The Arizona State football team is coming off an embarrassing 55-19 loss to Big 12 foe Baylor. It has one more week to remedy its issues as the Sun Devils round out nonconference play against visiting Hawaii, a Mountain West Conference opponent.
Coach Kenny Dillingham needs a better showing in every aspect of the game.
“We just have to play our best game," he said. "We have to play our best game. I have to coach my best game. I have to have my best week. I have to focus on the things that matter, which are effort and passion, running to the football, being the team that, in a shoving match, shoves last.
"I know it sounds like you want to be the hammer. Right now, the teams that I've coached, I feel like we have been a team that's been more of the hammer than
the nail, and we have to become the hammer."
Hawaii (1-4) at Arizona State (2-2)
Time/site: 7:30 p.m. MT, Saturday, Oct. 10, Mountain America Stadium.
TV: FS1 (Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst). Radio: ESPN 620 AM. (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).
Series history: ASU leads 5-2, although Hawaii has won the last two.
Last meeting: Hawaii defeated ASU 41-24 in 2006 in the Hawaii Bowl. Hawaii scored 38 second-half points, and quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 559 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Jason Rivers also set a program single-game and FBS bowl record with 308 receiving yards on 14 receptions.
Storylines
Both teams are looking to get right before the heart of their conference schedule. ASU has lost two of its last three games, while Hawaii has lost its last two.
ASU's showing last week was so disheartening that coach Kenny Dillingham handed off offensive play-calling duties, a responsibility he's held since last year's Sun Bowl. The job now goes back to offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo.
The Warriors are 32-57 all-time against current Big 12 schools, with their last win over a team in the conference coming in 2020 when they beat Houston, 28-14, in the New Mexico Bowl. Hawaii won two games against power conference opponents in 2025, beating Stanford in the season opener before knocking off California in the Hawaii Bowl. It has lost its last 18 away games against Power Four opponents, with its last win coming in a 2009 victory over Washington State at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Warriors have not won a true road game against a power conference school since 1994, when they beat Cal 21-7 in Berkeley.
Coaching matchup
Kenny Dillingham, ASU (fourth year, 23-19): Dillingham, 36, is known for his offensive expertise, most notably with quarterbacks. He was the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2024, the season when ASU won the conference championship.
Timmy Chang, Hawaii (fifth year, 23-33): Chang, 44, excelled at quarterback at Hawaii from 2000 to 2004. He was with three NFL teams, including a brief stint with the Cardinals in training camp in 2005. He also played in the Canadian Football League. He was a position coach at Nevada for five years before returning to his alma mater.
Hawaii will win if . . .
It gets off to a good start: A strong start by the visitors can take the home crowd out of a game. Hawaii has struggled early in games, though, averaging just 6.4 points in the first half. The Rainbow Warriors rank 122nd or worse among 138 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in scoring, red-zone touchdowns, and first-half points per game. Despite those struggles, Hawaii has either led or been within one possession in the fourth quarter in four of its five games.
It disrupts the line of scrimmage: The Sun Devils have not always been able to adapt when the opponent disrupts the line of scrimmage. The offensive front is ASU's weak spot, so Hawaii would be wise to get a pass rush and try to flush Boley out of the pocket.
QB Micah Alejado has a good day: The strength of the Hawaii team lies in its quarterback and wide receiver combination. In three years at Hawaii, Alejado has thrown for 5,052 yards and 34 touchdowns with only 12 interceptions. He is at 1,361 yards already this season. Top wide receiver Pofele Ashlock (knee) is out, but Tama Uiliata and Kainoa Carvalho are picking up the slack.
Arizona State will win if . . .
It executes on defense: Missed tackles were one of last week's biggest problems, and it was surprising. The Sun Devils allowed way too much yardage after the catch, and a handful came on crucial third-down situations. Communication was singled out by Dillingham, who said there were missed assignments because players were not on the same page.
The offensive line holds up: Most offensive issues start at the line of scrimmage. ASU has given up eight sacks in four games, which isn't awful, but they've had too much pressure. More often than not, Boley hasn't had a clean pocket to work from.
Wins the takeaway battle: The Sun Devils have accomplished this in only one of four games so far. They are 121st out of 138 teams in turnover margin, with just four takeaways (two fumble recoveries, two interceptions) and eight turnovers lost.
Injury report
Arizona State: S Lyrik Rawls, TE Khamari Anderson, S Maurice Williams, DB Jalen Williams, OL Marquis Uni, OL Brent Helton, LB Zyrus Fiaseu, CB Nigel Pringle, and DL MyKeil Gardner are out. OL Wade Helton is questionable.
Hawaii: WR Pofele Ashlock and WR Robert Hayes IV are out. WR Carson Brown, WR Tre Griffiths, WR Audric Harris, TE Anthony Hickman, QB Isaac Jaramilla-Phe, TE Oakie Salave'a, WR Jarvis Heumli are questionable.
By the numbers
10 — Consecutive home sellouts for Arizona State. That streak dates back to the final game of the 2024 season.
11 — National ranking for ASU's Reed Harris total receiving yards (499). Harris also has 11 receptions for more than 20 yards through ASU’s first four games — good for third in the FBS and first in the Big 12.
15 —Number of Hawaii players who have made their first career starts at any level of college football thisyear — the third-most of any FBS team.
164 — Penalty yards for Arizona State this season. Those 164 yards are on 21 calls, which rank as the sixth-fewest among all FBS schools. Only North Carolina, Rutgers, Indiana, Notre Dame, and Kansas State were called for fewer.
1,615 — Career snaps played by ASU defensive tackle C.J. Fite. That is the fifth-most among active interior linemen inthe FBS over the last three-plus seasons.
They said it
ASU quarterback Cutter Boley: "There are a lot of areas we need to grow in, get better in. We have a lot of MA's (missed assignments), me personally. We just have to get better in a number of areas. We're so close. They're so easily fixable. We're right there. Not a person on this team has lost an ounce of confidence."
ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo on Cutter Boley: “He's played well. I don't think he's played his best ball. I think he's done some things well. There are a lot of things the quarterback is in control of, a lot of things we have to help the quarterback with, we as a team. Calls. Fronts. Protections. Routs. Catching Balls. Things like that. Being in the right place at the right time. It's all connected."
Hawaii coach Timmy Chang, on a tough stretch for his team: "Tough losses, tough times. (Gotta) dig down deep. Character check. Doing all the right things. Being the right person. Actions, words, all the things that you develop through life and growing up. Some of these guys, this is their first time (facing) adversity in some cases, and so (it's a) great learning lesson and a great way to understand how to attack it."
Who will win and why
Arizona State 35, Hawaii 14: This is a game ASU can and should win, convincingly. It needs a decisive win to build momentum heading into a tough stretch and restore faith in a fan base disheartened by the last loss.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State vs Hawaii. How the teams match up and who will win
