TEMPE – After falling down by 17 points early in the second quarter, No. 12 Arizona State football crawled its way back against Mississippi State. ASU scored 17 unanswered points, large thanks to the run game, led by junior running backs Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh combining for 215 yards. The comeback led to a masterpiece penultimate offensive drive that was nearly nine minute and brought the game clock to under two minutes and wasted all the Bulldogs timeouts.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!After failing to find the endzone on three straight runs, head coach Kenny Dillingham had a 4th-and-goal opportunity on the one-yard-line with 1:40 left in the game to take a touchdown lead on Mississippi State. However, the usually analytic-defining and rebellious Dillingham took the conservative route and kicked the 18-yard field goal to take the 20-17 lead.
Aug 30, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham during the third quarter between Arizona State Sun Devils and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
It was the Sun Devils first lead of the game, a lead that would only last 68 seconds. Senior quarterback Blake Shapen found senior wide receiver Brenen Thompson wide open on a post route for the touchdown and eventually the win, handing ASU its first lost of the season.
Was it the right decision by the ASU coach?
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts from the sidelines during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Mountain America Stadium on Sept. 7, 2024, in Tempe.
From Dillingham’s perspective, ASU had back-to-back-to-back opportunities to jam the ball in for the touchdown on runs play and couldn’t get it done. Kicking the field goal makes Mississippi State not as desperate to go for a touchdown and less likely to go for it on a 4th down. The Sun Devils’ defense hadn’t allowed a point for nearly 40+ in-game minutes, the head coach believed in his team.
However, Dillingham is the same coach that did a fake punt in his first College Football Playoff appearance, he is a risk taker. The ASU run game had dominated Mississippi State all second-half, including the 96-yard drive the team was currently on. A fourth attempt to big 6’1 running back Udoh surely would’ve done the trick.
Arizona State running back Kanye Udoh (6) during spring football practice at Kajikawa practice fields in Tempe on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Regardless, if the Sun Devils didn’t find the endzone, the Bulldogs would’ve been placed on the one-yard line with no timeouts, less than 100 seconds to go and having to travel 60+ yards to get into field goal range. The ASU defense was dominating after halftime and was finding pressure against Mississippi State, if given the chance, the Sun Devils could’ve recorded a safety and its fourth sack and seventh tackle for loss in that moment.
In Dillingham’s first two years in Tempe, he has been a risk-taker. The 35-year-old has always been the aggressor, but on Saturday, he took three points instead of seven and ASU lost.
It would be unfair to fully blame the 24-20 loss on Dillingham, as there were plenty of factors that led to the Sun Devils defeat. Nevertheless, Dillingham’s mantra since becoming head coach is taking responsibilities for his mistake and the fourth-and-goal was one of them.
ASU’s Dillingham addresses backlash from Mississippi State fans
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
