Arizona State Report Card vs Mississippi State

The Sun Devils' performance on Saturday was a mixed bag.

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) reacts with quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils are now 1-1 on the season and are no longer ranked in the top 25 of the nation after a comeback effort that fell short against Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 17-0 lead by the early portion of the second quarter by virtue of a touchdown drive that spanned just over one minute of game time to begin the game, along with a rowdy crowd that threw the Arizona State offense off rhythm, and a dominant defensive showing that backed the crowd's energy up.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham is now going to be tasked with preparing his team to defeat Texas State this coming Saturday - after a series of moments that potentially exposed holes on the roster that weren't previously known.

Arizona State on SI dives, handing out grades for key aspects of the game that were in the loss in Starkville - from coaching to performances of both units within the team.

Offense: C-

The Sun Devil offense would have been an unmitigated disaster if not for a massive second-half effort from running back duo Kanye Udoh and Raleek Brown.

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) runs the ball for first down during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo adjusted in near-perfect fashion at halftime, which resulted in the team rushing for 251 yards on nearly five yards per attempt.

Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh both passed 100 yards individually, leading a nine-minute-long drive that nearly won the game for the Sun Devils.

Jordyn Tyson had a solid game as well, save for a key drop on third down. Sam Leavitt appeared to be shaken nearly all game - and threw the game-sealing interception with under 30 seconds remaining.

Overall, this was likely the weakest performance from the Arizona State offense since a loss to Cincinnati last October.

Defense: C

Brian Ward's defense largely did an exemplary job in defending Mississippi State - save for three touchdown plays that exceeded 45 yards on each trip to the end zone.

The other 60 plays that were run by Mississippi State managed to muster just over three yards per play, but the three most significant moments of the game sank them to defeat.

Some questionable decisions were made in the process of the game - such as opting to continue to utilize cover zero concepts in key moments and playing Javan Robinson over Rodney Bimage Jr. in key moments.

Texas State scored 43 points in a win over UTSA last week - that is a tidbit for DC Brian Ward and the rest of the staff to pay attention to moving into the upcoming battle.

Run Defense: A+

Mississippi State took 30 carries for 66 yards - for an average of 2.2 yards per carry. Arizona State DT tandem C.J. Fite and Jacob Rich Kongaika were instrumental in stopping a dynamic backfield that was expected to throw a massive wrinkle into the matchup.

Zyrus Fiaseu and Keyshaun Elliott also deserve mentions for flying around the field at the off-ball linebacker spots - the gap integrity and tackling in the short game were not reasons why the Sun Devils lost the game.

Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu (30) during workouts at Kajikawa Practice fields in Tempe on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillingham: C

Dillingham did not have his finest moment in the loss to Mississippi State - he has been the first to admit as much.

Sep 6, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts toward an official during the second quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The third-year head coach moved to 15-13 during his tenure in Tempe, with the loss. He was open about his own shortcomings during the game, such as not finding ways to ease Leavitt into the game within a hostile environment.

Moving forward, Arizona State will have to channel the talent and depth on both sides of the ball on a more consistent basis - if any coaching staff can figure out the potential challenges facing the roster, it is Dillingham's.

Arizona State is set to play conference play on September 20 on the road against Baylor, before returning home against Texas Christian the following Friday.

Read more on major takeaways from Arizona State's week two loss here, and on diving into coach Dillingham's comments after the game here.

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