Breaking Down Kenny Dillingham's Post Game Press Conference
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TEMPE -- Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham spoke with media on Saturday night following the Sun Devils' wire-to-wire 38-19 victory over Northern Arizona.
The Sun Devils did not win the game in a seamless manner, but they did control it from opening kickoff on - and that was enough.
Arizona State on SI breaks down some of the major themes of Dillingham's presser below.
Watch the full media availability here.
Sam Leavitt/Jordyn Tyson Duo is Special
Dillingham spoke about how he is amazed at what the duo can do on a daily basis between practices and games.
The head coach went on to lament on how special of a player and person Tyson is, while also commenting on the fact that Leavitt is his own toughest critic following the QB giving himself a C+ grade in terms of how he performed.
Leavitt and Tyson are simply on a different level as a pairing. Tyson is a twitchy athlete who can line up anywhere across the line of scrimmage, while also being able to win reps at all three levels of the field. Leavitt's awareness, ball placement, and play extension ability are all perfect complements to Tyson's skillset.
NAU's Defense Dictated Flow Of Game
Dillingham labeled NAU as an 'exotic' defense during the exchange - pointing to the fact that the Lumberjacks don't typically abandon their philosophies to double a player - even one of Tyson's caliber.
That made it simple for Arizona State to attack the obvious mismatch - one that catalyzed the offense enough to score five touchdowns.
The ultimate question will be surrounding whether the offense will feature more of transfers Jalen Moss and Jaren Hamilton in week two against a more standard, physical Mississippi State defense.
Dillingham is Pleased With RB Room
The Sun Devil trio of Kyson Brown, Raleek Brown, and Kanye Udoh have been at the center of much discussion over the course of this offseason - for clear reasons.
Cam Skattebo became a program legend over the course of just two seasons, becoming a key figure in the rise back to national relevance.
While Udoh was widely considered to be the frontrunner to replace Skattebo as the lead back last December, it was K.Brown who gained an advantage over spring camp due to familiarity with the offense amongst other factors.
All three managed to impress in the season opener - coach Dillingham certainly was a fan of what he saw.
"In terms of the running back room, you saw some explosive plays. You know, one of them got caled back, but that's what we saw in camp. That's what we were looking for. You know, a couple of those plays don't get called back... the dynamic of this game is different... I like where that room is at..."
K. Brown eclipsed Tyson's 142 receiving yards with 150 total yards of offense - including a massive 34-yard run on a fourth down early in the game, while also coming in second on the team in receiving yards at 72.
R. Brown scored the first touchdown of the season for the Sun Devils and nearly accounted for a 70-plus-yard receiving touchdown that was called back due to a penalty. The USC transfer thoroughly impressed in his own right.
Udoh made the most of his opportunity as well, producing a 19 yard run and catching a pass in a sign that he has rapidly adjusted to the offensive scheme change he has been faced with.
Outside of these major topics of discussion, Dillingham also commented on the rise of Jordan Crook to a legitimate leader/star on the team, along with gifting credit to the NAU program for growing into one that is to be taken seriously every week.
The next opportunity to see Arizona State in action is on Saturday - when the Sun Devils take on Mississippi State on the road.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.