The Arizona State Sun Devils are now 1-1 on the 2026 season in year four under Kenny Dillingham.
The Sun Devils are fresh off of a 48-20 loss to #10 Texas A&M in a game that happened to be much more competitive than the final box score indicated.
The head coach brought light to the mistakes that fueled the lopsided loss following the game.
Dillingham Opens Up About Loss to Aggies
The 36-year-old Dillingham got very honest when speaking on the loss post-game.
The quote is via Chris Karpman (Sun Devil Source).
“If there is one takeaway from this game, it’s that we’re a good football team…but if we have four turnovers, we can lose to anybody, too. We’ve got to clean that up.”
Arizona State and Dillingham should be proud of how the offense operated for the most part. New starting quarterback Cutter Boley is making big-time throws. Running back Kyson Brown broke a five yard per run figure. The Sun Devils’ offensive line did an incredible job of holding up. Wide receiver Reed Harris is making a major statement as well, as he now has four touchdown scores to his name through two games.
Arizona State out-gained the Aggies 396-255 (ESPN). Defensive coordinator Brian Ward put together an impressive plan of attack that resulted in Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed throwing a questionable interception at the dawn of the second half.
Ultimately, Arizona State’s miscues and operational failures did them in. A muffed punt in the first quarter gave Texas A&M an early 7-0 lead, while three fourth-quarter giveaways directly led to the final score appearing more lopsided than it should have.
Arizona State also put together somewhat of a messy game operationally, as nine penalties are not indicative of a winning performance – especially on the road. There is still an opportunity for Dillingham and the team to bounce back, but the turnaround is incredibly brisk.
How Arizona State Moves Forward
Arizona State and Dillingham are facing a major turnaround. The team is traveling directly to Dallas to take a connecting flight to London, England. This is in preparation for the Big 12 opener against the Kansas Jayhawks, who are coming off of a Friday night loss of their own.
The adjustment is going to be incredible for both sides, but Dillingham might face even more pressure compared to to Kansas head coach Lance Leipold. The Sun Devils must clean up operational errors. They must get on a more connective line as an offensive unit late in the game. They must be able to whether the major time difference that has a chance to impact the team as a whole.
Dillingham his work cut out for him over the next week. Arizona State needs to start the season with a 1-0 conference record to feel confident about their chances. They absolutely own the talent to do so, but must avoid costly mistakes against the Jayhawks.
Dillingham is ultimately leading Arizona State into another morning kickoff (9:00 A.M. AZT) next Saturday.
Kenny Dillingham Breaks Silence on Arizona State’s Fourth-Quarter Collapse