- Key games for Arizona State football this season include matchups against Baylor and rival Arizona.
- ASU’s success hinges on quarterback Sam Leavitt and a strong returning roster.
There are make-or-break games in every season. The Arizona State Sun Devils won every one of those in 2024, and it proved crucial as they captured their first Big 12 championship in their inaugural season in that conference.
Now comes the tough task of defending that title. And that task includes a focus on what we believe are — at this point, anyway — the five games likely to determine ASU’s fate in the third year of the Kenny Dillingham era.
Most say it is tougher to stay at the top than to get to the top. ASU no longer looms as the underdog opponents might look past. Instead, coach Dillingham’s squad will be every opponent’s “big” game. Are the Sun Devils up to that challenge?
The word heard most often during Big 12 football media days in Texas was “parity.” That is reflected in that five different schools were pegged as the favorite in various media preseason publications. ASU, which returns 16 starters, was among those.
Nine of the 16 teams return their starting quarterback, so that looks like a position of strength conference-wide. ASU, with Sam Leavitt, certainly qualifies as a school led by an elite returning starter at QB.
The Sun Devils officially start camp July 30 in preparation for the Aug. 30 regular-season opener against Northern Arizona at Mountain America Stadium. Big 12 play begins for ASU Sept. 20 at Baylor.
Here are those five most important games, four of which are against opponents ASU defeated last year.
Sept. 20 at Baylor: This will be the Big 12 opener for both schools. The Bears went 5-1 at home last season, the lone loss coming to Brigham Young by six points. Baylor returns 14 starters from a team that won its last six games of the regular season before losing the Texas Bowl to LSU, 44-31.
While ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt has been singled out as the top quarterback in the Big 12, one pegged Baylor senior Sawyer Robertson ahead of Leavitt. Four Bears were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. That quartet included running back Bryson Washington, return specialist Josh Cameron, linebacker Keaton Thomas, and punter Palmer Williams.
Oct. 11 at Utah: Utah is a team that dominated Arizona State in recent years. That changed last season when ASU chalked up a 27-19 win over the nationally ranked Utes, a victory that served as the catalyst for last season’s historic run. It put ASU at 5-1 on the season and attracted national attention.
Utah is coming off an uncharacteristically bad season at 5-7, just the third losing season in Kyle Whittingham’s 20 seasons. No doubt the Utes head into the new campaign looking for redemption. The balance of the starting rotation returns, led by offensive linemen Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, both all-conference preseason picks. Devon Dampier, a transfer from New Mexico, inherits the starting quarterback role.
Oct. 18 vs. Texas Tech: The Sun Devils come into this one looking for some payback, as they were dealt a 30-22 loss in Lubbock last season in what was the first conference road game. The Red Raiders not only beat ASU, but also beat Iowa State, the other team that advanced to the conference title game. This season, Texas Tech has a difficult schedule, facing ASU, Utah and Kansas State, all on the road.
The biggest question mark is the offensive line, which returns just one starter. The strength of the team is the defensive line led by end David Bailey and tackle Lee Hunter, both preseason all-conference selections.
Nov. 1 at Iowa State: Perhaps no team on ASU’s schedule will be looking for payback more than the Cyclones, who were embarrassed in the Big 12 title game in which they lost to ASU 45-19. It was so lopsided that the Sun Devils pulled their starters early in the fourth quarter. This will be a road game in November for ASU, so there is a good chance the weather elements will be an obstacle. Being late in the season, it could also be a good resume builder for the postseason.
The Cyclones went 11-3, highlighted by a 42-41 win over Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl. Junior quarterback Rocco Becht returns, but the true talent here is in the secondary, led by Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper. So that could be an intriguing matchup against ASU’s passing offense, ignited by Leavitt and featuring wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Nov. 28 vs. Arizona: No, this shouldn’t be the toughest foe ASU will be facing, but it is the rival. It’s also the last game of the regular season, so it is the Sun Devils’ last chance to make an impression. With all the talk about how the College Football Playoff took shape last season, that will be important. Losing a game to a team you’re expected to beat that late in the season would kill momentum.
Arizona is pegged in the bottom third of every projection, with some even having the Wildcats last. But we all know how much that matters. Quarterback Noah Fifita will be looking to bounce back from a subpar season and will have to do so without his big-play weapon Tetairoa McMillan, a first-round NFL draft pick. Many think the transition to a new offensive coordinator, Seth Doege, will help in that regard.
