Arizona State: From last to first in the Big 12
Picked to finish 16th in a 16-team conference, the Sun Devils won their final five regular-season games to claim the title and a College Football Playoff berth.
By Ethan Cook ·
Sixteen. That is where Arizona State was projected to finish in the Big 12 preseason media poll for the 2024 season. The Sun Devils entered the year as 16th out of 16 teams after two consecutive 3-9 seasons.
The 2024 campaign began under first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham. ASU started the season 3-0, matching its win totals from the previous two years in just three games. The team then fell to 5-2 after a loss to Cincinnati. From that point, the Sun Devils won their final five regular-season contests.
The winning streak included victories over ranked Kansas State and BYU. The game against BYU ended in a chaotic finish. Fans rushed the field believing the game was over, only for officials to return one second to the clock. After the field was cleared, BYU attempted a final pass. The ball was caught, but defender Chase Roberts brought the receiver down two yards short of the end zone.
ASU followed that win with a 49-7 victory over in-state rival Arizona. The Sun Devils then advanced to the Big 12 Championship game. They defeated No. 16 Iowa State 45-19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That result gave ASU the conference title in its first season in the Big 12.
The win secured a spot in the College Football Playoff for the Sun Devils. Quarterback Sam Leavitt, running back Cam Skattebo, and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson formed the offensive core. Leavitt and Tyson connected for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Kansas State.
Hode Rubino, lead editor at Devil’s Digest, noted that the hire of Dillingham was strategic. Rubino said ASU needed a coach who would stay for the long haul rather than treating the job as a stepping stone. Dillingham, a former ASU player, had taken over the program in 2023.
Chris Karpman of Sun Devil Source pointed to the team’s improvement over the course of the season. He noted that ASU was 2-2 in the Big 12 after the Cincinnati loss. Dillingham was calling for student tryouts to fix special teams at that time. The team went on to win the next six games, including three against ranked opponents.
