ASU zeroes in on short-week prep for Territorial Cup game

ASU finally had the type of Saturday it has been working toward for months. The Sun Devils did not have to experience any last-second game drama, they did not need to pull off a fourth quarter comeback, there were no late-game miracles needed, just a clean and dominant 42-17 road victory over Colorado; the largest margin of victory and most points scored by the Sun Devils this season. It was the first time in the Fall that ASU truly appeared to be in charge of its own identity and what it wanted to do on the field.

What comes next? The biggest stage of the regular season, rivalry week, comes just as the Arizona Wildcats and Sun Devils are performing at their peak.

Nevertheless, head coach Kenny Dillingham was not discussing momentum or hype as he sat inside the program’s football complex late on Sunday night. He was attempting to resolve a logistical issue.

“It is either sleep or kind of cram and go,” Dillingham noted. “And I have never been a believer in cramming and not resting your players after games.”

ASU got back late from Boulder, and the short turnaround slid an entire prep day off the calendar. Dillingham had to reboot the week on the fly. Forget the usual routine of a Saturday lift, Sunday install, Monday reset; the Sun Devils compacted everything into tighter, quicker rhythms.

“(Monday) we will come in and have our meetings,” Dillingham explained. “We will have a Thanksgiving dinner (Monday) … and then a normal Tuesday. We will have a half practice on Wednesday, a walk-through Thursday and go play Friday.”

It is the kind of schedule that coaches despise, but it is also the kind that only a mature team can handle, and ASU is finally acting like one. The win at Colorado was more than just decisive; it demonstrated a squad that understands its capabilities and is not hesitant to use them.

That begins with the run game.

Senior quarterback Jeff Sims dropped 228 rushing yards on Iowa State two weeks ago. Against Colorado, junior running back Raleek Brown one-upped him with 255, the third-highest single-game rushing total in ASU history. And those explosions are not flukes. ASU is now the Big 12’s No. 3 rushing team, hammering opponents right as they face an Arizona defense that leads the conference in fewest passing yards allowed.

Put another way, ASU’s best identity is arriving at the exact moment it needs it. But Dillingham has been consistent all year. His confidence is not rooted in stats or rankings. It is rooted in the locker room.

“I think what I attribute it to is our players love it here,” Dillingham stated. “The majority of our team is truly a Sun Devil. They are going to come back … they are going to celebrate … this is what they want to be a part of.”

You can see it outside of football, too. Dillingham barely finished saying ASU volleyball won back-to-back Big 12 titles before he made sure to mention that “12 of our players” were in the stands watching. It is the kind of program-wide buy-in coaches love to brag about, except Dillingham does not brag. He just sounds genuinely proud.

And that matters, because this time of year is no longer just about the next game. It is about roster retention, transfer portal season, and who is staying and who is not. Last year, ASU held its roster together in a way few Power Five programs did. Dillingham believes they can repeat it.

“For me, it is always about we want dudes who want to be at ASU,” Dillingham emphasized. “I feel like we are in a good spot … The guys who truly want to be here, the guys that are all in, I think we are going to have a really, really good chance to keep those guys here.”

And while keeping players matters, adding the right ones matters too. With ASU now ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings, with sellouts all season, and with the program’s energy trending upward, Dillingham believes they are positioning themselves to recruit at an even higher level.

“When you are selling out crowds, when you have investment from the school … it positions us really, really well to be a destination for some of these guys,” Dillingham observed.

That potential was on full display in an unexpected moment as he lit up talking about Cam Skattebo, who willed ASU into the College Football Playoff last year with his 1,586 rushing yards, the second-most in school history. Now in the NFL with the Giants, Skattebo is returning for ASU’s matchup against Arizona.

“You should graduate from a school and have a passion about that place,” Dillingham reflected. “Come back to that place and feel like you are at home.”

That is what football programs with staying power look like. They do not just produce players; they produce people who want to return.

All of that, the identity, the culture, the momentum, the buy-in, now funnels into a short week that ends with the biggest game on the schedule. And even without diving into rivalry history or all the storylines attached to it, Dillingham can feel the week building.

He mentioned the Saturday campus slate almost in passing, but it captured the spirit around the program: morning events, hockey in the afternoon, football at night.

“I do not know if there is a better place to be,” Dillingham remarked.

***

Despite Arizona State’s most impressive defensive performance of the year, defensive coordinator Brian Ward hardly focused on the scoreboard. 42 to 17 did not seem like a celebration of perfection to him. The Sun Devils were reminded of how near they were to something much better.

“We were so close to shutting those guys out and them having less than 200 yards of offense,” Ward noted. “We blew a couple of run fits, and we did not get lined up on a third down. Those things happen.”

Those were about the only mistakes made. Colorado punted nine times, a number Ward admitted he did not know until someone told him.

“I had no idea they punted that many times,” Ward stated with a half laugh. “It just means we are playing good situational defense.”

Situational consistency has been ASU’s calling card in November. Four Colorado drives started on ASU’s side of the field, and they came away with just three points. For Ward, that resilience, not yardage totals, is what matters.

“That is the thing I am most proud of,” Ward noted. “You always pay attention in November. The good teams elevate. The teams that do not have the culture or the standards, that shows in how they finish.”

Finishing is exactly what ASU’s defense will need against Arizona, whose offense is riding a four-game winning streak and could enter the game ranked. Junior quarterback Noah Fifita has thrown for 2,677 yards with 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions. His offense ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring, while Arizona’s defense ranks fourth in points allowed and first in passing yards allowed. ASU will need discipline, quick adjustments, and the ability to shorten possessions.

Ward has faced Fifita three times and has seen him grow.

“The first year, he was a freshman, but he just got better and better,” Ward stated. “He had great talent around him, and he lit us up in that 12th game.”

Now Ward sees a quarterback fully confident, fully in command, and aware of what defenses are showing him. “He knows different systems. He is going to think he knows what we are going to be in based on our looks,” Ward noted. “So we have to change the pictures on him.”

That means disguising coverages, breaking tendencies, and making Fifita hesitate even for a half second. Ward also reminded his players to keep their emotions in check.

“Personal fouls come with lack of technique, lack of thought, and too much emotion,” Ward stated. “We are about being consistently good, not occasionally great.”

***

For junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, returning to the field felt like home. The top receiver’s three weeks on the sidelines due to a lower-body injury eventually came to an end when he rejoined his teammates in the victory over Colorado, and it soon became clear that nothing had diminished his motivation. He made an immediate impression against his old squad, grabbing two passes for 61 yards, including a 42-yard highlight.

It was a glimpse of why Tyson is projected as a top-ten pick next year and a reminder of the fire he brings into every game.

“Felt great, my man. Back out there with the guys. Definitely a blessing,” Tyson stated.

Admittedly, he was not quite at 100 percent, closer to 95, and he noted there was soreness afterward from the long time off the field.

“Just a long day of practice,” Tyson noted. “First time doing it in a while, so getting the body calloused up a little bit.”

Even at less than full strength, the focus was clear: finish the season strong with his team.

Tyson has faced setbacks before. He recalled how a collarbone injury against Arizona last year left him down and uncertain, but he relied on his work ethic and faith to guide him through recovery. That mindset shaped his approach to being on the sidelines during tough games.

“Dilly always talks about not being an energy vampire,” Tyson noted. “I was trying not to be down, trying to be up. Being who you’re around is what you’re going to be.”

Now back in action, Tyson is preparing for one of the season’s toughest challenges. Arizona’s secondary is elite, and he knows it will be difficult.

“Very good defense, very good DBs. They have no real holes. It’s going to be a tough one, but if we play our brand of football, we’re going to be straight,” Tyson stated.

The emphasis for Tyson is on execution, not intimidation, a calm confidence born of experience and preparation. Tyson has also stepped into a leadership role, giving his first pregame speech against Colorado.

“Just felt like I needed to say something,” Tyson noted. That ability to inspire and guide younger players is exactly what ASU is leaning on as it rounds into the final stretch of the season.

With the rivalry looming and Arizona presenting a formidable challenge, Tyson is clear-eyed about what matters most.

“Some guys are getting back, some aren’t, but it feels pretty good. We’ve got a good record, not where we want to be, obviously, but it’s about giving your all,” Tyson stated.