The Arizona State Sun Devils (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) are officially bowl eligible for the third straight season.
This comes in lieu of a 26-13 victory over conference foe UCF on Saturday. The Sun Devils were facing extraordinary circumstances heading into the game, but came out with a win nonetheless.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham has done a phenomenal job of holding the program together this season. He also had something atypical to say after the victory.
Dillingham Makes Shocking Analogy to Excuse Conversation
The 36-year-old head coach has Arizona State back on track after a disappointing start to the year. This includes an impressive turnaround on Saturday, when the Sun Devils didn’t travel to Orlando until the day of the game. This was due to an unprecedented ground stop order on Friday.
While another program is playing a game on Sunday due to logistical issues, the Sun Devils were able to travel 2,000 miles in mere hours and still play/win this game.
The fourth-year leader of the program had a very interesting way of putting the “excuse” conversation into perspective following the contest (Jacob Brooks, Sun Devil Source).
“Excuses are like buttholes. Everybody has them and they all stink.”
The travel issues could’ve been a detriment to Arizona State. The team as a complete unit didn’t let the inconvenience get to them.
Starting quarterback Jake Fette was amongst the players who had a preference of staying in Tempe on Friday night. The rising star even said that he was able to sleep for roughly nine hours before the departure. Not only is this an impressive feat for the team, it’s a positive reflection on Dillingham.
Where Arizona State Goes From Here
Arizona State has two more regular season contests before fully realizing their bowl fate. The Sun Devils are taking on the Oklahoma State Cowboys this Saturday before closing with their bitter rivals in the Arizona Wildcats on 11/28.
They face an uphill climb to win either of the contests, let alone both. Oklahoma State is 6-4 in their own right, but possess a potent offense. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker is perhaps the top NFL Draft prospect at his position ahead of April. Running back Caleb Hawkins is one of the best players at the position in the nation.
While Arizona State is playing this contest at home, a victory won’t come simply. The regular season closes out against Arizona in a road battle in Tucson. Arizona’s College Football Playoff hopes are virtually over after a 40-39 loss to Utah on Saturday. Now, their season hinges on taking down Arizona State for a second consecutive season.
If the Sun Devils are able to win both games, there’s real optimism that they will compete in the Big 12 once again next season. The 2026 recruiting class has been exceptional, and Dillingham is always evolving in approach. Expect the 2027 team to have even more balance in comparison to this rendition of the program.
Arizona State and Oklahoma State are playing at 8:15 MST on Saturday in the meantime.
Kenny Dillingham Makes Candid Statement on Excuses After Arizona State’s UCF Win