for 12th-fewest among FBS players and 9th among centers (min. 300 pass block snaps). His 1.4 pressure allowed percentage is 12th among FBS centers. His 87.1 pass-blocking grade is the sixth-best grade for any FBS center and 18th among all players.
2 - ASU has the quickest average time to cause a QB pressure in the Big 12 at 2.41 seconds, a total good for 29th nationally. The team has done that with largely four-man rushes on the year, blitzing just 26.3 percent of the time - the 16th-lowest total nationally while the team has brought just four or fewer pass rushers 296 times - 12th-MOST among all FBS teams. ASU QBs have had an average time to throw of 3.34 seconds this season, good for 25th-best in the FBS after ranking 128th in the country a season ago at 2.48 seconds.The group is 22nd nationally with an average of 2.60 seconds before allowing a QB pressure. ASU was 117th a year ago with a 2.37 mark before giving up a QB pressure.
1 - Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson has eight touchdowns in the last seven games and 749 yards (107.0 yards per game) on 53 catches in that span. In the first four games, he had 14 catches for 209 yards with one touchdown. The 749 yards are the most for any FBS wide receiver since Week 6, as are his eight touchdowns. Tyson's 481 yards in the month of Novemeber are also first in the country and his five touchdowns in the Month are second. Tyson needs 42 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season (currently at 958) and become the first Sun Devil to accomplish the feat since Brandon Aiyuk in 2019 (1,192).
SIX DEGREES OF SUN DEVILATION
- Arizona offensive coordinator Dino Babers was a grad assistant at Arizona State from 1985 - 1986.
- Arizona special teams coordinator Danny Gonzales was Arizona State's defensive coordinator from 2018-2019
- Arizona wide receivers coach Bobby Wade was with Arizona State from 2019-2023
- Arizona defensive Line coach Joe Semeulo was an assistant coach at Arizona State in 2016
- ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and Arizona head coach Brent Brennan coached together at San Jose State from 2005 to 2008 along with Arizona defensive line coach Joe Semeulo in 2005.
- ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward and Arizona Offensive Coordinator Dino Babers coached together at Syracuse from 2016-2019. Babers was the head coach and Ward was the defensive coordinator. They also had the same roles at Bowling Green in 2014 and 2015.
- Arizona Defensive Coordinator Duane Akina, strength coach Cullen Carroll and ASU DL coach Diron Reynolds coached at Stanford together from 2014 to 2022.
- Arizona DT Stanley Ta'ufo'ou played at USC from 2019-2023. He was teammates with Sun Devils' Parker Lewis (2020-21), Xavion Alford (21-22), Raleek Brown (22-23), and Jake Smith (21-22) during that time.
- Arizona DL Lance Keneley was coached by ASU DL coach Diron Reynolds at Stanford from 2020-2022.
- Arizona OL Michael Wooten (22-23), Arizona LB Justin Flowe (20-22), Arizona P Lachlan Bruce (23), Arizona St CB Cole Martin (2023), Arizona St OL Bram Walden (21-22), and Arizona St P Race Mahlum (2021) all transferred from Oregon. Bruce, Martin, and Wooten played together in 2023. Mahlum, Walden, and Flowe were teammates in 2021. Walden, Flowe, and Wooten were teammates in 2022.
- Arizona WR Montana Lemonious-Craig played at Colorado in 2022 alongside ASU WR Jordyn Tyson.
KICKING OFF - Saturday will mark the first time the Sun Devils have played a the Territorial Cup while ranked since being No. 13 in the 2014 edition a decade ago.
- ASU's 9-2 record already marks a six-win improvement - at minimum - over the team's 3-9 record a season ago. The six-win improvement is the most in program history and trails only Indiana's seven-win improvement this season among FBS programs.
- The Sun Devils are looking to become just the 10th Power 4/5 team since 2012 to increase their win total by 7 games from one season to another (8 - TCU, '21-22/7 - Mizzou '12-13, UCF '16-17, Syracuse '17-18, Cincinnati '17-18, USC '21-22, UW '21-22, Northwestern '22-23, Indiana '23-24).
- With ASU vacating its wins in the 2021 season, the nine wins this season surpasses the team's combined win tally from 2020-2023 (8 wins).
- Since Week 6, no FBS wide receiver has as many yards as Jordyn Tyson's 749 - second behind only Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr.. His 481 receiving yards in the month of November leads all FBS players.
- Sam Leavitt is the nation's highest-graded freshman player on offense OR defense with his overall offense grade of 88.2 (min. 400 snaps) - 4.3 points higher than Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith (83.9). He is 6.3 points better than the next closest quarterback, South Alabama's Gio Lopez (81.9) and 12.6 points better than the next closest Power Four freshman quarterback, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava (75.6).
- Leavitt's 88.2 grade for the season is the eighth-best among all FBS freshman quarterbacks in the PFF era since 2015 (min. 400 snaps played). Of the seven players ahead of him, six have started an NFL game this season (Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud and Spencer Rattler).
- ASU is 5-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less and 6-1 in games decided by one score (8 points or less). The 5-0 record is second behind Arkansas State's 6-0 mark in games of seven points or less and the six wins is tied with Arkansas State for the most overall in one score games.
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD... - Match ASU's best record through 11 games since also going 9-2 in 2014.
- Give ASU 10 wins for the first time since the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
- Give ASU 10 wins in the regular season for just the 10th time in program history but only the 4th time since 1975.
- Guarantee at least a tie for first in the Big 12 conference standings and potentially a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
- Give ASU its best regular season conference record (7-2) since going 8-1 in 2013.
- Give ASU a winning record on the road (4-2) for the first time since going 4-2 in 2014.
- Be just the 10th time a Power 5 team increased its win total by seven games from one year to another since 2012-13 (not counting 2020 due to COVID year).
- Keep the Wildcats from winning three games in a row in the series for the first time since 1993-95.
MILESTONE WATCH - Cam Skattebo needs 88 rushing yards to reach 4,000 for this career (currently at 3,902).
- Jordyn Tyson needs 42 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season (currently at 958) and become the first Sun Devil to accomplish the feat since Brandon Aiyuk in 2019 (1,192).
- Sam Leavitt needs 347 passing yards to reach 2,500 for the season (currently at 2,153) and become the first Sun Devil to reach the mark since Jayden Daniels in 2019 (2,943).
- Keyshaun Elliott needs 10 tackles to reach 200 for this career (currently at 190).
- Myles Rowser needs 12 tackles to reach 200 for his career (currently at 188).
- Shamari Simmons needs 8 tackles to reach 250 for his career (currently at 242).
MAKING THE GRADE (NOTABLE PFF GRADES) - Sam Leavitt is the nation's highest-graded freshman player on offense OR defense with his overall offense grade of 88.2 (min. 400 snaps) - 4.3 points higher than Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith (83.9). He is 6.3 points better than the next closest quarterback, South Alabama's Gio Lopez (81.9) and 12.6 points better than the next closest Power Four freshman quarterback, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava (75.6).
- Leavitt is the 16th-highest graded quarterback in the nation, regardless of eligibility.
- Cam Skattebo (87.8) is the fifth-highest graded running back on overall offense this season and 38th-highest offensive player at any position in the FBS.
- Ben Coleman is the Big 12's highest-graded pass blocker this season with a mark of 89.2. That tally is good for seventh among ALL FBS players and fifth among guards.
- Leif Fautanu is the highest-graded center in the Big 12 and sixth-highest graded center in the FBS on pass blocks with a mark of 87.1.
- Xavion Alford is the nation's 32nd-highest graded safety overall (81.1), 34th in coverage (88.1) and 23rd in tackling (82.6). He ranks fourth, fourth and first, respectively, in those categories among Big 12 safeties.
- Caleb McCullough is the highest graded Big 12 linebacker on run defense (85.3) and 21st-highest graded linebacker in the FBS in the category.
LAST TIME OUT - #14/14 BYU - With the win, Arizona State now posted back-to-back wins over AP Top-25 teams (No. 20 Kansas State, No. 14 BYU). It was the first time the program had accomplished the feat since defeating No. 18 Utah and No. 8 Notre Dame on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8 back in 2014.
- This is the sixth time in program history that ASU has defeated AP Top-25 teams in consecutive games. (2024, 2014, 1997, 1996, 1982, 1975).
- The Sun Devils moved to 9-9 against AP Top-25 teams when it falls on Homecoming.
- The last time ASU won consecutive games over a ranked opponent with one of those games being on the road was in 1997 when they beat No. 25 Stanford away from home and took down No. 10 Washington State two weeks later on Nov. 1.
- The victory Improved ASU to 3-0 against AP-ranked opponents this season. It matched ASU's most wins against Top-25 teams since 2019 (3-1) and is tied for the third-most single-season AP wins in program history (5 in 1986, 4 in 2014).
- The win gave ASU an undefeated record at home for the first time since 2004 (also 6-0). The Sun Devils DID have a regular season undefeated record of 7-0 at home in 2013, leading to ASU hosting the final Pac-12 Championship game not played at a neutral site. The Sun Devils dropped that game to Stanford for its lone loss at "home" that year.
- Arizona State controlled the ball and owned the time of possession advantage, 35:00-25:00. ASU is now 6-0 when they win the time of possession battle.
- The Sun Devils have not punted on an opening drive this season and have scored on the first drive in eight of 11 games, including the BYU game. They have touchdowns in seven of those (a field goal against Wyoming), threw interceptions on the opening drives against Utah and Texas Tech and turned the ball over on downs against UCF.
- The three points scored by the Cougars in the first half were the fewest BYU has had in the first half of a game this season.
- ASU has outscored opponents 42-3 in the first half of the last two games.
- It was the third time this season and second straight game ASU did not allow an opponent score on the first three drives of the game after it went eight-straight games between doing so between the opener against Wyoming and the Kansas State game.
- Prior to the last two games, ASU was 71st in the country, allowing 13.2 points per game in the first half to opponents. Over the last two games, ASU has allowed just 3 points combined to two ranked opponents.
WILD SKATT - Cam Skattebo is 8th among all active FBS AND FCS running backs with 3,902 career rushing yards while his 6.2 yards per carry are 19th in that group. (min. 300 carries).
- Despite missing a game, he is 10th in the FBS this season with 1,221 yards rushing, 7th at 122.1 rushing yards per game and 2nd in the FBS in all-purpose yards per game at 168.1 - tops in the Big 12 and ranking only behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.
- He has forced 231 career missed tackles on rushing plays, 3rd among active FBS/FCS halfbacks and he is 6th at 0.36 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (min. 300 attempts).
- He is 4th among FBS running backs this season wtih 72 missed tackles forced on rushing plays, despite missing a game. He has 87 total missed tackles forced with pass plays including, the second-best mark among all FBS players.
- Skattebo has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 36.0 percent of his career carries, second among all active FBS/FCS backs (min. 300 attempts). He has rushed for a first down or touchdown on 33.9 percent of his rushes this year, good for 9th in the FBS (min. 150 carries).
- He has been stuffed for no gain or a loss on just 10.9 percent of his career carries, good for the 9th-lowest tally among all active backs at both levels (min. 300 attempts). His 14.5 stuff rate this season is 32nd in the FBS.
- He is currently averaging 3.8 yards after contact per career rush - tied for 18th among all active FBS/FCS backs. He has 2,454 yards after contact in his career, more than 146 other active FBS/FCS running backs with 300+ carries have TOTAL for their career rushing yards. His 849 yards after contact this year are 7th in the FBS and would be good for 31st among all running backs in the FBS for TOTAL yards on the year.
- Skattebo has 337 rushing yards in the fourth quarter of games this season, good for 5th nationally despite missing one game and coming out in the fourth quarter in blowouts against Oklahoma State and Wyoming.
- He has 18 rushes for a first down or touchdown in the fourth quarter of games - good for 5th in the nation in the nation. His 10 runs of 10 yards or more in the final frame are also tied for 4th in the FBS.
- 32.7 percent of his fourth quarter rushes this season have resulted in a first down or touchdown, good for 26th in the FBS, and his 57 fourth quarter touches (rushing and receiving) are sixth in the country
BOO SHIESTY - Cam Skattebo's (pronounced BOO) 460 receiving yards are second among FBS running backs, despite missing a game (Pitt's Desmond Reid has 565).
- He lies second in the nation with 469 yards after the catch among the FBS running backs - a total good for 8th among all FBS players, regardless of position.
- His 178 receiving yards after contact are 3rd among FBS running backs and 31st among all FBS offensive players..
- His 19 first downs/touchdowns receiving are 3rd among FBS running backs and his 13.5 yards per catch are 5th (min. 100 receiving snaps).
- Skattebo's 121 receiving yards against Oklahoma State and 117 against Texas Tech and the 4th and 6th most receiving yards by an FBS halfback this season.
- Against Oklahoma State, Skattebo became the first Sun Devil running back with 100+ rushing AND receiving yards in a single game since Demario Richard put up 151 receiving and 104 rushing against New Mexico in 2015.
- He became one of just 15 FBS running backs since 1996 to rush for over 150 yards and receive for 100 yards and one of just six Big 12 running backs since 1996 to rush and receive for over 100 yards in a conference game.
- With his 117-yard receiving yard effort against Texas Tech, Skattebo became the first ASU running back to have over 100 receiving yards in a game since Kalen Ballage on Nov. 10, 2016 at Utah (113).
- Twice, Skattebo has recorded games with over 250 all-purpose yards, joining Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and Utah State's Jalen Royals as the only two FBS players to do so twice this year. Only Skattebo and Jeanty have done it without kick/punt returns included.
- Since at least 1996, he is the only Sun Devil to record 250+ scrimmage yards twice, period, let alone in the same season.
SKAT BACK - Skattebo has multiple touchdowns in six of his last eight games and has rushed for a touchdown in eight of 10 games this year he has played in.
- He has 18 total 100+ rushing yard performances in his career, with eight coming at Arizona State.
- His 16 total touchdowns this season are 10th among FBS players and 2nd in the Big 12. His 1,681 all-purpose yards are 4th.
- He is the only player in the country with 1,000+ rushing yards and 350+ receiving yards, even with a missed game - a distinction he has held every since day since Nov. 2 - four games ago.
- Skattebo has 176.4 all purpose yards per game in conference games.
- Skattebo was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given the the top running back in the country and Maxwell Award, given annually to the best player in college football. He is just the second Doak Walker semifinalist in program history (Eno Benjamin) and the first Maxwell semifinalist.
- Four times, he has been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and thrice named the Doak Walker Award National Running Back of the Week (vs. MSU, Utah, Oklahoma State). The four Big 12 OPOW honors are behind only Boise State's Ashton Jeanty's six Mountain West weekly accolades this year.
- Skattebo has received an overall offensive grade of 87.8 from Pro Football Focus this season, good for 5th among all FBS running backs.
- Skattebo's 158 rushing yards were the most allowed by Utah since UCLA's Zach Charbonnet had 198 on Oct. 8, 2022.
- His 50-yard touchdown run against the Utes was the longest rushing TD by a Sun Devil since Rachaad White had a 50-yard touchdown on the ground against USC in 2021.
- Coming into the Utah game, Skattebo's average touchdown run in games at ASU was 4.9 yards (15 touchdowns) with a long of 17. His 50- and 47- yard touchdowns both surpassed his previous career long touchdown run of 43 yards against Utah Tech in 2022 while he was at Sacramento State.
- Skattebo had the game of his career against Mississippi State in Week 2, rushing for a career high 262 yards on 33 carries in the 30-23 victory. He was named the AP National Offensive Player of the Week, The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and the Doak Walker Running Back of the Week for the effort.
- The 262 yards were 50 more than any other player in the FBS for the week. Skattebo rushed for 155 yards AFTER contact in the contest, which alone was more than all but seven players in the country had for TOTAL rushing yardage in their games in Week 2.
- Skattebo's 262 yards were the second-most in a single game for a Sun Devil EVER, behind only Eno Benjamin's 2018 school record of 312 against Oregon State.
- Skattebo had 19 first downs rushing against MSU, eight more than any other FBS player in Week 2. He had a first down/touchdown rate of 57.6, which was eighth in the country overall (min. 10 carries), but notable as no player ahead of him had more than 14 carries compared to his 33.
- 93 of Skattebo's yards came in the fourth quarter, including a game-best 39-yard run on the final drive to seal the victory.
- He becomes the first Sun Devil to go over 30 carries since Rachaad White had 32 carries against Washington on Nov. 13, 2021. His 137 rushing yards at half was the most by a Sun Devil since Eno Benjamin had 185 against Oregon State on Sept. 29, 2018.
- It was the most rushing yards by one individual against Mississippi State since at least 2004.
WHEN THE LEAVITT BREAKS - Amongst players with at least 400 snaps, redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt is the nation's highest-graded freshman player on offense OR defense with his overall offense grade of 88.2 (min. 400 snaps) - 4.3 points higher than Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith (83.9). He is 6.3 points better than the next closest quarterback, South Alabama's Gio Lopez (81.9) and 12.6 points better than the next closest Power Four freshman quarterback, Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava (75.6).
- Leavitt's 88.2 grade for the season is the eighth-best among all FBS freshman quarterbacks in the PFF era since 2015 (min. 400 snaps played). Of the seven players ahead of him, six have started an NFL game this season (Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, C.J. Stroud and Spencer Rattler).
- The grade is good for 16th among all FBS quarterbacks this season.
- Leavitt is tied for second among FBS quarterbacks with three game-winning fourth quarter drives this season (Texas State, Kansas, Utah), a total tied for tops in the Big 12 since the 2011 season.
- Among players with at least 200 dropbacks, Leavitt is tied for second in the FBS with just three turnover-worthy throws this season, according to Pro Football Focus and his 0.9 turnover-worthy throw percentage is second as well.
- His five interceptions are tied for 20th-fewest in the FBS among those with at least 200 dropbacks.
- Leavitt is one of just four quarterbacks in the country with 15+ touchdowns (18) with 5 or fewer interceptions (5) AND turnoverworthy throws (3) - (min. 200 dropbacks/Vandy's Diego Pavia, Louisiana's Ben Wooldridge and Penn State's Drew Allar).
- Only 13 of his passes have been broken up this year, good for the 17th-lowest total in the FBS. His two passes batted at the line of scrimmage at tied for 11th-lowest in the FBS.
- Leavitt has shown his ability to keep his composure under pressure, with 550 passing yards while pressured - good for 26th nationally despite having two bye weeks and missing a game. His 9.0 yards per attempt while under pressure are 5th-best in the country.
- His 49.2 completion percentage while being pressured is 30th among FBS quarterbacks.
- His 76.5 NFL QBR while under pressure is 74th in the nation. He has picked up a first down with his arm 31 times on 99 pressures - 19th-most in the FBS.
- Leavitt has set his receivers up for success, finding open players and hitting guys in stride to the tune of 59.4 percent of his total yardage coming after the catch - good for 6th nationally.
- His 8.1 yards per pass attempt are 29th in the FBS.
TAKE IT OR LEAVITT - Sam Leavitt has rushed for 343 yards this season on 40 QB scrambles, the yardage good for the 5th-most among quarterbacks in the FBS.
- He has picked up a first down or touchdown on 47.5 percent of those QB scrambles, good for 8th among FBS quarterbacks (min 25 scrambles).
- His 29 total rushing first downs/touchdowns on the year rushing are 31st.
- Leavitt has the nation's 8th-best rushing grade when scrambling this season at 76.6. His 75.5 overall rushing grade is 17th among FBS quarterbacks.
- He has thrice been named the Pac-12 Newcomer of the Week this season and also earned the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week honor following the K-State contest.
- After having just three touchdown passes in his first four games, he now has 15 in his last six with a touchdown:interception ratio of 18:5 for the season.
- Leavitt is the first ASU quarterback to have four games in a season with three or more touchdown passes (4) since Jayden Daniels in the 2019 season (also four).
- He had his first career 300+ yard game against Oklahoma State, finishing 20-of-29 for 304 yards and three touchdowns with no picks.
- Leavitt was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week following his four touchdown effort against Kansas, including the game-winner with less than a minute remaining. The four touchdowns were the most for any quarterback in the country in Week 6 as he was the highest-graded quarterback in the Big 12 for the week by PFF and ninth best in the FBS (89.4).
- Leavitt's 258 passing yards in his starting debut against Wyoming were the third-most by a Sun Devil making his debut since 1996, behind only Joey Yellen (292, 2019) and Jayden Daniels (284, 2019).
KEEP THEM IN FRONT OF YOU - ASU has allowed just 20 plays over 50 yards to opponents since the 2018 season over 78 games - 2nd-fewest in the FBS in that time behind only Washington (18). The FBS average in that span is 44.04 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 12 catches for 50 or more yards in that span, good for the 4th-lowest amount in the FBS in that time.
- The Sun Devils have allowed just 10 plays over 30 yards this season, tied for the 7th-lowest total in the country. ASU allowed just 22 total plays over 30 yards last season, which was 35th in the FBS.
- Since 2018, ASU has allowed just 121 TOTAL 30-plus yard plays (1.6 per game/78 games). That is the 3rd-lowest tally in the FBS in that time behind Iowa (93) and Northwestern (112) (Kennesaw State 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.
RULE OF THIRDS - The Sun Devils were among the worst teams in the nation on converting third downs last season, ranking 120th in converting just 31.76 percent.
- The team has shown vast improvements in the area, currently sitting 14th in the country in converting 47.68 percent of its third down attempts - 72-of-151.
- The Sun Devils have converted 40-of-54 opportunities on 3rd-and-less than 3 yards, a 74.1 percent success rate that is 14th nationally.
- Much of ASU's success on third down can be attributed to its improvements on first down this season. The team is averaging 6.0 yards per first down this season, 63rd in the FBS after being 98th a year ago (5.4).
- ASU's 6.0 yards per third down play this season is good for 35th nationally after ranking 112th nationally at 4.4 yards per third down last season.
- Conversely, the defense has allowed just 4.7 yards per third down to opponent offenses - the 28th-lowest total in the country after allowing 5.3 per third down play a year ago (67th).
- Opponents have just a 62.2 NFL QBR rating on third downs against ASU this season, ranking ASU 28th in the country. ASU ranked 113th nationally a season ago in allowing opponents a 96.1 NFL QBR on third down passing.
PLAYING THE FIELD - The field position battle was one ASU frequently lost a season ago, but have shown improvement in 2024.
- ASU has had just 15.5 percent of its offensive drives start inside its own 20-yard line this year - the 30th-lowest tally nationally.
- ASU's average starting field position has been its own 29.1 yard line while holding opponents to a starting average of their own 28.8 yard line. ASU's average starting field position a season ago was its own 25.3 yard line compared to opponents starting on their own 34.8. The -9.5 net field position yards ranked ASU dead last in the country (133 of 133), a tally that the Sun Devils have cut down by 8 yards this year (+0.2) and rank 63rd nationally in.
- The Sun Devils rank 21st nationally in picking up 55.9 percent of the yards available on offense while limiting opponents to picking up just 46.6 percent of theirs. The net 9.2 percent difference is the 27th-best total in the FBS.
- ASU has a successful play percentage (40 percent of first down yardage, 50 percent of second down yardage, 3rd down conversion) of 39.7 percent this year, which is good for 28th in the FBS. The total is notable as ASU had just a 31.0 successful play percentage last season that was 115th in the country.
- 50.0 percent of Sun Devil offensive drives have resulted in ASU scoring a touchdown or getting in range for a field goal attempt - good for 29th nationally. Only 40.9 percent such opponent drives have done the same, a net +9.1 percent difference that is the 38th-best in the nation. ASU ranked dead last (133rd) in the category a season ago with a net -29.0 percent tally as only 28 percent of its drives resulting in a touchdown or field goal attempt (124th) compared to a 57 percent success rate for opponents (132nd of 133).
- The Sun Devils are averaging 2.77 points per drive this season, good for 29th nationally and have a net .62 points per drive over opponents advatage that is 33rd in the country. Last season, ASU was 130th nationally with a net -1.54 points per drive with the offense scoring just 1.40 points per drive (122nd) while allowing opponents to post 2.95 points per drive (123rd) - the latter compared to a 2.15 mark this season that is 58th..
THE 100-YARD LANDLORD - Xavion Alford has dubbed himself the @100YardLandlord across his social media platforms and has made sure to become eponymous with the title this season as ASU's last line of defense in the secondary.
- Playing the third-most snaps in coverage in the Big 12 this season (396), Alford has allowed just seven receptions, and 4th-fewest in the FBS (min. 300 coverage snaps).
- Opponents have chosen to throw his way on just 3.5 percent of coverage snaps, the 3rd-lowest total among all FBS players. His 14 targets on the year are 5th-lowest in the FBS.
- He has allowed just 76 yards in coverage this season - 4th-lowest among all FBS players.
- He has allowed just 0.19 yards per coverage snap this season, lowest in the Big 12 and 2nd in the FBS.
- Alford has forced an incompletion 35.7 percent of the time when targeted, the best tally among all FBS players.
- Alford is the nation's 32nd-highest graded safety on overall defense (81.1, 4th in the Big 12 and 34th-highest graded safety in coverage (88.1, 4th in the Big 12)
- ASU's last line of defense, Alford has been sure-handed as well with the nation's 37th-best tackling grade among all players (80.6), fourth in the Big 12 and 31st among FBS safeties.
- He has been credited with just six missed tackles this year, tied for 38th-fewest among FBS safeties (min. 400 snaps) with a 9.0 missed tackle percentage that is 34th among FBS safeties.
- Alford is second on the Sun Devils with 71 tackles.
NO FLY ZONE - Among FBS slot defenders, Shamari Simmons is one of just 11 players in the country not credited with a touchdown allowed (min. 200 snaps), despite playing the 2nd-most slot coverage snaps in the country (318).
- He is one of just five corners, period, in the Big 12 to not be credited with a touchdown allowed this year.
- His 1.11 yards allowed per slot coverage snap are the 25th-lowest total in the FBS. He has accomplished this despite being the 3rd-most targeted slot defender in the country (61 targets)
- Opponents have just a 78.1 NFL QBR when targeting Simmons, 14th-lowest among FBS slot defenders.
- Javan Robinson has been credited with just two touchdowns allowed this season, the 13th-lowest total among all Big 12 corners (min. 200 snaps).
- In the Oklahoma State and UCF games, Laterrance Welch had five pass breakups and an interception return for a touchdown.
- A true Sun Devil corner (nickelback excluded) had an interception in four-consecutive games between the Utah and UCF games, the first time ASU had accomplished that feat since 2013.
- Opponents have just a 62.2 NFL QBR rating on third downs against ASU this season, ranking ASU 28th in the country. ASU ranked 113th nationally a season ago in allowing opponents a 96.1 NFL QBR on third down passing.
- The ASU defense has allowed just 6.62 yards per passing attempt this season, the 44th-lowest total in the country. The group was 88th a year ago with 7.54 yards allowed per attempt.
- Since 2018, the Sun Devil secondary has allowed just 38 total passing plays over 40 yards - the 6th-fewest in the FBS in that time. 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.
IN THE TRENCHES - ASU has the quickest average time to cause a QB pressure in the Big 12 at 2.41 seconds, a total good for 29th nationally. The team has done that with largely four-man rushes on the year, blitzing just 26.3 percent of the time - the 16th-lowest total nationally while the team has brought just four or fewer pass rushers 296 times - 12th-MOST among all FBS teams.
- Jacob Kongaika's three sacks are tied for third among Big 12 interior linemen.
- On run plays, the big men up front on the defensive line have a depth of tackle average of 2.13 yards, third in the Big 12 and 42nd nationally.
- C.J. Fite's six tackles for loss or no gain are third among the league's interior linemen and 35th nationally. His 14 defensive "stops" are sixth among Big 12 interior players. His 1.47 average depth of tackle is sixth-best in the Big 12 among interior linemen.
- A year ago, Fite played the fourth-most snaps of any true freshman defender in the Pac-12 and tops among all defensive linemen. He was Top-50 among all true freshmen defenders in the FBS in snaps played and his 350 snaps were third among all true freshmen interior defensive lineman in the FBS for the season.
- Among FBS true AND redshirt freshmen, Fite's 71.3 grade from PFF on run defense was fifth in the country. That mark was good for 13th among all Pac-12 interior defenders, regardless of year.
- ASU's interior linemen as a whole last season had 22 combined tackles for loss or no gain on rushes - good for 13th in the FBS. Those interior linemen had an average depth of tackle of just 1.49 yards, the 23rd-lowest tally in the FBS.
WHERE'S THE BEEF? - The Sun Devil offensive line entered the 2024 season with a combined 156 career starts spread amongst them entering the 2024 season, the fifth-highest tally in the country.
- The experienced group has done its part this season in protecting its quarterback and also paving the way for its rushers as the squad looks to be one of the more improved lines in the country.
- ASU's offensive linemen have received a 85.1 pass blocking grade from PFF as a group this season, the 11th-best tally nationally. The offensive line itself has been credited with just five of ASU's sacks this year, the 16th-lowest total in the country. The group has allowed just 54 total pressures, the 22nd-lowest total in the FBS - the latter notable as the group was 80th in the country in the category last year.
- As a team, ASU is 31st in the country in only allowing 15 sacks this season after ranking 87th a season ago with 30 allowed.
- ASU's quarterbacks have had an average time to throw of 3.34 seconds this season, good for 25th-best in the FBS after ranking 128th in the country a season ago at 2.48 seconds.
- The group is 22nd nationally with an average of 2.60 seconds before allowing a QB pressure. ASU was 117th a year ago with a 2.37 mark before giving up a QB pressure.
- Sam Leavitt has had less than 2.50 seconds to thow the ball on just 45.3 percent of his dropbacks this season, the 45th-lowest tally in the FBS (out of 117 QBs that have at least 200+ dropbacks). For perspective, last season, Trenton Bourguet had less than 2.50 seconds to throw the ball 65.9 percent of the time - the second-MOST of any quarterback in the FBS.
- Ben Coleman is 7th among all FBS players with just four pressures credited by PFF this season (min. 300 pass block snaps). His 1.1 pressure allowed percentage on 353 pass block snaps is 8th.
- Coleman has not been credited with allowing a sack this season.
- His 89.2 pass blocking grade is 7th among all FBS players (min. 300 pass blocks).
- Leif Fautanu also has just five pressures credited against him, tied for 12th-fewest among FBS players and 9th among centers (min. 300 pass block snaps). His 1.4 pressure allowed percentage is 12th among FBS centers.
- His 87.1 pass-blocking grade is the sixth-best grade for any FBS center and 18th among all players.
- He has not been credited with a sack allowed this season.
- Fautanu has played 3,398 snaps in his career, third-most among FBS centers behind only NMSU's Canaan Yarro (3,442) and Texas' Jake Majors (3,411) and has started 47 consecutive games in his career out of his 53 total starts.
- Last season, despite being the only FBS team to see at least 11 different combinations of its starting five offensive linemen due to unprecedented bad luck on the injury front, ASU allowed just 13 total sacks in its final eight games (including four games with no sacks) compared to 17 in the first four games. The 13 sacks in the last 8 games were 42nd-lowest in that time while the 17 in the first four weeks were sixth-WORST in the country.
- The team allowed a knockdown percentage of 11.1 percent in the final eight games and is right in the middle of the FBS. Through the first four weeks of the season, ASU's knockdown percentage was 21.9 - 7th worst in the FBS.
GETTING DEFENSIVE - ASU's defense continues to build upon a solid base in its second season under defensive coordinator Brian Ward, who was named a candidate for the 2023 Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football.
- ASU has allowed just 343.6 yards per game, good for that is 44th nationally after ranking 89th a year ago (396.8). Opponents are averaging just 5.24 yards per play - 44th-lowest in the country.
- ASU's defense currently ranks 23rd in overall defensive EPA at -0.065.
- The team has allowed offenses to pick up just 46.6 of their available yards, the 59th-lowest total nationally. ASU was 124th in the country a year ago in allowing 56.3 percent of available yards.
- ASU has been stalwart in keeping opponents from getting across the 50, allowing other teams to pick up just 67.2 percent of their available yards up to their own 40-yard line - the 59th-lowest total in the FBS while also allowing only 59.7 percent of opponent yards up to the ASU 40 - 59th nationally. ASU ranked 121st and 126 in those categories a year ago.
- Only 40.9 percent of opponent drives have resulted in a touchdown or field goal attempt, the 63rd-lowest total in the FBS - notable after being 132nd (of 133) in the country last year with a 57.0 clip.
- Since 2018, ASU has held opponents to the 400 or less mark for total offensive yards on 43 occasions over 78 games (55.1 percent of the time) - including seven of 11 this year. For comparison, ASU accomplished the feat just 24 times in the 65 previous games (36.9 percent) from 2013-2017.
- ASU have held opponents to 30 points or less in 51 of 78 games since 2018 (65.4 percent) - including nine of 11 this year. This is notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of the 43 previous games (74.4 percent) in a span from 2013- 17.
- In eight of 11 games following the season opener last season, ASU 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, Colorado 27/34.2, Washington 15/44.3, Washington State 27/32.9, UCLA 7/28.6). ASU is nine for 10 in that category this year: 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).
AIR JORDYN - Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson has eight touchdowns in the last seven games and 749 yards (107.0 yards per game) on 53 catches in that span. In the first four games, he had 14 catches for 209 yards with one touchdown.
- The 749 yards are the most for any FBS wide receiver since Week 6, as are his eight touchdowns.
- Tyson's 481 yards in the month of Novemeber are also first in the country and his five touchdowns in the Month are second.
- Tyson has nine receiving touchdowns on the season, the most since N'Keal Harry had nine in 2018. His next touchdown would tie him for sixth all-time in Sun Devil Football history and mark him one of just 11 Sun Devils total to reach double digits in a single season. It would be the most since Jaelen Strong had 10 in 2014.
- The nine receiving touchdowns are second behind Travis Hunter's 11 for tops in the Big 12 and 11th in the FBS.
- Tyson is the first Sun Devil to catch two touchdowns in two straight games since Frank Darby had back-to-back two-score games at UCLA (10/26/19) and vs. USC (11/9/19).
- His 176 receiving yards against KSU were the most since Brandon Aiyuk put up 196 on Washington State back on Oct. 12, 2019. It was the most receiving yards in a road game since Devin Lucien had 200 yards at California on Nov. 28, 2015.
- Tyson's 11-yard catch at 7:48 in the third quarter of that game gave him a new career high for single-game yardage, surpassing his previous best of 137 yards against Oregon in 2022 while he was a member of the Colorado football team. He also set a new career high with 12 receptions in the game.
- Four of his touchdown receptions this season have come in the final five minutes of a half (two in the first half and two in the second half).
- Three of his touchdown catches have come in the fourth quarter of games - tied for 6th among FBS receivers.
- His 12 third down receiving conversions are tied for 22nd in the FBS.
- Tyson is 9th in the country with 45 first down/touchdown receptions, third in the Big 12.
- Tyson has emphasized Hines Ward's "No Block, No Rock" mantra as he is 6th among FBS receivers with 337 run-blocking snaps this season.
GOLD RUSH - The Sun Devils rank 32nd in the FBS in averaging 187.2 rushing yards per game this year.
- Twice this season, ASU has rushed for over 300 yards in a game - the first time it has accomplished that feat since 2012 (vs. NAU, vs. Navy).
- The group is averaging a rushing first down or touchdown 30.1 percent of the time, good for 37th nationally.
- The rushing attack has been especially efficient in punishing opponents with ASU running backs earning 3.6 yards after contact per rush - 29th in the FBS.
- ASU has forced 127 missed tackles on run plays this season, 3rd-most in the FBS.
- The Sun Devils ranked 10th in the FBS in averaging 0.28 missed tackles forced per running play last season.
- Since 2020, ASU's 20.3 percentage of total drives have ended with a rushing touchdown is 12th in the FBS.
- ASU has received a team rushing grade of 96.8 from PFF since the 2020 season, the 25th-highest tally in the FBS.
- Since 2020, ASU has been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 18.3 percent of its rushes - good for the 35th-lowest tally in the FBS. The team has averaged 3.2 yards after contact per rush in that time - tied for 29th in the FBS.
- Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 30.5 percent of its rushes - 17th-most in the FBS. The team is averaging 5.2 yards per rush in that time, tied for 46th in the FBS.
- Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 59 of 78 games (75.6 percent).
- The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher 10 times in the last 14 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.
BUT ALSO NO RUSH - The Sun Devils have held opponents to just 119.7 rushing yards per game, the 31st-best total in the country and second in the Big 12. This comes as ASU has played four of the Top-25 teams in the nation this season in rushing offense (UCF, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas State). ASU was 36th in the FBS in allowing just 133.5 rush yards per game to opponents last season.
- 10 times in 23 games under Kenny Dillingham and Brian Ward has ASU held an opponent under 100 rushing yards in a game.
- Caleb McCullough has the sixth-best run blocking grade in the Big 12 overall and 21st among all FBS linebackers (85.3)
- Shamari Simmons (81.7) and Keith Abney (79.6) rank 28th and 38th among all FBS corners as run blockers.
- A year ago, the Sun Devils allowed only 88 rushing yards to Washington State, which marked the third consecutive game that ASU had held an opponent to under 100 rushing yards. It was the first time since the first three games of the 2016 season that ASU had accomplished the feat (Northern Arizona - 56 yards, Texas Tech - 72 yards, UTSA - 93 yards).
- It was the first time it had happened against three-straight Pac-12 Conference opponents since a four-game stretch in the 2015 season (USC - 76, UCLA - 62, Colorado - 49, Utah - 72).
- In that three-game span against CU/UW/WSU, Arizona State allowed only 157 total rushing yards - the fewest over a three-game stretch since the Sun Devils allowed only 96 against Colorado (99), Washington (-5), and Washington State (2) during the 2013 season.
- A lot of that success can be attibuted to the Sun Devil secondary as well, which received a positive rush defense grade on 17.3 percent of run plays this season from PFF, the 32nd-highest tally among safeties and corners in the FBS.
A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR - Arizona State only had eight takeaways all of last year - 127th of 133 teams. It has 18 (13 interceptions and five fumble recoveries) through 11 games this year - a total good for 34th in the country.
- Sun Devil true corners (excluded the nickelback) recorded interceptions in four straight games (Keith Abney vs. Utah and at Cincinnati/Javan Robinson at Oklahoma State/Laterrance Welch vs. UCF). It was the first time ASU has had corners accomplish that feat in four straight games since 2013 (Robert Nelson at Stanford/Osahon Irabor vs. USC and Notre Dame/Nelson and Lloyd Carrington vs. Colorado).
- This season marked the first since 2020 (at USC 4 TOs; at Arizona 7 TOs) that the Sun Devils have forced three or more turnovers twice in a three-game span (3 vs. Wyoming, 3 at Texas State).
- The Sun Devils picked off Utah's Cam Rising three times, matching the veteran's career high for a game. Rising now has 17 interceptions in his career (on over 750 career passes), of which the Sun Devils are responsible for six of them (35.3 percent). The three interceptions in the game were the most for an ASU team since having three against Stanford on Oct. 8, 2021.
- ASU was one of just five teams in the country with a fumble recovery in each of its first three games. ASU has five fumble recoveries already this season after having just four total a season ago.
- ASU is tied for 11th nationally with just three fumbles lost this year.
- ASU has recorded four defensive touchdowns this season (2 pick sixes, 2 fumble returns), the second-most in the FBS
- Taking out ASU's COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, the Sun Devils had a streak of at least one pick six in 23 consecutive seasons (2000-2022) come to a close last season - ending what was the longest streak in the FBS.
- ASU immediately started a new streak with Zyrus Fiaseu's 29-yard return in the opener of 2024. ASU would also pick up a scoop-and-score from Justin Wodtly later in the contest on a 6-yard fumble return, giving ASU an interception AND fumble return for a touchdown in the same game for the first time since UCLA in 2008.
- ASU has outscored opponents 941-554 in points off takeaways since 2012 and 34-14 this season.
WHO'S THE NEW GUY - For the second consecutive season, there will be a slew of newcomers taking the field for the Sun Devils in the form of 60 new players this season - the ninth-highest tally in thie FBS.
- The Sun Devils have just three players in their final year of eligibility that started their careers at Arizona State (Trenton Bourguet, Caleb McCullough and Anthonie Cooper) - tied for the fourth-lowest tally in the FBS.
- ASU's 46 scholarship newcomers are tied for third most in the FBS while the teams 58 returning players are tied for the fifth-lowest tally in the FBS. Only 38 of those players are scholarship student-athletes, tied for the third-lowest mark in the FBS.
- The Sun Devils welcomed the 48th best freshman class in the country by 247Sports, good for the top half of the Big 12 at No. 7 in the league.
- The team's transfer portal haul was tabbed at No. 30 overall and No. 4 in the Big 12.
- Overall, with the two groups combined, ASU checks in with the No. 43 class in the country and No. 7 in the Big 12.
- It should be noted, however, that ASU's talent rating from 247Sports (which takes into account transfer's high school ratings) is ranked 30th in the nation and second in the Big 12.
- While both were on the Sun Devil roster last season, antiquated NCAA rules that were inevitably overturned kept Jake Smith and Xavion Alford out for the season. When the duo takes Frank Kush Field on Saturday night, it will have been 1,342 days for Smith (Dec 29, 2020 - Aug. 31, 2024) and 1,009 days for Alford (Nov. 27, 2021 - Aug. 31, 2024) since either player has appeared in a college football game.
- Ben Coleman was another newcomer last season that was forced to miss the year with an injury and will be taking the field for the first time in 646 days (Nov. 25, 2022-Aug. 31, 2024) on Saturday.
MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM, HOME OF THE ASU SUN DEVILS - Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics have announced a multi-year naming rights partnership last season 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: - Xavion Alford - Graduated SP24 Liberal Studies BA
- Emmit Bohle - Graduated SP23 Liberal Studies BA
- Coben Bourguet - Graduated SP24 Engineering Management BSE, working on Industrial Engineering MS)
- Trenton Bourguet - Graduated FA22 Communication BS
- Cade Briggs - Graduated SP23 University Studies BA (Texas Tech, Homeland Security Graduate Certificate (ASU)
- DeCarlos Brooks - Graduated SU24 Liberal Studies BA
- Jeff Clark - Graduated SP24 (Louisville)
- Ben Coleman - Graduated FA22 Media Studies (Cal), Earned Master's at ASU in SP24 Communications, working on Digital Audience Strategy MS
- Anthonie Cooper - Graduated FA22 Interdisciplinary Studies
- Prince Dorbah - Graduated SU24 Communication BS
- Leif Fautanu - Graduated FA23 Liberal Studies BA, working on Communications MA
- Xavier Guillory - Graduated SU24 Liberal Studies BA
- Caleb McCullough - Graduated SP24 Interdisciplinary Studies
- Troy Omeire - Graduated SU24 Liberal Studies BA
- Elijah O'Neal - Graduated SU24 Liberal Studies BA
- Shamari Simmons - Graduated FA23 Liberal Studies BA
- Jake Smith - Graduated FA23 Liberal Studies BA, working on Communications MA
- Melquan Stovall - Graduated FA22 Business Administration/Organization and Innovation Management BS, Earned master's at ASU SP24 – Organizational Leadership MS, Starting another master's – Global Security MA
- Parker Lewis – Graduated SP24 (Ohio State), working on W.P. Carey MBA
- Jeff Sims – Graduated SP24 (Nebraska)