Arizona State traveled home from Lubbock last weekend following their 30-22 defeat to Texas Tech with new challenges and goals for the remainder of the season. Now that the zero is out of the loss column, every win becomes more crucial in the Big 12 race.
With a bye week on the ledger for the Sun Devils, a chance at revitalization was apparent. For coach Kenny Dillingham, this meant more than ice packs and a good night's sleep.
“For one, we want to get our bodies right,” Dillingham said. “And then two, we want to focus on ourselves.”
Dillingham preached the importance of self-scouting during the bye week, prioritizing necessary tweaks in practice to get better internally before preparing for next week's opponent, Kansas.
“The best teams get better throughout the season and our toughest opponents are still ahead of us and everybody knows that,” Dillingham said.
This will be the first time ASU and Kansas will face each other on the gridiron, another one of many proud firsts to happen during Arizona State’s introduction to the Big 12.
Kansas originally began the season ranked #22 in the AP poll. After five games, however, their team boasts a measly 1-4 record following four consecutive losses to #19 ranked Illinois, UNLV, West Virginia, and TCU and have since lost their ranking.
In their most recent matchup, Kansas struggled to minimize the passing game, allowing TCU’s Jake Bech and Eric McAlister to both catch 100+ yards, tallying three touchdowns in the process. Instead of their usual rushing approach, Arizona State might consider utilizing quarterback Sam Leavitt’s arm a little more following Kansas’ performance.
But despite their record and recent struggles defensively, coach Dillingham knows how potent Kansas’ team can still be and is preparing his team for what’s to come.
“You change a few plays and their season is completely different,” Dillingham said. “What people forget is teams change throughout the season, especially teams that may not have had the success early in the season as they wanted to,”
Offensively, Arizona State has had the luxury of Cam Skattebo for almost two years. His contributions on the field, whether pile-driving through defensive linemen for crucial first downs or finding a pass and taking it to the endzone, have been a godsend for the ASU coaching staff.
But looking to the future, coach Dillingham voiced a need for reinforcements.
“Bottom line, we’ve got to get more backs going,” Dillingham said. “The hard part is Skatt(ebo) is so used to getting handed the ball every time, so he’s always fresh. So it’s really hard to be like ‘Alright, if you’re good, just stand here’. That’s difficult when you’re one of the better players.”
Skattebo will remain Arizona State’s primary running back, but according to Dillingham, the coaches will try to limit him to less than 30 carries per game to preserve his health and strength.
Skattebo has been phenomenal, but as the saying goes, “There’s always a bigger fish”.
Senior Devin Neal, Kansas’ primary running back, is a force to be reckoned with. His 5’11”, 215-pound frame allows quick, explosive movements from the line that makes him a nuisance for all opposing teams.
On the year, Neal has tallied 443 yards (9th most in the country) and averages 6.2 yards per attempt. He’s had two seasons of 1,000 or more rushing yards in his collegiate career, setting him up to be an intriguing option in the next NFL draft.
On top of that, Neal was named to the watch list for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.
Both Neal and Skattebo will be monitored closely in next week’s game at Mountain America Stadium.
Defensively, both teams rank middle of the pack in the Big 12, with both teams demonstrating their ability to put pressure on the quarterback. Kansas’ Jereme Robinson, a defensive end, is tied for the Big 12 lead in sacks (4), while ASU’s defensive lineman Clayton Smith places third in the conference in sack yards (28).
For Arizona State specifically, the bye week will help them hone in on 3rd down coverage, an area that’s been an issue for the Sun Devils early on. Dillingham alluded to his defense’s “exotic” performances in those scenarios but mentioned that simplifying the approach could bring the team more success in the future.
For Kansas, a rebound is desperately needed. Looking towards Saturday’s matchup, Kansas will be doing everything in their power during practice to detach themselves from the bottom of the Big 12 standings.
Overall, both teams will have a lot on their plate on game day as they both attempt to claw their way up the loaded Big 12 standings.
Arizona State and Kansas will face off at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday, October 5th at 5 pm MST.