Kenny Dillingham Speaks on Baylor, Status Of Team Ahead of Week 5 Primetime Clash

In the blink of an eye, ASU's lone bye week went by faster than you can say "ramadamahamslam".

(Something ASU head football coach Kenny Dillingham actually said during Monday's media availability.)

Besides their vocabulary, Arizona State will return to normalcy this week after a September of long travel and road matchups, hosting Baylor under the lights at Mountain America Stadium.

Five days from kickoff, here is everything Dillingham had to say as Baylor week begins:

The Baylor Barometer

"If they reach the ball four more inches, this is a Top 25 team coming to town."

Dillingham isn't taking the Baylor Bears lightly entering Week 5. Not just for their battle in Waco in 2025, but for what they've already shown in 2026.

Baylor, despite missing starting quarterback DJ Lagway for two games, is off to a 3-1 start. They took down Colorado to open conference play in Week 4, and are a failed two-point conversion away from being 4-0. Lagway and Co. fell to the Tigers 17-16 in Week 1's AFLAC Kickoff

"Just crazy about the perception versus reality of teams, right?" Dillingham said. "We're talking that far (a few inches) from a top-25 team coming to play us at home, so this will be a good, tough task for us."

Ranked or not, Lagway or not, the backbone of Baylor's success over the last few seasons has been one thing: defense.

Dillingham found out the hard way last season, narrowly escaping defeat in a 27-24 clash against Baylor in 2025.

"They stoned us last year for most of the game. We were in a dogfight over there. I think the biggest change is that their head coach made an emphasis on the front (line)," Dillingham said. "When you watch them play the Power Five teams that they've played, with the Auburn game, you see them go toe to toe up front, and in a lot of cases win a lot of reps up front, and then last week (vs. Colorado), toe to toe, winning a lot of reps up front. It's good strategy there."

What To Expect From DJ Lagway

Former five-star recruit DJ Lagway made his way from Florida to Baylor this offseason, looking to rewrite the wrongs of his time in Gainesville.

The Sun Devils hope not to be featured on the comeback tour.

"He's in a more free system, way more open. I would say he's using more arm talent throws consistently. He's over there throwing field hitches, double moves where the ball's traveling," Dillingham said. "(Throwing) 50, 55 total yards. He's throwing seam routes on a dime and rhythms. I would just say he has more freedom and there's more flexibility. "

Lagway threw for 221 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the win against Colorado. He is up to 554 passing yards and four touchdowns this season.

Unlike the six-foot mobile builds of Texas A&M's Marcel Reed and Kansas's Isaiah Marshall, Lagway comes in at six-foot-three, 237 pounds, a substantial presence at the QB position.

"It's a little more quarterback-centric in terms of getting the ball out. If you feel it, you can throw it," Dillingham said. "I just think he's getting really good looks to throw the football down the field, and I think he's been doing that at a high, high rate. I think it fits him. He's a big, strong kid who gets to stand high in the pocket and drive the football all over the field now."

On pace to shatter his freshman and sophomore year stats as a Gator, Lagway will take in his first Big 12 road game this Saturday in Tempe.

Bye Bye, Bye Week

It hasn't been an ideal bye week setup for the Sun Devils, hearing the announcement of losing their top tight end on top of their Thursday practice being cut short.

After Thursday's practice was called after 30 minutes due to lightning, Dillingham had his players return to the field on Monday for a light session.

"Try to get all the weekend out. Hopefully, come tomorrow, we can have a really good day," Dillingham said. " I challenged everybody on the field today: we're not going to be out there long, but get tired, run full speed, get yourself tired. That way you can start working your levels back."

With a Week 4 bye week, ASU is facing nine straight games from Oct. 3 to Nov. 28.

It may seem daunting, but Dillingham emphasized the importance of working week by week.

"Week 10 doesn't matter if you don't take care of week three. Week nine doesn't matter if you don't take care of week four," Dillingham said. "The most important game is the game right now. If you look too far ahead, those games aren't going to make as much of a difference."

That being said, it shouldn't take too much to get the Sun Devils amped up for this Saturday: an ESPN primetime, under-the-lights conference matchup at home.

"To me, there's not many better things than to run out of that tunnel in a night game, in a conference opponent with a sold-out crowd, with the fireworks rocking, you know, and the sky lit up. There's nothing like it." Dillingham said. "This is our first conference night game at home. We haven't really played many games at home. This is new for a lot of the guys on the team, so I'm excited to get them to see it."

ASU will return to the field on Tuesday for a longer practice, ramping up to a Saturday showdown with the Baylor Bears.

Devil Details:

Who: Arizona State vs. Baylor
When: Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. AZ, 10:30 p.m. EST
Where: Mountain America Stadium (53,599) in Tempe, Arizona
TV/Streaming: ESPN

The Sun Devil Radio Network broadcast will air on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Tim Healey will handle play-by-play alongside former Arizona State quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst, with Kevin Turner reporting from the sideline.

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