What Kenny Dillingham said about Arizona State's huge game at Kansas State
Since Kenny Dillingham took over at Arizona State two years ago, he has emphasized process over outcome.
Just over 20 games into his tenure, Dillingham's message is clearly working.
After being picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Sun Devils enter Saturday's road game at Kansas State still in the thick of the conference championship game race. At 7-2, Arizona State is one of the most surprising teams in the country, with a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back and an "NFL-level" player at quarterback.
The Heisman candidate, Cam Skattebo, will be back on the field this week after missing ASU's win over UCF. The NFL-level QB, redshirt sophomore Sam Leavitt, is coming off his second consecutive three-touchdown, no-interception performance.
Despite the presence of Skattebo and Leavitt, Arizona State (7-2, 5-2) enters the game as 7.5-point underdogs. But Dillingham knows his team plays better when they're overlooked.
"We've gotta get back to that edge, that dog," Dillingham said after ASU's 35-31 win over UCF last week. "We play with a chip on our shoulder way better than we play like we're good. We've got to play with a chip on our shoulder [at Kansas State]."
Here's a snapshot of what Dillingham said leading up to Saturday's Big 12 football road game in Manhattan, Kansas:
Dillingham on ASU's confidence playing on the road
"We're two and two on the road ... we've won a few games now on the road, so hopefully we can go play well. But it's a really good environment, really good team in November."
Dillingham on ASU being big underdogs
"They definitely feel it. I've showed them everybody who says that we're still not good and we haven't played anybody. I've showed them that we're one of the few two-win teams that still aren't ranked."
Dillingham on playing meaningful games in November
"Like I told our guys, I don't know if there's another team in the country who has a better chance to compete to win a championship right now, that lives in as good of a city, with as good of weather, that practices in the environment we practice ... I don't know if there's a better place to be anywhere than in Tempe, Arizona, where right now, currently, we're competing for something in 68-degree weather."
"Where else, literally, would you rather be?"
Dillingham on Cam Skattebo's status
"He's doing really well. He's gonna play. I fully expect him to play this week unless something changes."
Dillingham on Skattebo trying to convince him to play vs. UCF
"He was trying to get me to put him in the game at the middle of the third quarter, like, 'let me go get suited up.' ... 'No, you're not going to go get suited up, like, not happening.'"
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.