Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State can make history with win over BYU
Labeling Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham’s drastic shift of the program in just two years a "turnaround" would almost be disrespectful for what the youngest head coach in the FBS has accomplished thus far.
Dillingham has turned around, flipped upside down and turned back the clock to a past Sun Devils’ success that Tempe hasn’t seen in a very long time.
For the first time since October 2021, No. 21 Arizona State (8-2,5-2) is ranked in both the AP and Coaches polls. Dillingham resurrected a program that was punished by one of the biggest college football fiascos in the last decade — and he did it in the blink of an eye.
He lost 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jayden Daniels to the transfer portal long before he was even thought of for the job. He battled through the sanctions and sour taste left behind by Herm Edwards and his coaching staff. And after struggling in his inaugural year with a 3-9 finish, he and his Sun Devils are Big 12 title contenders this season.
At just a quick glance, Dillingham’s run is already impressive, but with a looming matchup against No. 14 BYU (9-1,6-1) on Saturday, ASU has a chance to leave an even bigger mark.
If the Sun Devils can scorch the Cougars and claim victory, it would be ASU’s third win over a ranked opponent this season. Prior to this year, ASU had not beaten a ranked team since Oct. 8, 2022, when they defeated No. 21 Washington 45-38. It would be the program’s highest-ranked win since upsetting Oregon, who was ranked No. 6 at the time, 31-28 on Nov. 23, 2019.
If ASU can close the regular season with a win over BYU this weekend and a victory over rival Arizona (4-6, 2-5) next weekend, the Sun Devils have a very good shot of making the Big 12 title game. Arizona State has not won a conference championship since 2007 when the Pac-12 was still the Pac-10. If Dillingham and Arizona State get the championship nod and win that game, ASU will make its first appearance in the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014.
A Big 12 championship isn’t guaranteed, but with eight wins already in the bank, a bowl game is.
Arizona State hasn’t seen a bowl game since 2021, when they lost 20-13 to Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Bowl. Technically, they can’t even claim that appearance after vacating it as a result of the Herm Edwards sanctions. With those sanctions in place, ASU hasn’t made a recognized appearance in a bowl game since 2019, when they beat Florida State 20-14. Since 2000, ASU is 5-9 in recognized bowl game appearances.
There is so much history that can be made with a win this weekend, but the Sun Devils face a tall task against a very talented BYU team.
"They're ranked above us and they have one loss in the football season," Dillingham said. "They're very close to being undefeated on the season and it's a great challenge for our guys, especially at home, especially if we're coming off an emotional win. They're coming off an emotional loss. We both somewhat control our own destiny, so which team should actually have a little bit more vinegar in them, piss and vinegar in them ... probably the team that just came off some negative, not the team that's being told how great we are. It's the team that's being questioned right now. So they definitely have an advantage ... they're going to come into this game like it's the Super Bowl."
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Jordyn Bennett is a staff reporter for Arizona State On SI.