Iced out for our @Big12Conference debut 🥶#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/6N16Nq5Yvs

— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 19, 2024

ASU’s white jerseys feature maroon squad numbers outlined in gold, with Adidas and Big 12 logos on the left and right front side of the jerseys, respectively. In between the logos, the collar of the jerseys have a PT42 patch on it as a tribute to former Sun Devil Pat Tillman.

The pants have a large pitchfork on the right thigh, similar to Week 3’s jerseys but in white instead of gold. The team helmet will feature two maroon pitchforks on the sides of the helmet.

Texas Tech will wear all red jerseys with a black helmet for Saturday’s game. The Red Raiders’ name and player numbers are threaded in white with Big 12 and Adidas logos on the left and right side of the jersey.

Between the logos, the collar of the jersey has a Texas Tech logo on it. The pants have a white stripe on the sides.

Laser focused 💯

Game 4 uniform combo.#WreckEm | #TeamAdidas pic.twitter.com/LIKTgnOUkt

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 19, 2024

Raider Power ⚫️🔴🔴 pic.twitter.com/hiJGM3J6xR

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 19, 2024

The team helmet features a red and white stripe printed from the front to the back with the Texas Tech logo just below the stripe.

TEMPE — Arizona State and Cam Skattebo meeting Texas Tech and Tahj Brooks on Saturday will serve as an appetizer for the elite running back matchups to expect in the Big 12.

“You’re not a 1,000-yard rusher on accident. He’s absolutely dynamic,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said of Brooks. “When you look at the stats, the fact that he’s back is huge for them. Someone we’ve gotta control, gotta contain.”

For ASU entering its Big 12 debut, Skattebo has opened the season as the workhorse of all workhorses leading the nation with 68 rushing attempts through three weeks. Brooks has had similar usage on a per-game basis (44 total attempts) but missed the Red Raiders’ lone loss against Washington State in Week 2.

In both games he’s played, Brooks ran for more than 100 yards with a touchdown. He produced 1,541 yards last season and has been Texas Tech’s leading rusher for three straight seasons.

Red Raiders offensive coordinator Zach Kittley loves to establish the running back early to open up play action. All four of Texas Tech’s passing touchdowns in a Week 3 win over North Texas came off play action, with Brooks laying the wood on some key blocks.

Kittley has called Brooks the best pass-protecting running back he’s ever been around, and ASU defensive coordinator Brian Ward said it’s an element the Sun Devils must be prepared for.

asu defensive coordinator brian ward said going against tahj brooks in pass pro is “like trying to run through a block of granite.” pic.twitter.com/24c3qpvIFP

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 19, 2024

With Skattebo looking to keep an exceptional start to his season going, the Red Raiders’ staff had their own top-notch running back to prepare for.

“I don’t know how you say it, but I know he’s a bad man,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire told reporters after mispronouncing the running back’s name (it’s Skatte-BOO).

Skattebo is sixth nationally among running backs in yards after contact (258), according to Pro Football Focus. Among those six, he has the second-most rushes of 10-plus yards with 11.

“He’s in a lot of ways a lot like Tahj,” Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “When he gets one-on-ones, there’s not many guys that get him down and there’s no yardage. You better have a gang of guys there tackling because he’ll run through people.”

The matchup is a chance for the ASU rushing attack to establish itself as one of the best in the conference.

“I feel like every game for us is a statement game,” center Leif Fautanu said. “I feel like we try to put out the best film that we can, and this week we’ve got a good opportunity to put some yards on the ground. But again it just starts off with doing our job.”

After dealing with Brooks this week, the running back matchups don’t get much easier for Arizona State with Kansas’ Devin Neal and Utah’s Micah Bernard the next two on deck. Neal has reached the century mark in all three games, while Bernard has done so against both FBS opponents Utah has faced.

After a second bye week, more challenging running back matchups come with preseason conference player of the year Ollie Gordon II of Oklahoma State and UCF’s R.J. Harvey, a top-three rusher in the nation.

After giving up 134 rushing yards in the win over Texas State, the ASU rushing defense dropped from one of the best in the nation to sixth in the Big 12. This matchup with Brooks and Texas Tech should provide a clearer expectation for how ASU will hold up throughout conference play.

Former Arizona State TE Jalin Conyers facing old team

Tight end Jalin Conyers, now with Texas Tech, was among the most important players for Arizona State in Dillingham’s first season, making an impact with his versatility last season.

In addition to catching 30 passes for 362 yards with limited quarterback play, Conyers ran 22 times and completed five passes last year.

Through three games with his new team, he has again taken snaps at quarterback and in the backfield, according to PFF. However, it’s much more of an orthodox tight end role than at ASU, where more than 13% of his snaps came at quarterback.

Dillingham said playing closer to family was a big factor in Conyers’ decision, one the coach fully supported.

kenny dillingham raved about jalin conyers and his move to texas tech … after he gave us some grief for forgetting to ask pic.twitter.com/9ZFtr2F7KG

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 17, 2024

McGuire said Conyers is excited for the matchup, and Kittley said he planned to speak with the tight end about the ASU defense.

The Sun Devils expect to start six defensive newcomers on Saturday, so Conyers’ familiarity will only be so helpful.

ASU, meanwhile, has a former Red Raider on its roster in starting right guard Cade Briggs. He was Texas Tech’s backup center in 2022 and appeared in two games before arriving in Tempe last year.

How to watch, listen to Arizona State football vs. Texas Tech

The Sun Devils match up against the Red Raiders at 12:30 p.m. MST in Lubbock.

You can listen to play-by-play on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 or 98.7 FM-HD 2, with pregame coverage beginning at 10 a.m. MST. FS1 will have the TV broadcast.

Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham has created some headlines this year. His candid honesty and humor come out in front of cameras.

Usually, it’s helpful for ASU football.

We’re not sure if the latest instance counts. Dillingham spoke pretty glowingly of the atmosphere at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, to start the week of preparation before the Sun Devils’ first official Big 12 game.

It was so complimentary that the head coach’s press conference was twisted by the Red Raiders to act as a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

Red Raider Nation, you have a reputation to uphold.

BE THERE AND BE LOUD.

🎟️ » https://t.co/KOZxCTbv1v pic.twitter.com/W1yelmuq6A

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 18, 2024

Whoops!

Dillingham was asked Friday on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta about his words getting layered over some Red Raider hype. It sounded like there’s an inkling of regret.

“Yeah, uh, don’t really have a comment there,” Dillingham said playfully. “It’s a great environment. I guess they liked what I had to say about the environment.

“Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much. It was to hype us up! Not them!”

Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham accidentally created a voiceover for a Texas Tech hype video.

"Hopefully, I didn’t hype their fan base up too much," he said.

Listen to Dillingham's full visit with @Bickley_Marotta ahead of ASU's first ever Big 12 game:… pic.twitter.com/hBgp5lmW70

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

How did Kenny Dillingham end up creating a voiceover for the Texas Tech hype video?

Dillingham on Monday was asked a rather innocuous question about Arizona State entering its first conference game as a new member of the Big 12.

He ended up diving into the game day details for the Red Raiders’ home. That includes a tortilla toss, a practice with a few origin stories.

“This will go down in literal history. Very few times in sports do you get to accomplish a first. Like a real first,” Dillingham said Monday. “Not a crazy first. A real first. … It’ll be remembered forever as ASU’s first Big 12 game.

“The crowd there, I’m very excited for the tortillas — I’ve heard that there’s tortillas that get thrown around. I’m excited for it because it’s a challenge, but it’s what college football is supposed to be. We walk out underneath the band, is where I was told our entrance is. A college band on the road, it’s going to be loud. Their fans are diehard fans, it’s a college town. It’s going to be an unbelievable environment to play in. I think that’s the exciting part about joining the Big 12.”

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Brown is listed as the Sun Devils’ third-string running back on the latest depth chart with an “OR” alongside him, senior DeCarlos Brooks and junior Alton McCaskill. Thamel reports Brooks “should return” after he did not play against Texas State.

Through three games, 68 of the 103 carries among the running backs have gone to Cam Skattebo. Brooks has the second-most with 14.

Brown has two of those carries for one yard this season, making his ASU debut in the Texas State matchup after missing the first two games. The sophomore transfer from USC had 42 carries for 227 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2022.

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Arizona State defensive back Cole Martin is done for the remainder of the 2024 season with a hip injury, head coach Kenny Dillingham announced on Wednesday.

The Oregon transfer had been ASU’s backup nickel to Shamari Simmons, and he made four tackles with one pass breakup over the first two games of the season.

“He’s gonna get surgery on a few items that have just been lingering since he got here, it was before he got here,” Dillingham said. “He’s been trying to push through it, he’s a really tough kid. It had just come to a point where we got to get him right.”

Martin, a Basha High School alum who previously attended Hamilton, played all 14 games for the Ducks last season as a true freshman. He racked up 21 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed. The sophomore was a consensus four-star recruit out of Basha and a boost to ASU’s secondary coming in.

Dillingham said freshman Kyan McDonald will be the backup nickel in Martin’s stead — Macen Williams, who entered the year contending for snaps at nickel, retired before Week 1.

“Super smart, super savvy, just where he’s supposed to be,” Dillingham said of McDonald. “He picked the ball off yesterday, last week he had a pick in 7-on-7, just a guy who is around the ball a lot.”

McDonald was a three-star prospect out of O’Dea High School in Seattle.

Simmons has been one of the brightest spots on the defense this season with 18 tackles — three for a loss — and a forced fumble through three games.

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The Hall announced 167 modern-era candidates for the class on Wednesday, which included 16 players nominated for the first time, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern-era candidates.

There will also be three senior candidates, grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting.

Arizona connections in the Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee class

Suggs, who went to Hamilton High School in Chandler and then Arizona State for college, was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.

Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.

He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in 2019, splitting time with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped the latter win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

The other first-time candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil and Joe Staley; running back Darren Sproles; receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.

Bethea played for the Cardinals from 2017-18 before finishing his career in 2019 with the Giants.

Fellow former Cardinal and receiver Anquan Boldin returns as a nominee after he tallied 7,520 receiving yards — out of 13,779 for his entire NFL career — with Arizona from 2003-09.

Boldin was a semifinalist in last year’s class.

Pass rushers Simeon Rice (1996-2000) and John Abraham (2013-14), plus kicker Jeff Feagles (1994-97) are among other candidates who spent time with the Cardinals in their careers.

There are also 10 players back under consideration who were finalists a year ago with tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; defensive lineman Jared Allen; and running back Fred Taylor back on the list.

Woodson went to Phoenix’s Maryvale High School and played his college ball at Arizona State (1988-1992).

The Arizona Wildcats are represented by linebackers Tedy Bruschi (1995) and Lance Briggs (2003), who were both third-round picks out of college.

The top new names on the list

Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.

He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.

Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t eligible.

Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.

His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.

Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.

Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).

Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.

He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.

He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.

Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.

Yanda was a member of the 2010s all-decade team as a key of Baltimore’s success. He also was selected second-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his final seasons, missing in 2017 when he played only two games of an injury.

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2025 class candidates

QUARTERBACKS (10): Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Steve McNair, Tony Romo

RUNNING BACKS (31): Shaun Alexander, Terry Allen, Jamal Anderson, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Charlie Garner, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, John Kuhn (FB), Vonta Leach, Dorsey Levens, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Glyn Milburn (also WR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Clinton Portis, Tony Richardson (FB), Robert Smith, Darren Sproles (also PR/KR), Fred Taylor*, Chris Warren, Ricky Watters, Ricky Williams

WIDE RECEIVERS (21): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Antonio Freeman, Irving Fryar, Torry Holt*, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Andre Rison, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Demaryius Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne*, Wes Welker, Roddy White

TIGHT ENDS (6): Ben Coates, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates*, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley Walls

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (26): Willie Anderson* (T), Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (G), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Lincoln Kennedy (T), Olin Kreutz (C), T.J. Lang (G/T), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Mark Schlereth (G/C), Josh Sitton (G), Chris Snee (G), Joe Staley (T), Dave Szott (G), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (18): John Abraham (DE also LB), Jared Allen* (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Casey Hampton (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Chester McGlockton (DT), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Clyde Simmons (DE/DT), Justin Smith (DE), Neil Smith (DE), Henry Thomas (DT/NT), Justin Tuck (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Jamal Williams (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT), Pat Williams (DT)

LINEBACKERS (20): Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cornelius Bennett, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall

DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): Eric Allen* (CB), Eric Berry (DB), Antoine Bethea (S), Dré Bly (DB), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (DB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison* (S), Eugene Robinson (DB), Samari Rolle (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Bob Sanders (S), Aqib Talib (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Darren Woodson* (S)

PUNTERS/KICKERS (15): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Darren Bennett (P), Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Pat McAfee (P), Brian Moorman (P), Matt Stover (K), Matt Turk (P), Mike Vanderjagt (K), Adam Vinatieri (K)

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB)

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The increase announced Tuesday morning in an email to season-ticket holders notes a new 10% talent fee for all invoices to “help fund the proposed revenue share” for athletes and help Tennessee attract and keep the best talent. A video link features athletic director Danny White explaining the reason for the price hike per seat across Neyland Stadium.

“As the collegiate model changes, we have to remain flexible,” White said of the price hike, which includes a 4.5% increase on top of the 10% talent fee. “We have to continue leading the way. That connection between resources and competitiveness has never been tighter. Only now we have the ability to share these resources with our athletes. We can generate revenue that will go directly to our players. This will give our teams the best chance to be successful and bring championships home to Rocky Top.”

The increase comes with Tennessee off to a 3-0 and ranked sixth in the AP Top 25.

The announcement also includes a link to updates on talks between the NCAA and major college conferences trying to settle three antitrust lawsuits related to athlete compensation for name, image and likeness. They have a settlement agreement in place to pay $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of college athletes, dating back to 2016.

At a hearing last week, the federal judge overseeing those cases declined to grant preliminary approval of the deal and kicked it back to attorneys to address her concerns with certain aspects of the agreement.

The NCAA changed its rules in 2021 to allow athletes to cash in on their fame through sponsorship and endorsement deals after decades of prohibition.

Tennessee has been working to be at the front of the changing landscape supporting athletes. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was a prized recruit who signed with the NIL collective supporting Tennessee athletes, the Volunteer Club founded by Spyre Sports Group. It was among the first and most well-organized to emerge around the country after the NCAA lifted its ban on athletes making money off their fame.

That deal prompted a meeting between NCAA investigators and Tennessee officials in January followed by a scathing letter from Chancellor Donde Plowman to NCAA President Charlie Baker. She ripped the NCAA for creating “extraordinary chaos” by failing to provide clear rules for name, image and likeness for both universities and athletes.

The attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA a day after Plowman’s letter was released. A federal judge granted the AGs a preliminary injunction Feb. 23 barring the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules.

White cited NIL for creating an even closer connection between resources and competitive success. Tuesday’s announcement notes the current settlement projections could take effect as early as July 1, and the athletic director said Tennessee wants to be as transparent as possible with a fan base that has helped build the nation’s best athletic department. White said the ticket fee is a big key to continuing that success.

“We want to be a leader in college sports. that means we want to be a leader in revenue sharing,” White said. “We want to have the very best experience for our athletes right here on Rocky Top.”

White, whose latest contract extension was announced in August, credited fans for selling out 102,000 seats at Neyland Stadium for a third straight year with a waiting list of 15,000 for season tickets. He said that comes as other programs around the country are talking about downsizing stadiums that they can’t fill. Tennessee fans can start renewing tickets for 2025 on Thursday with a deadline of Feb. 27 with the option of a 10-month payment plan to handle the cost.

Tennessee won the SEC regular-season title in men’s basketball and the program’s first national championship in baseball in June.

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TEMPE — In less than a month, Arizona State football has gone from being picked to finish last in the conference to entering Week 4 as one of seven unbeaten teams in the Big 12.

It was a whirlwind for many on the outside, but head coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday this is the same team he has seen everyday since spring.

“We’re the same team that we were before we played a game,” Dillingham said. “We’ve played a few games, but that’s really about it. We’re the same team that just needs to get better and better and better.

“The best opponents that we face this year are in our future, they’re not in our past. We have to get better every single week if we want to continue to have fun Saturdays.”

kenny dillingham said today it’s easier to get buy-in when the stuff you preach in practice translates to winning games, but that comes with the added pressure of expectations pic.twitter.com/hM54dHIplI

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) September 16, 2024

With the “fun Saturdays” ASU has already logged, some bowl projectors have ASU reaching the Sun Bowl or Independence Bowl, while talk of a bowl for last year’s squad never started.

Dillingham could tell there was a stark contrast between the two squads by the way this group attacked the off-season.

“To be honest, just the work they would put in in the weight room and the lack of people on (negative) lists,” Dillingham said. “The minimum expectation was so much higher all offseason.”

He praised the maturity of his team, saying they never complained in an adverse environment in San Marcos, Texas, even when the team had to come back out for a final final play.

“Our guys didn’t flinch in that game which was awesome to see. There was never a wavering, never a flinch just on the sideline with their body language, with anything. That’s a really good sign of the direction of the program is when you win games like that, when your guys don’t flinch,” Dillingham said.

Arizona State (3-0) now enters conference play in the Big 12 for the first time, with the only other undefeated teams being No. 12 Utah, No. 13 Kansas State, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Iowa State (2-0), UCF and BYU. ASU received three votes in the latest AP poll.

ASU plays its first Big 12 game on Saturday at Texas Tech.

Kenny Dillingham explains the importance of firsts. And the Red Raiders' tortilla toss. pic.twitter.com/maeB2MhAWE

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 16, 2024

Impact defenders Prince Dorbah, Jordan Crook expected to make season debuts

Some of the expected top performers on ASU’s defensive front in defensive end Prince Dorbah and linebacker Jordan Crook are likely to make their season debuts on Saturday.

Dorbah was tied for the team lead in sacks last season and Crook is an Arkansas transfer whose intelligence has been lauded by Dillingham.

Dillingham praised reserve defenders Blazen Lono-Wong and Caleb McCullough, who were each involved in tackles for loss on Saturday, for stepping up as improved depth compared to last year.

The other players up front have set a high bar for what’s expected. Defensive linemen C.J. Fite and Justin Wodtly have each come up with big man touchdowns while linebackers Zyrus Fiaseu and Keyshaun Elliott had interceptions on ASU’s first two defensive drives of the season.

Dillingham said he also expects offensive lineman Sean Na’a, one of the youngest members of the Tillman Leadership Council as a true sophomore, to make his season debut as well.

Running backs Raleek Brown and DeCarlos Brooks are considered questionable for Saturday.

Dillingham said it’s a disservice to play Brown if he’s not at 100% given his top-end speed and is waiting to see how Brooks handles the week ahead. Brown had three touches for three yards in his limited ASU debut against Texas State while Brooks didn’t see action.

ASU and Texas Tech match up in Lubbock on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Listen to the action on the Arizona Sports app, 620 AM or 98.7 FM-HD 2 with pregame coverage starting at 10 a.m. or watch on FS1.

As Week 4 approaches in the 2024 college football season, the Arizona State Sun Devils’ 3-0 start to the season puts them in a good position to be a part of bowl season for the first time since 2021.

ASU still has a ways to go to reach the six wins required for bowl game eligibility, as it still has matchups against Oklahoma State, Kansas, Utah and Kansas State remaining on its schedule.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Wildcats are off to a 2-1 start, but their college football playoff hopes hit a bump in the road after a loss to Kansas State in Week 3, which knocked them out of the top 25 AP college football rankings after previously being ranked No. 20.

With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams in 2024, one loss still gives Arizona a shot at making the playoffs. With the new 12-team field being composed of the five highest-ranked conference champions as well as the next seven highest-ranked schools, Arizona will likely now have to win the Big 12 in order to get in.

Arizona will face a tough matchup after its bye week against the Utah Utes on Sept. 28.

Which bowl games are ASU projected to play in?

ESPN: Independence Bowl vs. Indiana (Dec. 28), Sun Bowl vs. SMU (Dec. 31)

Action Network: Independence Bowl vs. TCU

CBS Sports: Sun Bowl vs. Louisville

Athlon Sports: Sun Bowl vs. North Carolina

Which bowls games are Arizona projected to play in?

ESPN: Las Vegas Bowl vs. South Carolina (Dec. 27), Holiday Bowl vs. Notre Dame (Dec. 27)

CBS Sports: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Tennessee

247 Sports: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Kentucky

Athlon Sports: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Auburn

Action Network: Sun Bowl vs. UNC

The Arizona Wildcats fell out of The Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings for the first time this season after a loss to then-No. 14 Kansas State.

Meanwhile, rival ASU received three votes for consideration, still fewer than Arizona’s 15 but a sign the national view of the Sun Devils is turning after a 3-0 start thanks to a Thursday victory against Texas State. It’s the first time ASU has received votes in the AP poll since head coach Kenny Dillingham took over at the start of the 2023 season.

Arizona was ranked No. 20 the past two weeks.

Texas is No. 1 in the AP college football rankings for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia on Sunday after the Bulldogs struggled to remain unbeaten.

The Longhorns moved up a spot from No. 2 and received 35 first-place votes and 1,540 points. The Bulldogs, who have been No. 1 since the preseason poll, received 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points.

Ohio State received five first-place votes and stayed at No. 3 during an off week. No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Mississippi held their places and Tennessee moved up a spot to No. 6, flip-flopping with Southeastern Conference rival Missouri.

The last time the Longhorns were No. 1 was the middle of the 2008 season, when they spent three weeks at the top of the polls before losing a memorable game at Texas Tech in early November. The Longhorns are likely to settle into the top spot for at least another week with a home game against Louisiana-Monroe up next, possibly with Arch Manning as the starting quarterback.

Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, stepped in Saturday night against UTSA when Quinn Ewers went out with an abdomen injury that coach Steve Sarkisian said was not serious.

“There’s nothing like being in the game. Playing in front of 105,000 people is not the easiest thing to do. I’m really proud of Arch,” Sarkisian said.

A week after the SEC became the first conference to hold six of the first seven spots, the league repeated the feat.

There was some shuffling at the back of the top 10, with No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Miami each moving up a spot and Penn State slipping back to No. 10.

In and out

Boston College joined fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech in the brief-stay-after-a-long-drought club. The Eagles lost at Missouri and fell out of the rankings after moving in last week for the first time since 2018.

Arizona is also out for the first time this season after getting thumped by Kansas State.

Moving in for the first time this season was Illinois at No. 24. Texas A&M jumped back into the rankings at No. 25.

Conference call

The 18-team Big Ten matched a conference record (reached 11 times previously) with seven ranked teams.

SEC — 9 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 25).

Big Ten — 7 (Nos. 3, 9, 10, 11, 18, 22, 24).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 19, 21).

MAC — 1 (No. 23).

Independent — 1 (No. 17).

AP college football rankings top 25 – Sept. 15

Others receiving votes: Memphis 77, Boise St. 62, Syracuse 62, UNLV 54, Boston College 47, Washington St. 30, Arizona 15, Iowa 15, Indiana 13, California 11, Liberty 10, Toledo 9, UCF 6, South Carolina 3, North Carolina 3, Arizona St. 3, BYU 2, Pittsburgh 1.

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Muti announced his commitment to ASU on his X account Friday. Muti chose ASU after being recruited by several schools including Arizona, Oregon and USC.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Muti is the No. 45 tackle and fourth-rated player from the state of Hawaii out of Leilehua, according to 247 Sports composite rankings.

Muti’s brother, Netane, currently plays for the Detroit Lions. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round in 2020 out of Fresno State.

With Muti’s commitment, ASU has jumped up to No. 40 on 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings.

Muti joins a recruitment class that has seen several three-start lineman recruits committing to ASU including Maki Stewart, Desean Bryant and Alema Iosua.

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Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports

ASU thought quarterback Sam Leavitt had kneeled down after the game clock hit 0:00, but after the Sun Devils celebrated, they were called back to defend one more play from Texas State.

“You and I are finally speaking because, after a while, they put a second back on the clock and ran another play,” ESPN sideline reporter Harry Lyles Jr. said to Dillingham. “Can you explain what the referee told you there?”

“Yeah, I’m only out here right now so I don’t get fined. That’s all I got to say because that was ridiculous,” Dillingham answered following the Sun Devils’ 31-28 win.

‘I’m only out here right now so I don’t get fined’ hahaha pic.twitter.com/t519dBBAVB

— Kyle Martin (@StrangersAstory) September 13, 2024

He had reason to be confused or a little impatient.

ASU’s weird ending vs. Texas State leads to Kenny Dillingham’s meme moment

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt took a few seconds before he put his knee down with whistles blowing, thinking he’d ended the game.

Leavitt met with Dillingham with a celebratory mid-air body bump. And Dillingham even made it all the way to Lyles in front of ESPN’s camera to prepare for a postgame interview but was caught saying “if they put another second on this clock …” before he ran off to prepare his team for a final play.

Officials had to clear the field of players off the field and reconvene with a message they were giving the ball back to Texas State at its own 30-yard line to run one more play.

Nothing came of a little bubble screen and a lateral recovered by ASU, but it delayed the postgame proceedings.

Dillingham at his podium press conference made clear it wasn’t the fault of the referees on the field. He said the clock went to a replay review room but wasn’t sure why.

And despite Dillingham’s appearance of being perturbed in the second interview with Lyles, he promised to reporters afterward he was not mad at the game officials and not all that upset to be standing with Lyles.

He admitted his sarcasm was layered on a little thick.

“First things first, I said something on TV … That was a joke, right?” Dillingham said later.

“They said they’re reviewing the time on the clock. … To be clear it’s not the guys’ on the field’s fault,” Dillingham added. “Not fun for them, obviously … I thought for sure we could take two seconds (off the clock) and take a delayed knee. If that’s how it’s going to work, we should start throwing those away, which is also fine.”

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The Sun Devils shut out the Bobcats in the fourth quarter to secure the program’s first 3-0 start since 2019. The last time ASU started 3-0 when facing three FBS schools was in 2007.

Safety Shamari Simmons stripped Texas State’s Ismail Mahdi on the Bobcats’ 20-yard line with nine minutes left of a 28-28 ballgame. ASU converted a go-ahead Ian Hershey field goal.

On Texas State’s ensuing possession, quarterback Jordan McCloud took a deep shot that Sun Devils safety Xavion Alford came down with.

🗣️ BALL@ASUFootball recovers the Shamari Simmons’ forced fumble in Bobcat territory with a chance to break the fourth-quarter stalemate.#Big12FB | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/ddWOAfnpOf

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 13, 2024

The Bobcats had one final gasp, but on fourth-and-5, ASU cornerback Keith Abney II knocked McCloud’s pass away for the turnover on downs. ASU running back Cam Skattebo iced the game on the ground. ASU held Texas State, which gained 249 yards in the first half, to 27 yards in the fourth quarter.

The Sun Devils trailed 21-7 in the first half, but quarterback Sam Leavitt delivered a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson to cut the deficit in the second quarter. Leavitt ran in a seven-yard touchdown with six seconds before halftime, which tied the game after the extra point.

Leavitt finished 19-for-30 with 246 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 40 yards and a score.

ASU with the half rollout and deep TD to Jordyn Tyson pic.twitter.com/HEeCR08Ml9

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 13, 2024

Skattebo ran for 62 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns after winning Associated Press national player of the week.

ASU’s defense racked up six tackles for loss, two from Simmons. Keyshaun Elliott made a key third down stop ahead of Texas State’s turnover on downs.

The Sun Devils begin Big 12 play on Sept. 21 at Texas Tech.

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Trailing 21-7 in the second quarter, Leavitt rolled to his right, stepped up and launched a ball approximately 50 yards through the air to Tyson at the 10-yard line. The receiver made a move and dove into the end zone.

ASU with the half rollout and deep TD to Jordyn Tyson pic.twitter.com/HEeCR08Ml9

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 13, 2024

Leavitt was previously 0-for-6 on passes that traveled at least 20 yards, according to Pro Football Focus, and his connection with Tyson was a key score to cut the deficit in half. Texas State was running away with the game having scored 21 straight points.

The Sun Devils forced a punt on the ensuing defensive series, and with 2:38 on the clock, ASU’s offense methodically drove down 57 yards on 11 plays. Leavitt scrambled into the end zone with six seconds remaining.

14-point deficit? Erased.

Sam Leavitt’s scrambles in for @ASUFootball to tie things up in San Marcos… you’re gonna watch the second half of this one 🍿#Big12 | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/Cb9hFtRjxH

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 13, 2024

Arizona State outscored Wyoming and Mississippi State 54-3 before halftime of its first two wins, but Texas State also came into Thursday 2-0 after a blowout win over UTSA.

ASU opened the game with a stop and a 10-play touchdown drive.

The Bobcats orchestrated 14- and 15-play touchdown drives that took up more than 14 minutes combined and forced back-to-back ASU three-and-outs before the 52-yard bomb.

Leavitt completed 10-of-13 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in the opening 30 minutes. He finished with 246 passing yards, hitting 19-of-30 targets.

Tyson gained 111 receiving yards at the break and finished with 120.

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