2025 Mississippi State football opponent preview: Arizona State

A year ago, Arizona State was making its Big 12 debut and was predicted to finish last in the conference standings. We all know how that played out.

The Sun Devils dominated Mississippi State in a Week 2 game last season (don’t let the final score fool you) on the way to winning the Big 12 Championship and receiving a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.

Now, though, nobody will be surprised if Arizona State is once again the Big 12 champion and gets a spot in the 12-team playoff.

The scary part is, the Sun Devils may be even better in 2025 than in 2024. Here’s a look at the Bulldogs’ second opponent of the season:

Offense

The good news is that Cam Skattebo is taking handoffs from Jaxson Dart in New York now. The bad news is that Sam Leavitt is still around and has one of the nation’s best receivers, Jordon Tyson, to throw to. Leavitt completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 2,885 passing yards for 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. The Sun Devils also return four starting offensive linemen from last year’s team. Arizona State’s offense was really good last year. It might be even better this season.

Defense

The Sun Devils face a similar situation on the defensive side of the ball. The unit returns nine starters from a team that allowed 22.6 points per game and 5.2 yards per play a year ago. Leading tackler Myles Rowser at safety is one of the returnees, as are cornerbacks Keith Abney II and Javon Robinson. Add in Purdue transfer Kyndrich Breedlove and Arizona State has one of the best secondaries in the nation.

Schedule

If life was fair, this game would’ve been scheduled at 11 a.m. Last season, the Bulldogs traveled to Arizona and the game didn’t end until midnight in Starkville. It would’ve been fair to make the Sun Devils play early in the morning (9 a.m. body clock). The Sun Devils should enter this game 1-0 after a season-opening game against Northern Arizona.

Outlook

Arizona State surprised everyone except themselves last season when it won the Big 12 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Sun Devils won’t be sneaking up on anyone this season and well-positioned to have even more success in 2025.

The Game

Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Location: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Miss.

The Team

Head Coach: Kenny Dillingham (14-12, 3rd season)
Offensive Coordinator: Marcus Arroyo (2nd season)
Defensive Coordinator: Brian Ward (2nd season)
2024 Record: 11-3 overall, 7-2 Big 12
2024 Rankings: No. 12 CFP; No. 7 AP; No. 7 Coaches

The School

Location: Tempe, Arizona
Founded: 1910
Enrollment: 57,144
Nickname: Sun Devils
School Colors: Maroon and gold
Mascot: Sparky the Sun Devil

The Program

Series History: 1-0, Arizona State
Last Meeting: Arizona State 30, Mississippi State 23 (2024)
Last Conference Title: 2024, Big 12
Last Bowl Game Win: Sun Bowl, def. Florida State 20-14 (2019)

The Schedule

August 30: vs. Northern Arizona
September 6: at Mississippi State
September 13: vs. Texas State
September 20: at Baylor*
September 26: vs. TCU*
October 11: at Utah*
October 18: vs. Texas Tech*
October 25: vs. Houston*
November 1: at Iowa State*
November 15: vs. West Virginia*
November 22: at Colorado*
November 29: vs. Arizona*

*Denotes a conference game