ASU Head Coach Kenny Dillingham Provides Sam Leavitt, Practice Updates

TEMPE -- Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham spoke with media on Tuesday following his Monday press conference, gifting a brief update on QB Sam Leavitt, discussing the raised intensity of practice, and more.

To watch the full availability, view below.

Below is a partial transcript of Dillingham's Monday press conference - which covered many topics that currently are relevant.

On Run Defense Moving Forward

“I told the guys, we've been one of the best run defenses in the country for a year and a half. That's our culture. If we're gonna let one game dictate our culture, right? Like, I don't know, like we got to stay true to what we have proven to do in the last 17 games, or not the 18th or the last 17. In the last 17 games, we've usually won a lot of scrimmage, majority of the majority of the game. We've won a lot of scrimmage, if you can't let one game versus a team that runs a triple option, that did a phenomenal job in that triple option, affect how we play football.”

On Next Man Up Mentality

“Well, just because you know next man up, that doesn't mean you're going to get the equal production. Next man up is not like players are players. They're people. Some have better skill sets than others at certain things. So the term next man up is just the term of, yeah, that's the new guy. Let's Let's rock and roll in terms of, like, how they go about their business, repairing that's where the leaders can really step up. Like, hey, we need you to come up on this day…”

On Texas Tech RB Cameron Dickey

“Yeah, physical runner will run you over, will run through you. Great contact balance. So I think when you have the ability to run through you and have great contact balance, if you try to take him on, not square, or you don't try to tackle him, he's gonna bounce off you, alright? So you have to be able to tackle him, but he's gonna run through you sometimes, and he's gonna make you miss others. So I think the balance of his physicality, his pad level, and his ability to have great contact balance is what makes really, really good running backs…”

On Kyson Brown’s Health

“He kind of tweaked it, obviously the rain and having an ankle, that was something that, like, he practiced all week, so he was fine, but there it was, like, man, that's not the best move for him. I don't really have much to say with that, but because he was cleared practicing right and wrong. So yeah, maybe I don't know exactly what he should have been listed on, because he was available in the game, though, like, he could have played in the game…”

On Texas Tech HC Joey McGuire

“Yeah. I mean, he's had a lot of success playing winning football games at all levels. A lot of respect for him. He's a really good person. His wife's a really, really nice lady. Met her a few times at some of these head coaching events. So I've got a lot of respect for him. I mean, where this program is now? I mean, this program as a whole is all in I in.

And you know, he's all in. He's done a phenomenal job building a roster and building a football team, but they're definitely a program that's all in. They're definitely all in to win now. They're definitely all in to win in the future with the types of investments they're making. So, yeah, I got nothing but respect for him. I think he does a phenomenal a phenomenal job. He's he's a really good person.”

Read more about Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley speaking directly to fans ahead of the start of the 2025 season here, and on three major takeaways from the 42-10 loss to Utah here.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!