The 2025 Arizona State season is just over three months away from kicking off - the first two contests of the season feature duels with Northern Arizona at home and Mississippi State in a key power four battle on the road.
The Sun Devils are set to close out the non-conference slate of games at Mountain America Stadium on September 13 against the Texas State Bobcats.
This scheduled matchup is the back-end of a home-and-home between the two schools - ASU began the push to a Big 12 championship in major fashion in San Marcos last year.
The Bobcats - widely believed to be one of the best 'Group of Five' squads last season - took a 21-7 lead as the meeting approached halftime before the Sun Devils rallied. The Kenny Dillingham coached squad rallied once again when trailing 28-21 - before ultimately securing a nail-biting 31-28 victory.
Sam Leavitt, Cam Skattebo, and an opportunistic defense were keys to the ASU victory - along with this game marking the breakout of star WR Jordyn Tyson.
The Bobcats ended up finishing with a modest 8-5 record and boasted a victory in the First Responders bowl - but the G.J. Kinne headed program is looking for more in 2025.
Redshirt freshman QB Brad Jackson is an early favorite to replace the dynamic Jordan McCloud - who saw his collegiate eligibility end after the bowl victory.
The potential starter was very pointed when asked about the goals of Texas State football are in the upcoming year:
“8-5 and winning the First Responders Bowl two years in a row is great, but for us, our expectation is: we want to win a Sun Belt Championship and have a chance to go to the College Football Playoff,”
That was the goal last season - and an energized crowd nearly delivered a program-defining victory over the Sun Devils last season, but it won't be that simple this time around.
Sun Devil Stadium has once again become a destination that opponents would like to avoid - Dillingham has piqued student engagement in ways that none of the predecessors this century could do. The alumni base is back and supporting the program like never before. The roster itself is as deep and talented as any previous Sun Devil roster - at least going back a decade or more.
The Sun Devils should be in strong shape to start Big 12 play with a 3-0 record - read more about the overarching expectations surrounding the program here and here.
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