The Arizona State Sun Devils are victors in the season opening game yet again.
Kenny Dillingham’s fourth season is off to a strong start following an emphatic 70-7 win over FCS foe Morgan State on Saturday.
While Arizona State went into the game as massive favorites, something about this victory feels different. The Sun Devils were not able to put away Northern Arizona quite like this as the #11 ranked team heading into 2025. The team scrapped by to take down Southern Utah at the onset of 2023.
Read more about how Arizona State is putting the rest of the nation on notice below.
Arizona State’s 2026 Offense Feels Different – in the Best Way
Arizona State’s 2025 team simply did not live up to the billing. The offensive line was a revolving door. Procedural penalties plagued the offensive side of the ball. The Sun Devils’ turnover margin dwindled last season as well, setting up the team to play on thin ice on many occasions.
Some of these reasonings were controllable, including Dillingham and staff taking some whiffs in the transfer portal.
Dillingham’s response? A phenomenal 2026 portal class for Arizona State, as they rank third in the Big 12 in this department (247 Sports).
Some additions are working their way into the rotation, but others are already fully comfortable in the new situation. Arizona State’s center position was a revolving door last season, so Tana Alo-Tupuoula is a natural life saver for Dillingham.
The wide receiver and running back rooms are another clear standout. The former is playing without first-round pick Jordyn Tyson this season, but Dillingham and WR coach Hines Ward built out an incredibly deep group in response. Four-star transfers Omarion Miller and Reed Harris are only getting started coming off of 100-yard performances.
As for the running backs, all seven players in Shaun Aguano’s group seem ready to make a positive impact. Arizona State’s adaptability is once again serving them well. Graduate transfer Marquis Gillis is a bigger-build back that is at his best in pass-pro and between-the-tackles scenarios. Grayson Rigdon, and Jason Brown Jr. are both capable of hitting home-runs at any given time. This is just the start of a collective group that ran for 249 total yards on Saturday.
It seems as if Arizona State and Dillingham are actively learning from past mistakes. This is very likely to serve the program well moving forward.
Program Capabilities Under Dillingham Only Growing
While some might claim that Arizona State is at their ceiling under Dillingham, the contrary seems to be the case.
The Sun Devils are receiving an increase in funding from the outside, are becoming a recruiting power in different areas across the country, and are bringing a very fine balance between finesse/physicality that should be able to contend with Texas Tech long-term.
Arizona State isn’t a one-and-done program. What Dillingham is building in Tempe is lasting – between adaptability, honesty, and employing a cutting-edge staff, the Sun Devils are here to stay in the Big 12.
Arizona State’s next test is Saturday against #8 Texas A&M.
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