Previewing Key Players, Predicting Outcome of Arizona State-Arizona Rivalry

TEMPE -- In today's edition of the Sun Devils Insider Podcast, we take a look at game 12 of the regular season for the ASU team against their bitter rival in the Arizona Wildcats.

To listen to today's podcast, view below.

Below is a partial transcript from head coach Kenny Dillingham's Monday press conference.

On Offense’s Slow Starts to Season

“Well, one, we always defer so that, you know, we're probably going to get average a possession, a half to two possessions, and then two, we're not playing ground on offense. Point blank, the offense has been a disappointment this year for the most part. You know, it hasn't. It hasn't been firing at all cylinders for one way or another. We just haven't. We haven't clicked, especially early in games, we haven't clicked. And it's not even the ability to drive the football. You know, most games we've been driving the football pretty consistently. It's, you know, making one mistake which stops us.”

wfewefew — Aug 30, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) and Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates a touchdown in the fourth quarter between Arizona State Sun Devils and Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

On Selling Out Home Games for Full Season

“I mean, we sold out the entire season. I said it before. I mean, our fans have been unbelievable this year. Activating the valley, from that perspective, is 100% all in the casual fan. I mean, it's unreal. I mean, I don't think it's ever been done in the history and I'm okay, the stadium shrunk. I get all of it. Okay, cool. Well, we can't read not shrink it, so I don't know what to tell you, right?

But it's never not it's never been sold out before for an entire year. And that's unbelievable. I mean, that's the first step. Like I said, the buy in from the community is an essential piece in winning in college football, not just because the money behind it. You know, people are going to show up to the to the games, and their student athletes, players are going to say, oh my gosh, this place is awesome, and you're going to sign better players.”

vsv — Clouds form as the Arizona State Sun Devils take on the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 15, 2025. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Jordyn Tyson’s Leadership

“Yeah, I think he just realized how much he appreciates his teammates. I mean, when he was sitting out and he's like, Man, I want to play. I want to play. I want to play. I want to play. Then he gets everybody telling him, Oh, I think he's not trying to play on purpose, right? He hears all that noise and he's like, No, I want to play."

"Why do all these people think I don't want to play? I want to play like I'm doing everything I can play for these guys. And I think that emotion just kind of got to me. He's like, I want to make sure these guys know this isn't about me. I'm playing because I want to play with you guys like this is a team, and I want to do whatever I can to be on the field with you guys for as many games I have left. And it's just pretty cool to see his maturity and growth over the last few years is pretty special.”

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on major takeaways from the Sun Devils’ convincing win over Colorado in week 13 here.

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