The Arizona State Sun Devils and head coach Kenny Dillingham are searching for answers.
The Sun Devils (2-2, 1-1 Big 12) are coming out of a blowout 55-19 home loss to the Baylor Bears. This defeat is arguably the most embarrassing one that Arizona State is coming out of since a 29-0 loss to Fresno State in 2023.
The 36-year-old head coach much attempt to find ways to salvage the season before it’s a lost one. Time is ticking to actually accomplish this.
Read more on what the fourth-year leader of the program had to say following the loss below.
Dillingham Takes Full Accountability for Loss
A 36-point loss will humble virtually any coach. This is especially the case for Dillingham, who is an alumni of the university. A multi-possession loss in the Big 12 opener is an inexcusable result, and the leader of the program took accountability following the game. This came when Dillingham took a question surrounding his thoughts on if the Sun Devils are hitting their stride (Jacob Brooks).
“No. We’re not hitting a standard that I want… I am letting our football team down. I am not maximizing the team that we have.”
The admission from Arizona State’s head coach is a breath of fresh air. In a situation where coaches have an opportunity to unload disappointment and blame on the roster, he took self-accountability.
While the Sun Devils’ roster is possibly heavier on depth and high-end talent this season, it isn’t working out to this point. The last nine quarters of play have been tepid at best, with various aspects of the system failing at different points of time.
How exactly does Dillingham figure out how to salvage a season that might be slipping away?
How Arizona State Can Salvage 2026 Season
The most obvious avenue to fixing issues resides in an Oct. 10 game against Hawaii. While the Rainbow Warriors aren’t a traditional “pushover” squad, playing a lower-level FBS squad is coming at the right time.
There are several procedural and fundamental issues the Sun Devils and Dillingham must smooth over in the next week. Arizona State’s tackling against Baylor was simply unacceptable. The offensive line continues to be porous. The run game isn’t breaking into the second level on a consistent basis.
While some Arizona State fans will point to a quarterback change being the answer, this isn’t the case, especially according to Dillingham.
Yes, Cutter Boley has been erratic over the last nine quarters of action himself. The Kentucky transfer threw a head-scratching interception in the second half of the Baylor loss, but still possesses the best arm talent on the roster. Making a change to Mikey Keene doesn’t change much, if anything at all.
There is still time for the Sun Devils to turn things around, but the time is running short. The Sun Devils finish October by taking on Texas Tech, Kansas State, and BYU, all of which are losable contests for Dillingham and co.
Time will tell what comes of Arizona State’s season, but early returns aren’t incredibly promising.
Kenny Dillingham Takes Extreme Accountability Following Harrowing Arizona State Loss