TEMPE, Ariz. – When Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham first sat down with his team after the Peach Bowl in January, he did something seemingly out of character – He told them how good they were.
Social media posts applauding the squad for surpassing expectations and winning the Big 12 championship illuminated the screen, reminding the Sun Devils of how far they had come following back-to-back 3-9 seasons.
Yet, after a brief period of reminiscing, Dillingham sent a clear message: It was time to turn the page.
“I said, ‘Ok, is everybody good? Has everybody read enough positive?’” Dilligham asked his team.
“The fun thing is last year has nothing to do with this year,” Dillingham said at Big 12 Media Days. “When you’re in college football, [or] when you’re in sports, you may as well throw the book out and start from scratch.”
However, after returning 17 starters on the heels of an 11-3 campaign, the weight of newfound expectations remains undeniable.
National media, scouts and recruits flocked to Tempe over the offseason to catch a glimpse of a team expected to repeat its success in 2025. Additionally, star players like ASU redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt and redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson have become household names, earning spots on many preseason awards lists.
It’s culminated in a projected win total that’s nearly doubled from last season, going from 4.5 wins to 8.5 this fall, according to many of the major sportsbooks.
But what significance do projections hold?
After all, Arizona State dispelled the significance of preseason prognostications when it captured the Big 12 title despite being picked to finish last in the conference in the preseason media poll.
One year later, with the Big 12’s media poll completed eradicated, the Sun Devils step into this season with a new set of expectations. Some envision back-to-back trips to the conference championship game, while others predict another appearance in the College Football Playoff.
The benchmarks that seemed unfathomable just three years ago have evolved into merely measures of success for the Maroon and Gold in Dillingham’s third season at the helm.
Last year, preseason noise provided motivation. This time around, it’s a source of pressure.
The Sun Devils won’t be flying under the radar this season. They’ll take every team’s best shot and be expected to return with a heavyweight’s knockout blow. And every trip or stumble will be scrutinized under the watch of a larger following this season.
To keep things light, Dillingham has stayed true to his “have fun more fun working harder than anybody in the country” mentality by breaking up the monotonous routine of offseason practice with team-wide competitions, such as mid-practice knockout basketball.
Nonetheless, ASU’s 35-year-old head man, who was the youngest coach in college football when he arrived in Tempe, remains hungry to build on last year’s success, hoping to avoid being a one-year-wonder.
“The reality is, there’s been a lot of teams in college football who have done what we’ve done,” Dillingham said at Big 12 media days. “Who have won one year and then come back to reality. We really didn’t do anything special … What would be special would be to continue to build off that.”
Further, Dillingham has battled the inevitable cloud of complacency that follows success.
Last season, he cited his squad’s unrelenting effort on a week-to-week basis as one of its biggest strengths. Attempting to unlock that again this year, Dillingham’s called out his team on a few occasions during the offseason for lacking energy.
And, after finally reaching the end of fall camp, he now feels like his team is once again playing with a high level of passion heading into Week 1.
“The vibe of not satisfied [and] the vibe wanting to be better, we had that some days, we didn’t have it other days, but the majority of days we had it … Are we a team that plays with absolute passion and love for the game?” Dillingham said after a recent practice. “If we do that, I feel good about most games that we play. If we just play with an unbelievable passion. That’s kind of what I’m excited about leaving camp. I think our team has that passion.”
Sparky’s gut-wrenching 39-31 double-overtime loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl should also provide some extra motivation.
The vivid imagery of burnt orange and white confetti fluttering to the ground in Mercedes-Benz Stadium still lingers in the minds of ASU players.
“It was tough seeing heartbroken people on the sideline after last year’s loss,” redshirt senior tight end Chamon Metayer said. “That’s just a pain I don’t want to experience again.”
Arizona State will kick off its season on Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. AZT when it hosts Northern Arizona under the glistening Saturday night lights of Mountain America Stadium.
Until then, the Sun Devils will cup their hands over their ears, blocking out the noise and taking it one day at a time.
“We obviously know what happened last year, but we know this year’s a whole new year,” junior defensive tackle C.J. Fite said. “We have no expectations for ourselves in terms of building on what we did last year … The goal is just to be better each day. [We’re] really just not letting last year dictate how the season goes.”
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