TEMPE — Arizona State is navigating rough terrain while managing expectations and injuries this season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Head coach Kenny Dillingham is the right person to help lead the team during this stretch.
Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham looks on against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images
Compared with a year ago, the Sun Devils are facing new challenges that have tested the team throughout the season. Multiple starters have missed games, and special teams coach Charlie Ragle has been sidelined due to health concerns, leaving the team in a different position than in 2024.
For Dillingham, the goal remains the same: continue setting the standard and improving the program.
“A year ago, we’d be fired up, we’d be juiced up, one game at a time,” Dillingham said on Wednesday, according to FOX10’s Blake Niemann. “Now, the noise is completely different… That’s what we have to prevent ourselves from feeding into. The goal is to win as many games as we can and be as successful as possible to build this place.”
Arizona State defensive lineman Prince Dorbah (32) celebrates a strip sack against TCU during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 26, 2025. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Arizona State isn’t the only team to face adversity. The Sun Devils could be like many others that fall into negativity. Having Dillingham lead the team is helping set a precedent in the program, much of which is reflected in how his players respond during these moments.
The team faces another big test Saturday. ASU will be without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt for the second time this season, and it is unclear if wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will be cleared to play. After losing to Houston last Saturday, the Sun Devils are aiming for a bounce-back performance on the road this weekend.
While the team needs to find ways to win without its stars, both Leavitt and Tyson, along with other injured starters, are still contributing to the team’s success.
Aug 30, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) and Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates a touchdown in the fourth quarter between Arizona State Sun Devils and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
“It is fun to see that those guys are still engaged and they’re building,” Dillingham said. “And they still want to be part of it. They wanna be out here. It’s not what you want, but when you’re in this situation and you have those guys still involved at that level, it gives you a lot of confidence in what we’re doing.”
Their continued involvement, despite injuries, reflects the culture head coach Kenny Dillingham has built since arriving in Tempe. Health is important, but so is morale. The players’ presence in practice demonstrates how they lift each other during crucial moments.
Sorry to all our Almond Joy lovers 🤣
What’s your pick? pic.twitter.com/mhX4hRDWyS
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) October 29, 2025
Arizona State controls its own narrative. The Sun Devils have faced doubt before, only to prove critics wrong, and this year is no different. With high expectations comes the need to adjust, and that is what ASU aims to do.
Dillingham’s leadership is exactly what the team needs to continue finding success this year.
Arizona State and Iowa State face off on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 10 a.m.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
Arizona State takes another hit as QB Sam Leavitt is out against Iowa State
