WCS(Photo: Grace Monos/ WCSN)
TEMPE – The first five game weeks of Arizona State football’s season might not’ve gone the way head coach Kenny Dillingham planned, but you won’t hear him complaining about the results.
Despite some injuries and some struggles, the Sun Devils have persevered to a 4-1 record to start the season and a 2-0 record to start Big 12 Conference play. The squad entered their Week 7 bye in full stride after defeating then-No.24 Texas Christian and getting elevated into the AP Poll at No. 25. Sunday, with the help of some programs falling down the FBS ranks, they’re No. 21.
ASU is back on the rise after winning three consecutive games. Our WCSN football writers have four storylines for you to be aware of as the Sun Devils get set to kick off the second stretch of their season.
Pass Rush Aims To Build On Momentum Established Against TCU
Every time the Sun Devils’ defense lines up this season, one trend has been hard to miss: opponents are airing it out more than they did a year ago. So far, opposing offenses have averaged 41.4 dropbacks per game, up from 36 per game at this point in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Prior to facing ASU last Friday, TCU junior quarterback Josh Hoover averaged 37 dropbacks per game. Given ASU’s defense seeing more dropbacks and Hoover’s high dropback frequency, it was reasonable to expect a high-volume passing night from the Horned Frogs in this high-stakes Big 12 matchup.
Hoover dropped back 40 times, a sizable total despite being the second-lowest by a quarterback against the Sun Devils this year. The likelihood of a sack rises with more dropbacks, and ASU capitalized by bringing down Hoover six times. Redshirt senior edge rusher Prince Dorbah led the onslaught with three sacks, including a late fourth-quarter strip sack that was crucial in the Sun Devils’ 27-24 win over TCU.
“All week we kind of knew just going in that we had an advantage up front,” Dorbah said. “(Head coach Kenny Dillingham) came to our meeting literally last week and was like, ‘Somebody’s going to get a strip sack, I wonder who it’s going to be.’”
Since his first of six Monday press conferences this season, Dillingham has consistently emphasized the importance of rushing the passer. With most of the 2024 defense returning, Dillingham expected a stronger pass rush fueled by continuity on that side of the ball.
With five weeks in the rear-view mirror, ASU’s improvement in that area has been a mixed bag. When looking at raw pressure totals, the Sun Devils have tallied 63 pressures, eight more than they had through five games last year.
However, when converted to a percentage, ASU is generating pressure at a 30.4 percent rate, slightly below the defense’s 30.6 clip after five games last season. The Sun Devils’ most noticeable improvement lies in finishing plays, converting pressures to sacks at a 28.6 percent rate, an increase from 20 percent across five games last season.
“They’re starting to learn how to rush together,” Dillingham said. “The group has matured and they’re understanding that when you team rush, it opens everything up.”
PFF gave ASU’s pass rush a team grade of 75.9, the unit’s highest-graded game this season and its first grade above 70. Additionally, Dorbah’s 92.6 individual pass rush grade is the highest single-game mark for a Sun Devil defensive player this season and the first to surpass 90.
After having the past week off, ASU seeks to build on its pass rush improvement at Rice–Eccles Stadium, where pressures and sacks will be hard to come by. Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) boasts one of the nation’s top offensive lines, having a team pass block grade of 81, sixth-highest among 68 Power Four programs. The Utes also reduce sack opportunities by asking junior signal caller Devon Dampier to drop back roughly 33 times per game.
Utah’s line is strongest on the outside, where junior Spencer Fano and redshirt sophomore Caleb Lomu lock down the edge, sealing off the B and C gaps. Though still early, several mock drafts project both players as first-round NFL picks. Aware of that and their 6-foot-6, 308-pound frames, Dillingham anticipates a challenge from the formidable tackle duo.
“I’d rather go versus an offensive line that’s not that good, personally, but it’s a great challenge,” Dillingham said. “I’d much rather go versus me playing left tackle. I would sleep way better at night if, like, me and my brother were playing offensive line.”
Defensive Backs and Linebackers Going Back to the Drawing Board
Following the Week 2 loss at Mississippi State, ASU’s defense has played a huge role in the team’s current three-game winning streak and return to the Top 25. A lot of the credit for the Sun Devils’ defensive renaissance can be placed on the shoulders of the linebacking and secondary corps.
Looking at the numbers, ASU’s linebackers and defensive backs have accounted for seven sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and over 75% of the team’s total tackles. In addition, the Sun Devils have the seventh-most tackles for loss in the country with a total of 42 for 177 yards, in large part due to the contributions of the two position groups.
In the eyes of ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward, however, the bye week is no time to pop the champagne and dwell on past accomplishments.
“The biggest thing is we look at where we’ve not been great in these bye weeks, and we’re trying to get better,” Ward said. “Everything’s about fundamentals for us.”
Throughout practice on Tuesday, the defense continuously ran a drill that simulated a quick screen pass to both sides of the field. Each iteration saw three players from both the linebacker and defensive back groups line up at a different angle, and once the ball hit the hands of the player acting as a receiver, they practiced pursuit angles and preventing extra yards; two areas where ASU has struggled so far.
These preparations couldn’t come at a better time with a primetime road match against Utah on the horizon. The Utes’ offense has taken a sizable jump from averaging 23.6 points per game last season to 39 points per game this season after hiring New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck and pairing him with his former quarterback Devon Dampier.
Beck’s scheme heavily revolves around establishing a strong rushing attack, and just like the drill would suggest, throwing defenses off with the run-pass option. The Sun Devils rank top 50 nationally in yards per game allowed, but are giving up around five yards per play on average. Against a primarily no-huddle offense with over 1,000 yards in both rushing and passing, run by a dual-threat signal caller, it’s no wonder ASU is fine-tuning an already strong unit.
There’s no question that the Sun Devils’ defense has made the most out of opportunities to create plays and put the team as a whole in a position to win thus far in 2025. However, relying on turnovers and sacks certainly feels less foolproof than ensuring that the basics are covered and opposing plays don’t become explosive.
“We are who we are on defense,” Ward said. “We’re a situational defense, but if our fundamentals aren’t on point; our tackling and running the football on the angles that we take. If those aren’t on point, doesn’t matter what we call. It’s not going to work.”
Special teams is a work in progress, but context is key
Redshirt senior kicker Jesus Gomez has been as advertised to start the 2025 season.
The Eastern Michigan transfer has come into Tempe and stabilized one of the few weak points from last season’s Big 12 Championship team. He’s converted all 15 of his extra point attempts, gone 11-14 on field goals, and picked up two Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week awards along the way.
Outside of Gomez going through the uprights, though, special teams haven’t seen much on-paper success. The Sun Devils rank in the bottom four of the conference in average kickoff yardage (62.3), average punt yardage (40.8), kickoff return yardage (14.9), and total punt return yardage (31).
These metrics are ugly, but they also don’t tell the full story.
“People can look at stats when they look at it, but that’s not the unit as a whole,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “For the most part, our special teams unit has been good. Anybody can take stats and spin them 97 directions.”
Sometimes, one big play is all it takes to flip the script; something that ASU hasn’t quite wrapped its fingers around.
Against Texas State, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaren Hamilton started the third quarter with a bang, returning the opening kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown.
The only problem? The play was called back for holding.
Redshirt Junior running back Raleek Brown also nearly had a punt return touchdown against Northern Arizona in the season opener before losing his balance and having to settle for a solid 24-yard return.
The Sun Devils have explosiveness, but to take the next leap, they’ll need to minimize mistakes and improve consistency.
Injuries, while part of football, also haven’t done ASU any favors. Sophomore punter Kanyon Floyd – who won the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week award in Week 1 – has faced injury troubles since Week 3, pushing redshirt junior Matt McKenzie into the fire.
Despite what his listing might suggest, 2025 is McKenzie’s first year playing the sport competitively. Special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle noted that the Australian, who has a long of 39 yards and an average of 33, hasn’t gone into a game knowing that the punting responsibilities were on his shoulders until Week 5 against Texas Christian, which was one of the worst weather days the Valley has had in recent memory.
Torrential rain before kickoff and stronger-than-usual 15 MPH winds seemed to affect the unit throughout the game. Two of Gomez’s missed field goals came during the matchup, an attempted squib kick at the start of the third quarter looked more like an onside attempt, and Brown didn’t get a real opportunity to return a punt. A game like that, especially early in the season, can skew some stats.
The numbers still might not be pretty, but context helps explain them. As the season progresses, so should special teams efficiency.
“We got some really, really athletic guys,” McKenzie said. “It’s just about getting one on the board.”
Raleek Brown’s emergence in the backfield
Transferring to Tempe ahead of the 2024 season, Raleek Brown didn’t have the start to his time in maroon and gold that he would have hoped for. Due to injury, he was only able to appear in two games all season.
As a result, Raleek Brown watched former running back Cam Skattebo’s historic season from the sideline, hoping to make his own impact felt in 2025.
The 2024 season summed up much of Raleek Brown’s collegiate career to this point. Two seasons at USC were marred by attempted position changes and limited action in the backfield; the move to the Sun Devils offered a fresh start.
While he came into the season competing with junior running back Kyson Brown and transferring junior Kanye Udoh for the number one spot in the backfield, five games in, Raleek Brown has cemented his spot atop the running back pyramid.
Three games with rushing totals north of 100 yards add up to a total of 506 yards this season. Raleek Brown’s total is also the most in the Big 12 currently.
It’s matched by a prolific yards per carry pace, as he averages 6.6 yards out of the backfield. Raleek Brown’s runs have gone for explosive plays, including a 75-yard touchdown run against Texas State.
Raleek Brown’s versatility out of the backfield has also come as a surprise to many pundits. Touted as the quick and shifty option, with Udoh and Kyson Brown picking up the load as power backs, Raleek Brown has had plenty of hard-nose, rugged runs this season.
The dynamism of Raleek Brown has also added another layer to the passing game, which has struggled to get players not named Jordyn Tyson involved at times this season.
While he only has 107 receiving yards this season, it’s the third most on ASU’s roster so far. His 19 catches are also good enough for second on the Sun Devils.
Being a playmaker in the air and on the ground still leaves Raleek Brown a long way to go to fill the shoes of Skattebo, but each performance has put him one step closer to becoming a potential ASU legend.
