Major Points From Kenny Dillingham's Monday Press Conference

The head coach confirmed that C Ben Coleman will be good to go in week two after briefly exiting Saturday's game in the second half.

The status of EDGE Justin Wodlty, RT Max Iheanachor, and WR Jalen Moss is still up in the air - Dillingham said that the staff would re-evaluate all three on Monday before giving him a general verdict ahead of the finalization of the team's game plan.

Jaren Hamilton/Rest of Receiver Group in Good Place

Dillingham was asked about Hamilton's presence in the victory (or lack thereof) - a question that was answered with a strong amount of certainty.

Hamilton was intended to be involved in the game plan initially, but NAU's frequently-labeled 'exotic' defensive looks and Moss's injury complicated the rotation process.

Expect the Alabama transfer to play a more sizable role against Mississippi State.

Mississippi State is Different Challenge in 2025

The Sun Devils notably defeated the SEC foe by a score of 30-23 in the first weekend of September last season - the game that marked Cam Skattebo's true ascension into superstardom.

The final score didn't indicate how lopsided the game truly was, as the Sun Devils took a 27-3 lead into halftime before the team let up in the second half.

Coach Dillingham isn't having any of the talks that the matchup this year has the potential to turn out similarly early.

• "They play so fast that if you don't get lined up, you're screwed. You better get lined up, get the call, understand who's carrying the verticals, understand who's in the run fit, how you're fitting the run. And if you don't they're going to get on a roll and take advantage of you because they're not going to give you time to catch your breath, they're going to keep pushing the pedal to the metal.

We've got to be able to get aligned on defense, we've got to be able to get on the same page, and if you have one MA (missed assignment), they are going to score a touchdown."

Dillingham also gave credit to returning starting QB Blake Shapen, who played in the Arizona State game before suffering a season-ending injury, going as far as to state that it is essentially highly doubtful that the Sun Devil defense will force the field general into a similar outcome this time around.

The Bulldog's home crowd is also at the front of Dillingham's mind. Crowd noise - particularly the cowbell sound - will be prominent at the Arizona State practices today and Wednesday ahead of the contest.

Road Challenges Are Different in Big 12

Dillingham discussed the challenges of adjusting his philosophy in approaching road contests as the Sun Devils transitioned from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 last season.

While Arizona State traveled to many major metropolitan areas - such as Los Angeles and Seattle in the latter - the former is full of members who are located in relatively isolated areas.

The head coach revealed for the first time that several players on the roster were afflicted with food poisoning on the day of the program's Big 12 debut against Texas Tech in Lubbock, which was a microcosm of what they must do differently now.

Arizona State is set to travel to small towns such as Waco, Texas and Ames, Iowa over the remainder of the season. It will be intriguing to see how those trips are ultimately handled.

Read more on defensive standouts from the Sun Devils' opening victory of 2025 here, and on where the team will potentially be ranked ahead of week two here.