TEMPE, Ariz. – Following a 38-19 victory against FCS No. 19 Northern Arizona, Arizona State football now travels for the first time this season to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on Mississippi State.
Saturday’s matchup will be ASU’s first road game against an SEC opponent since 2012, when the Sun Devils lost 24-20 to Missouri in the Tigers’ first season after moving from the Big 12.
The matchup will conclude a home-and-home series, which began in Tempe last season with a 30-23 victory for ASU.
2025 Is A New Season
Despite the matchup taking place just one season ago, neither team is what they were back on Sept. 7, 2024, when they last faced off.
“They’ve added over 30 transfers, they’ve added 8 junior college players, so around 40 veterans to their football team,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “This team is 65-70 percent new, from last year’s team, so a lot of new faces.”
As for ASU, the emergence of redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt and redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson as one of the nation’s premier quarterback-wide receiver duos and the lack of now New York Giants’ Cam Skattebo gives MSU a whole new offensive outlook to prepare for.
The Environment, Too, Will Be A Different Experience.
While ASU has seen an incredible jump in sales and an improving atmosphere from years past, Dillingham acknowledges that playing in the SEC is simply different, and ASU will need to raise the intensity.
“At the end of the day, how bad you want something matters. What you pour into your cup is what is going to pour out,” Dillingham said. “If you think you can pour something special into your cup and it’s going to magically create more water for you to drink, you’re wrong.”
To help prepare, the Sun Devils have been practicing with cowbells blaring throughout practice, both on speakers and having players ring physical cow bells, something many teams across the country do.
Both Teams Come In 1-0
The Bulldogs took down their in-state foes, Southern Mississippi, last week and collected over 400 yards in their 34-17 win over the Golden Eagles.
MSU went for nearly 200 yards on the ground and senior quarterback Blake Shapen added another 270 through the air in the Bulldogs’ fast-paced offense; something ASU will have to watch out for.
“If you can’t get lined up, you’re screwed…they’re gonna get on a roll and they’re going to take advantage of you,” Dillingham said.
Stopping the strong running back room, headlined by sophomore running back Fluff Bothwell and graduate running back Davon Booth, will be key for the Sun Devils. The backfield duo combined for 123 yards and three touchdowns against Southern Miss.
ASU’s Offense Should Have More Balance
On the Sun Devils’ side, you can expect more players contributing offensively.
The Bulldogs run a more traditional defense than NAU lined up last week. MSU will likely double-cover Tyson for the majority of the game, given his status and 142-yard day against the Lumberjacks.
The lack of double coverage on Tyson resulted in a total of three receptions made by primary pass catchers outside of Tyson. However, Dillingham didn’t have a problem with, saying if it wasn’t in their plan to double Tyson, then they should keep getting him involved. But, that likely won’t be the case this week against the Bulldogs.
ASU and MSU will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time, 6:30 p.m. local time, in a blackout-themed game for the Bulldogs. The game will be streamed on ESPN2.
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