The Arizona State football team faced significant challenges right out of the gate. Coach Kenny Dillingham had a roster laden with newcomers, and the team faced a September with just one home game, unlike most peers feasting on nonconference cupcakes in their own venues.
The Sun Devils (2-1) survived a difficult two-game stretch: a game at Texas A&M, one of the toughest environments for visiting teams, followed by an overseas game against Kansas in the first Union Jack Classic at historic Wembley Stadium.
The results were what was expected: a loss to Texas A&M and a win over Kansas in the Big 12 opener.
The Sun Devils returned home Sept. 20 and have a week to regroup before facing Baylor on Oct. 3.
It is a much-needed respite.
Dillingham gave the
players a few days off, with a return to the field on Sept. 23 and 24. Then a break over the weekend before starting preparation for the Bears.
"It was a fun, awesome trip we got to be a part of, but I'm tired. Our players are going to be tired when we get home, Dillingham said, after his team finished off Kansas 24-17. "We need to get accustomed to our time zone. We need to get some rest."
After this, the Sun Devils will play nine straight weeks.
Dillingham stressed that the trip was a business affair, especially because it was a conference game. He said multiple times that the game wasn't necessarily beneficial from a football standpoint because it took his team out of a traditional schedule and created logistical challenges.
Still, he said the experience was a valuable one for his players, many of whom had never traveled to a foreign country.
After the game, he was asked what he would remember most about the excursion. He said he would wait to answer that because he wanted to hear more of the stories his players had to tell about their experience.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark spoke to the media at halftime and thanked both teams for leaning into the experience.
Dillingham said he had two requirements when he first discussed the game with ASU administrators. First, he wanted the coaching staff to be able to bring their families. Second, he also wanted to bring all 105 players, instead of a limited roster, which is typical of road games.
Dillingham thanked the ASU administration for not wavering on those two requests.
The team now faces challenges of a different nature — injuries.
Right guard Wade Helton went down with a leg injury in the Texas A&M game and is still on crutches. His replacement, Rob Lapuaho, was injured against Kansas. Tight end Khamari Anderson, who had just recovered from a broken leg sustained in April, went down with a leg injury and is likely out for the season.
Those are in addition to three players lost for the season before the first game.
Dillingham stopped short of citing that as a reason for the team's offensive struggles, but it's another challenge.
"It's not good when you're missing two starters, obviously," he said. "It's not ideal. That's not an excuse. We got to do a better job on offense."
He expects his team to rally.
"I like our guys," he said. "They put in a lot of work in the offseason. They play hard. There's a genuine bond. They hang out with each other, so I've got a lot of respect for our guys. I respect our football team."
First classic a success
Yormark said he was pleased with the attendance of 46,523 for the first-time event, particularly since it was not a Week 0 game, like most international contests. He added that the teams for next year's game will be announced in the next "one to two months."
He said the game was key to building the conference brand.
Yormark said 14% of the student-athletes in the conference are international. He added that 90% of the football players participating in the game did not previously have a passport, and that the game drew ticket buyers from 35 different countries.
Two players honored
Two Sun Devils earned Big 12 player of the week honors for their showing against Kansas. Linebacker Owen Long was named defensive player of the week, while wide receiver Jaren Hamilton was named special teams player of the week.
Long finished with 12 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. It was his first career interception, second forced fumble, and third fumble recovery. He now has 11 games with 10+ tackles in his career, though that was his first in an ASU uniform.
Hamilton returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, extending ASU’s lead to 17-7. It is the first kick return for a touchdown by a Sun Devil since D.J. Taylor took the opening kickoff to the house in Arizona State’s 70-7 win over Arizona on Dec. 11, 2020, and only the fifth by a Sun Devil since 2012.
Game time announced
Game times were announced on Oct. 3. Baylor at ASU will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Mountain America Stadium and will air on ESPN.
Arizona's home game against Cincinnati kicks off at 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Road-weary Arizona State football happy to be home in Tempe
