Three Questions Arizona State Must Answer Against Baylor in Big 12 Matchup

What's the diagnosis for the 2026 Arizona State Sun Devils? It's hard to tell.

A 70-7 opener, a bizarre ending in SEC territory and a sloppy win in London leave Kenny Dillingham's team in an interesting position.

Now, in Week 5, the Devils have their best litmus test of the season. A 3-1 Big 12 foe in Tempe, under the lights, after a bye week.

The safety net is now removed in conference play. With nine straight games staring the Sun Devils in the face, a strong showing at home may be the perfect kickstart.

To achieve this, however, ASU will need to answer some questions that have followed them throughout the two-week hiatus:

Can Boley Deliver Downfield?

It was a victory in London for the Sun Devils two weeks back, but it was not via success on the offensive side of the ball.

Turnovers, special teams and field position saved ASU on a day when QB Cutter Boley finished 11-for-23 for 95 yards.

Dillingham would go on to shoulder the blame for the offensive struggles, calling out his conservative playcalling and his lack of player involvement.

"We have enough guys who can help us. And like I said, I've done a very, very bad job offensively getting guys involved." Dillingham told the media in his bye-week press conference.

Is the blame on Dillingham? Or Boley? The transfer QB finished with just 4.7 yards per pass attempt against Kansas. In second halves this season, his completion percentage drops over 10% from his first-half average, with only four successful throws over 15 yards (In first halves, he has 13).

This Saturday, there will be no London rain or jet lag, just Dillingham's offense after two weeks of preparation. If it's a close score late in the ballgame and the offense comes up short, questions about the offense will quickly turn into major concerns.

Which Tight End Will Step Up?

This will be ASU's first game since the news of TE1 Khamari Anderson's season-ending injury. Which ASU tight end will step up in his absence?

If this week's practice is any indication, all signs point to sophomore A.J. Ia.

At six-foot-six and 265 pounds, Ia garnered quite the buzz when he committed to ASU in 2024, but has been waiting for his breakout moment in maroon and gold through one season and three games.

However, in Wednesday evening's practice for ASU, the Santa Ana native turned plenty of heads, including Kenny Dillingham's.

"That could've been his best practice as a Sun Devil, from a physicality standpoint," Dillingham said. "Everyone knows he can catch the ball and do all those things, but the thing about AJ is, I've challenged him a lot. He's never once shied away from it, he's always accepted the challenge, he just tries to get better. He's really been getting better, better and better. Today (Wednesday), physicality- wise, up front, blocking, was his best day as a Sun Devil."

Blocking has been the one setback for Ia, being more of a receiving tight end, as Dillingham mentioned. Blocking will also now come at a premium with Anderson now out, being one of the best blockers for the Sun Devils in his two years with ASU.

Names like James Giggey and Anthony Miller sit behind Ia on the TE depth chart, and while the two may have a slight edge on A.J. in the blocking department as of now, the ceiling for Ia appears to be much higher.

"That kid can play on Sundays, he can play for as long as he wants," Dillingham said.

Whether it's catching in the passing game or blocking in the run game, expect Ia to be a factor against Baylor this Saturday.

Is ASU's Defensive Success Sustainable?

ASU DC Brian Ward's defense was the talk of London town two weeks ago, effectively winning the game for the Sun Devils with three turnovers.

Takeaways seem to be the name of the game for ASU through three games. Three red zone turnovers kept Kansas off the scoreboard, including a 75-yard runback to help their struggling offense find the end zone. Against Texas A&M, S Lyrik Rawls came down with an interception to open the second half, giving the Devils their best momentum of the afternoon.

But outside of the turnovers, the numbers aren't as pleasing. ASU is third in the Big 12 in points allowed per game, fourth in rushing yards allowed, and third-to-last in sacks.

An important stat for Week 5? ASU allows an average of 161.3 passing yards per game, the second- least in the conference. Baylor sports a pass-heavy offense, sitting fourth in passing yards. Something has to give on Saturday.

While the offense will try to fix its problems, the defense will try to keep its hot start going. The aforementioned litmus test will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Arizona Time from Mountain America Stadium.

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