ASU football has poured all of their energy and effort throughout the transfer portal, spring and fall training camps, Camp Tontozona and practices in the leadup to the 2024 season opener on Saturday against Wyoming.
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The Sun Devils are coming into the 2024 campaign off of back-to-back 3-9 seasons while Wyoming is entering a new era with their defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel being promoted to head coach. Craig Bohl retired following his 10-year tenure at Wyoming and 42-year coaching career.
While Wyoming has a new leader guiding them going forward, they will be looking to repeat a successful 2023 when they finished 9-4 and won the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl over Toledo, 16-15 in Tucson. The Cowboys were 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference and had a three-game winning streak to end last season.
Even though Sawvel now has a larger role, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham expects some things to remain relatively the same, with some tweaks on both sides of the ball.
“He was their defensive coordinator last year, so we have a really good clue of what they are going to do on defense”, Dillingham said after Wednesday’s practice in Tempe. “Offensively, we’re watching this, watching that, trying to put together a game plan.
“Defensively, I know they are going to blitz more, you just look at their success rate. 75, 80% win rate last year when they blitzed. What are you going to do, you’re gonna blitz. How they are going to blitz? I don’t know, but I know they are going to have a plan to bring a lot more pressure than last year on third downs. We’ll have a plan to combat that pressure.”
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham on what the game plan is vs. Wyoming with first-year head coach Jay Sawvel being promoted from the #Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, expecting them to blitz.#ASU #ForksUp #SunDevils #RideForTheBrand pic.twitter.com/6QYWBdUHtd
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 28, 2024
Echoing what Dillingham is keeping an eye on around how Wyoming could be unpredictable offensively with a defensive coach, Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward identified a few key areas that his group will pay special attention to.
“They want to run the football”, Ward said. “I know this new offensive coordinator [Jay Johnson] will spread the ball a little bit. We are going to get a lot of motions and shifts, so we have been repping that a lot and we want our guys to play fast.”
“We want to get our guys to play fast.”
Against a Wyoming offense with new coordinator Jay Johnson, Arizona State DC Brian Ward talked about what his group will anticipate for on Saturday.#ASU #SunDevils #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/UFGpIdaKcy
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 28, 2024
Football is back in Tempe
Mesa native Evan Svoboda was named the starting quarterback for the Cowboys heading into this year, and he will return to the Valley on Saturday for the first time in that particular position.
The Red Mountain High School product appeared in 10 games (one start) last season, completing 23-of-38 (60.5%) passes for 200 yards and rushing 25 times for an additional 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Standing 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Svoboda has the size and agility to be a dangerous dual threat that the Sun Devils will have to be aware of.
“He has a really strong arm, and then he is big,” Dillingham said. “You got to be alert on quarterback runs. You saw him hop into the bowl game vs. Toledo and their running quarterback duo follow, with the running back leaning on the corner because he is a big, physical back on third and short. You got to anticipate that they are going to run him directly. Anytime you have a quarterback that is going to run direct runs – not zone reads – direct runs that he is just a running back, you got to account for that. Then his ability to through the ball when he is clean in the pocket, he throws the ball really, really well. ”
Returning to Mountain America Stadium in front of thousands of their fans under the bright lights, Arizona State will have to be ready to handle the pressure that comes with game days once again.
With the team ready to officially get the season underway, Dillingham mentioned that players can look exceptional in practice against their own teammates, but competing against an actual opponent will show everyone’s true colors.
“I think our guys are excited to play”, Dillingham said. “It’s really hard to tell until you take the field… You play yourself every day, you don’t know if you are good at something or bad at something. That’s what game days are for. I will say this, I know we are a better football team overall. I can say that with complete confidence. How we play in the lights? That’s what matters.”
“I know for a fact we are a better football team.”
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham on the excitement levels heading into the first game of the season against Wyoming on Saturday.#ASU #SunDevils #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/ku9umAG5Du
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 28, 2024
The Sun Devils open up the 2024 season against Wyoming on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
