Arizona State tight end James Giggey (45), left, and defensive back Adama Fall battle during football practice at Kajikawa practice fields in Tempe on Aug 1, 2025. Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Does ASU's Defense Fare Against Ty Pennington

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Tanner Cappellini | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It is that time when the Arizona State Sun Devils are about to start playing football. After coming off a year of winning the Big 12 , there are high hopes for ASU this season. Their first game will see them play another Arizona team, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

ASU is the current favorite, with a -28.5 spread in their favor. However, Quarterback Ty Pennington could present some issues for the ASU defense, so here are the keys to stopping Pennington.

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Contain Pennington's Scrambling ability

Much like ASU's own Sam Leavitt, Pennington is a pretty effective scrambler. In 2024, Pennington had 184 yards. This might not seem like a huge amount, but Pennington averaged 4 yards a carry, which is not that bad for a QB.

Pennington's best rushing performances came against the Weber State Wildcats, where he ran 12 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Pennington is a quick scramble. He can accelerate quickly and has solid vision while running.

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How can ASU stop Pennington's scrambling ability

So it is established that Pennington is an effective scrambler, so how can ASU slow him down? Well, thankfully, ASU has a great D-Line. Coach Diron Reynolds has assembled a really nice unit.

Edge rushers, Clayton Smith and Prince Dorbah, plus Defensive Tackles C.J. Fite and Jacob Rich Kongaika, are a great unit that has a mix of both agility and power.

This will make it very hard for Pennington to have running success against ASU. Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward's unit should have a nice game against Pennington on the ground.

Pennington's Quick Release

Ty Pennington has a pretty quick release on the ball. This is a trait that is not backed up by stats; the ball flies out of Pennington's hand on film.

However, what does help against a QB with a quick release is a very fast secondary that can react fast, and thankfully, ASU has that.

ASU's Number one corner, Keith Abney II, is a prime example of this. Abney has top-tier agility and understanding of the game. Besides Abney, ASU has a bunch of other secondary players, such as Javan Robinson, who are quick both physically and mentally. So they should fare well against Pennington through the air.

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In conclusion, the Sun Devils should fare very well against Ty Pennington in Week 1, which should help ASU start the year 1-0.

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This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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