In week two of the young 2024 football season, Arizona State takes the field with a chance to make history against Mississippi State. ASU looks for their first win over a Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent in its history, as the Sun Devils stand 0-5 against the SEC all-time.
After a dominant 48-7 win over Wyoming in the season opener, ASU football received a bevy of praise throughout the week. Hearing the noise, head coach Kenny Dillingham implored his team to maintain an underdog mindset with a challenging opponent on deck.
“We’re getting comfortable and I’m trying to prevent that from happening,” Dillingham said. “We’re still a nobody. We have to get it out of our heads that we played a really good football game.”
Now, the Sun Devils welcome a Mississippi State team who cruised to a 56-7 home win over Eastern Kentucky to kick off their season.
In his first year at the helm in Starkville, Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby brings extensive experience as an offensive coordinator for premier programs such as Oklahoma and Ole Miss.
Pairing his high-flying and up-tempo offense with explosive playmakers presents a notable early-season test for an ASU defense that faced little resistance in their first game.
Senior transfer quarterback Blake Shapen commands the Bulldog offense and brings a dual-threat skill set under center.
Against Eastern Kentucky, he threw for 247 passing yards and manufactured four total touchdowns without interceptions.
“That system is super quarterback-driven,” Dillingham said. “This is the first time he’s been in a system that’s this free and I think it fits his style… I think the combination of him and coach Lebby are why they put up almost 60 points.”
To combat the Bulldog’s potent offensive attack, the Sun Devils will need another strong showing from its defense.
Mississippi State presents a completely different offensive approach than ASU faced in week one, as their up-tempo style can create issues with alignment and communication.
Aware of the challenge at hand, defensive coordinator Brian Ward utilized simulated up-tempo looks in practice to prepare his team.
“They may be the fastest team we see all year,” Ward said. “They do a great job of getting defenses misaligned and running by cornerbacks. Hopefully, we can get aligned and play fast.”
On the other hand, the ASU’s offense hopes to continue its hot start to the year.
Starting quarterback Sam Leavitt shined in week one, but offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo reiterated that for the Sun Devils to find success in week two the running game must stay at the focal point of the offense’s gameplan.
“On the perimeter, they’ve got some real guys,” Arroyo said. “So like in any game being able to run the football is our mantra and our identity as we saw last week.”
With a background of coaching in the SEC, coach Dillingham understands the standards that come with playing in the South. Thus, he expects to see a confident Mississippi State team on Saturday.
“This team is going to play the best teams in the country week in and week out,” Dillingham said. “They look at us as a must-win… We have to have that mentality that they’re coming in here and expecting to win.”
Knowing the opportunity at hand, Dillingham called on the ASU student body to play a factor in the matchup.
Last week, marked the second-highest student section in ASU football history. He now hopes the students can top their previous week’s performance by breaking the record against Mississippi State.
“We want to break the record,” Dillingham said. “I want to have more students than have ever come to a game. I want them to be part of the first time Arizona State ever wins an SEC game.”
The Sun Devils will kick off against the Bulldogs at 7:30 P.M. MST in Mountain America Stadium on what could be a record-breaking night for ASU football
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