Taking a Look at Arizona State's Path to Big 12 Championship

TEMPE -- In today's episode of the Arizona State Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at the current path the program has to reaching the Big 12 title game once again in 2025.

To listen to today's podcast, view below.

Below is a partial transcript of Sam Leavitt and Kenny Dillingham's dual press conference following Saturday's win.

Leavitt on Two-Minute Offense

"I don't know. I feel like we've always just been good at two minute. I don't know why. You know, it's not like we really do too much different. Kind of just clicks better. Because I feel like, you know, we kind of have to win. You know, this is a team. We compete in everything that we do now, like you said, we play Clash Royale, you know me and JT (Jordyn Tyson), always compete in everything.

You know, I'm at the game, I'm at the house, and I got a mini football and I'm taping this cardboard box with a target in my house, playing against all my buddies, like, just stuff like that. You know, when you get into those moments, it's just a situation you're comfortable with, and everything kind of clicks."

Dillingham on Program Culture

"It''s not me, it's what we what we are. We say, have more fun working harder than anybody in the country. You can't have fun and not work harder than anybody in the country. Doesn't work like that. You have to have more fun working harder than anybody in the country. And I lost that, and we had it back this week. And yeah, we'll never, ever long as I'm coaching, not practice to the physical level like we did this week. Again, it just won't happen."

Dillingham on Bouncing Back From Loss to Utah

"Yeah, I think, like I said, You gotta, you gotta just self reflect. You know, nobody's perfect, so the goal is, can't worry about what you didn't do as good as you want to do. It's frustrating, but you have to worry about how to fix problems, right? You just continually talking about a problem doesn't solve it. So I'm a big believer in like, finding problems and then what do you have to do to solve it? Like some people just like to complain, that's not a good way to get better. You got to find solutions to problems. So it beat me up. Beat me up a lot, but I sat down..."

March 30, 2022; Tempe, AZ, USA; ASU helmets during a practice at Kajikawa Practice fields. Football Asu Fb | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dillingham on Home Crowd

"Yeah, seen by many as a deflated loss is a nice way to put it. Should be seen by all, right? And for, one the fans to show up the way they did, our players to not cower. You know, when you have a loss like that, you can go down a rabbit hole.

A lot of people go down a rabbit hole, whether that's football or life, you can go down a lot rabbit hole in those moments. And our guys didn't go down a rabbit hole. We went live period three, and not one person flinched, like we had JT and rows are having collisions like in period three in practice, like nobody flinched. And that's what gave me a lot of confidence between them. And when this kid's taking snaps at quarterback, you can. You can have a lot of confidence."

Dillingham on Leavitt/Tyson

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates touchdown with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

"It's just a testament to the way I mean him and and Sam work. I mean they work, they care, they compare. They do everything they can to get on the field. JT is probably going to be up here at the crack of dawn tomorrow in the ice tub."

"I mean, that's what they do. I mean, this dude sitting next to me. I mean, I've never been around a guy who just works to try to win football games as much as he does on and off the field his body. I mean, he'll go I mean, he just does everything he can for this football team. And the biggest moments he makes the biggest plays."

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on three major takeaways from the win over Texas Tech here.

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