TEMPE — Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham wants to put quarterback Sam Leavitt in the best position to succeed this season by simplifying the offense.
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Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham talks to his team during a football game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 30, 2025. © Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Arizona State dropped its second game of the season on Sept. 6, falling to Mississippi State. They didn’t score a touchdown until the second half, scoring 20 unearned points. Despite a late surge, the Sun Devils couldn’t complete the comeback as the Bulldogs took a 24-20 victory.
Dillingham has only seen positives in the loss and wants to not only focus on the result, but also on what transpired during the game.
“In any good show, people want to make light of really emotional moments,” Dillingham said to Arizona Sports’ Dan Bickley and Vince Marotta. “And they want to focus on them because it sells more. The key is to not get lost in that. Stay focused on the minor things that if (they) were flipped, instead of the episode being called ‘The Sun Devils lose,’ the episode is called ‘Amazing Comeback.’”
ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham greets quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) during a game against Wyoming at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe on Aug. 31, 2024. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Arizona State now prepares itself for the next challenge, Texas State. While Dillingham saw positives following last week’s loss, he also emphasized the importance of putting quarterback Leavitt in the best position to succeed by simplifying the game for him.
In the loss to Mississippi State, Leavitt completed 10 of 22 passes for 82 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“I’m putting too much on [Leavitt’s] plate,” he said to Bickley and Marotta. “I’m not simplifying things to a point where he can go out and play fast… When you put too much on somebody’s plate, you can be the master of nothing. And I think we’re putting too much on his plate. This kid is a phenomenal football player, he’s elite… We’ve gotta make sure that we’re putting a plan together, that I’m putting a plan together, that allows him to go do what he does best and that’s play football.”
Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
With lessons taken from the Mississippi State loss, Dillingham aims to unlock Leavitt’s fullest potential so that he can lead the offense with confidence.
ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham wants to simplify things for quarterback Sam Leavitt moving forward.
Plus, an analogy that radio hosts on @Bickley_Marotta can understand. pic.twitter.com/i0mHe7XuaQ
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 12, 2025
Arizona State and Texas State face off on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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