There won't be a Big 12 title for Arizona State football. And at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference, the Sun Devils have some work to do to salvage the rest of the season.
The next step comes as the Sun Devils return home to host Kansas State.
Coach Kenny Dillingham said his team needs to get back to doing what it has traditionally done well, but it has not succeeded lately.
“I'd just say the ability to stop the run and run the ball," Dillingham said recently. "It's something we've done really well here the last two years, and we're not stopping the run. We're not running the ball really well."
He said his team needs to be more physical.
"When I say that, it includes tackling, blocking, the fundamentals of the game to get you to run the ball and
stop the run," he said. "We're not doing that at a high enough level, and good football teams can stop the run and run the ball. That's something we've hung our hat on, and that's a primary thing that we've struggled with.”
Kansas State (4-1, 1-2) at Arizona State (3-3, 1-2)
Time/site: 12:45 p.m. MST, Saturday, Oct. 24, Mountain America Stadium.
TV: ESPN2, Jay Alter (Play-by-Play), Tom Luginbill (Analyst), Lauren Sisler (Sidelines). Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).
Series history: ASU leads the series 6-1, including a 5-0 mark in Tempe. This is Kansas State’s first visit to Tempe since 1989.
Last meeting: In 2024, ASU won 27-17 in Manhattan, Kansas.
Storylines
The teams have played just one common opponent. ASU defeated Kansas 24-17 in London on Sept. 19, while Kansas State beat Kansas 35-24 last week.
Quarterbacks will be the big talking point. Cutter Boley started the first six games for ASU, but Mikey Keene played the second half against Texas Tech. Rumor has it, Keene gets the nod for this one.
Kansas State also has a quarterback conundrum, as three-year starter Avery Johnson is listed as questionable with a sore non-throwing shoulder.
Coaching matchup
Kenny Dillingham, ASU (fourth year, 25-20: Dillingham, 36, was the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2024, the season when ASU won the conference championship.
Collin Klein, Kansas State (first year, 4-2): Klein, 37, is a former Heisman Trophy finalist and starting quarterback of the 2012 Big 12 Championship team. He is the first former K-State letterwinner to serve as head football coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975 through 1977.
Arizona State will win if . . .
It can run the ball: This looks like it will be the second time in the last 10 years that ASU has not had a 1,000-yard rusher. So far, it has been running back-by-committee. But the Sun Devils' ability to run the ball has been spotty, good at times, not good at others. Much depends on the offensive line, though, and that has been the bigger issue.
The quarterback manages the game: Reports say that Keene will get the start over Boley. Whoever starts needs to be efficient and manage the offense, and not turn the ball over, and hopefully that is good enough.
Converting on third downs and stopping third downs on defense: The Sun Devils rank 128th out of 138 schools in third-down conversion at 30.8% (24-for-78). That is last in the Big 12. One way to keep the defense off the field is to have time-consuming offensive drives, and that can't be done without third-down conversions. Defensively, ASU ranks 72nd, stopping the opponent on 32 of 85 attempts (37.6%).
Kansas State . . .
It continues to run the ball: The Wildcats average 239.8 yards on the ground, second in the conference to only West Virginia and sixth among all FBS schools. It has also been running back-by-committee for the Wildcats. Johnson is the leading rusher, followed closely by Rodney Fields (386 yards) and Joe Jackson (354 yards). Jackson is coming off a 159-yard showing in last week's win over Kansas.
Stops the run: This has been a problem area so far. The Wildcats are 15th in the conference, allowing 160 yards per game on the ground. It allowed 168 yards last week to Kansas.
Wins the takeaway battle: ASU has not done well when coming out on the short end here, so if Kansas State does better, it would go a long way toward a win. Kansas State is 10th in the Big 12 and 96th overall in turnover margin, while ASU is 13th in the conference and 109th.
Injury report
Arizona State: DL My'Keil Gardner, TE Khamari Anderson, LB Zyrus Fiaseu, DB Nigel Pringle, SS Lyrik Rawls, WR Harry Hassmann, DB Jalen Williams are out. OL Luke Baklenko is doubtful. OL Wade Helton, OL Xander Ruggeroli, WR Plas Johnson are questionable
Kansas State: QB Avery Johnson, QB Blake Barnett, TE Garrett Oakley are questionable.
By the numbers
1 — First downs in coverage allowed by ASU's Jessiah McGrew. That is tied for the third-lowest total in the FBS. His three receptions allowed are tied for third-lowest among Big 12 safeties.
8 —Touchdown receptions this season for ASU's Reed Harris. Harris has 653 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions through ASU's first six games.
24 —Quarterback pressures by Jalen Thompson this season, which is tied for first in the Big 12 and 16th in the country.
462 —Yards Kansas State QB Avery Johnson has rushed for on only 51 carries, good for a 9.1-yard average. He leads all qualified quarterbacks nationally in rushing average this season and is 3.0 yards per carry better than the next-best Power 4 signal caller (South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers).
They said it
Dillingham on Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson: "Obviously, he signed there to play for Coach Klein. I was actually recruiting versus him for Avery for three years. I think he's playing his best football yet. He's taking care of the football. He's getting the ball down the field. He's playing under control. He's moving the pocket."
Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo on working through tough stretches: "The biggest thing we've been trying to explain is there's going to be setbacks. It may be a small setback, it may be a bigger setback, it may be longer. These guys have to understand the urgency and opportunity and the chance to be tough and resilient. I think the unwavering ability we have as a staff and a program to be able to look these guys in the eyes and be up front and lead is the ultra piece to what we've got as a group."
Who will win and why
Arizona State 28, Kansas State 21: ASU plays well at home. A quarterback change may be just what this team needs.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Will a quarterback change boost Arizona State against Kansas State?
