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Arizona State football is ready to start the 2025 season at full throttle.
Sometimes teams like to hold back regarding their playcalling in the first game of the season, with the hopes of not revealing too much for opponents later on in the year. This is especially true when there is a wide disparity between the two teams, like with Northern Arizona University rolling into Tempe to play ASU.
NAU is no slouch, ranked No. 18 in the country at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, which is a tier below the Football Bowl Subdivision level (FBS). There is just a noticeable difference in the speed and power between the two levels.
But don’t expect the Sun Devils to take the game lightly or limit what they call on offense and defense.
“We’ll put everything on tape,” Dillingham said in his final media availability before the game. “Both of our coordinators, same thing. We want to do everything we can to play our best football to win the game. There is no holding back. There is no hiding.
“We’re going to play a football team that is ranked top 25 in their league that played in the playoffs. They return a lot of their starters. They have a good football coach, good staff. We’re holding nothing back. We’re going all in. Everything we’ve worked on this offseason, we’re putting it all in.”
Adding some spice to the game, NAU sophomore kicker Samuel Hunsaker — a local product from ALA Queen Creek — boldly predicted an upset win on his Instagram account. The top comment? From ASU sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt: "Bet."
Last year’s season opener set the tone for what was one of the best seasons in school history. ASU jumped on Wyoming early, establishing a 17-0 lead after the first quarter as the defense had an interception returned for a touchdown within the first minute of the game.
The Sun Devils ended up winning convincingly, 48-7, and it was indicative of how the team would play the rest of the season: unrelenting and with a passion.
Dillingham is looking to this game to gauge what type of team he has this year.
“I want to see what this team is,” Dillingham said. “I want to see who we are on Saturday. It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s about us. I want to see how hard we play. How physical do we play? How many smart decisions do we make throughout a game? That’s the challenge. It’s not the opponent, it’s us.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football 'not holding back' against NAU in season opener
Continue reading...
Sometimes teams like to hold back regarding their playcalling in the first game of the season, with the hopes of not revealing too much for opponents later on in the year. This is especially true when there is a wide disparity between the two teams, like with Northern Arizona University rolling into Tempe to play ASU.
NAU is no slouch, ranked No. 18 in the country at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, which is a tier below the Football Bowl Subdivision level (FBS). There is just a noticeable difference in the speed and power between the two levels.
But don’t expect the Sun Devils to take the game lightly or limit what they call on offense and defense.
“We’ll put everything on tape,” Dillingham said in his final media availability before the game. “Both of our coordinators, same thing. We want to do everything we can to play our best football to win the game. There is no holding back. There is no hiding.
“We’re going to play a football team that is ranked top 25 in their league that played in the playoffs. They return a lot of their starters. They have a good football coach, good staff. We’re holding nothing back. We’re going all in. Everything we’ve worked on this offseason, we’re putting it all in.”
Adding some spice to the game, NAU sophomore kicker Samuel Hunsaker — a local product from ALA Queen Creek — boldly predicted an upset win on his Instagram account. The top comment? From ASU sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt: "Bet."
Last year’s season opener set the tone for what was one of the best seasons in school history. ASU jumped on Wyoming early, establishing a 17-0 lead after the first quarter as the defense had an interception returned for a touchdown within the first minute of the game.
The Sun Devils ended up winning convincingly, 48-7, and it was indicative of how the team would play the rest of the season: unrelenting and with a passion.
Dillingham is looking to this game to gauge what type of team he has this year.
“I want to see what this team is,” Dillingham said. “I want to see who we are on Saturday. It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s about us. I want to see how hard we play. How physical do we play? How many smart decisions do we make throughout a game? That’s the challenge. It’s not the opponent, it’s us.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football 'not holding back' against NAU in season opener
Continue reading...
