Arizona State wins opener against Northern Arizona but concerns rise

ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, in his third year, has emphasized the importance of discipline and energy as pillars for another successful season. However, Saturday’s performance raised concerns as Arizona State had a few questionable drives and many penalties against them.

“We won a football game, which is a positive,” Dilligham said after the game, according to Devils Digest. “… We can’t have 12 penalties for 93 yards that cost us an additional 170 yards… We gotta get that cleaned up and that starts with me.”

ASU struggled on third downs in the first half after taking a quick 14-0 lead against NAU. Quarterback Sam Leavitt sparked the offense back to life with two rushing touchdowns, one for 52 yards and another for 18.

Despite the win and offensive spark in the second half, the number of penalties in the game has Arizona State reevaluating what went wrong. Dillingham was vocal about how the team’s play reflects his coaching.

“We play really well, it’s because the players played well,” Dillingham said. “We don’t play great, it’s because I gotta be better. That’s just how I operate.”

Arizona State faces a road test next Saturday against Mississippi State, where a repeat performance could lead to a much different outcome.