By Jacob Seliga
Lead Writer
Four-hundred and thirty-nine days. That’s how long it took Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham to turn around a program that had fallen to its lowest depths.
After a forgettable 2023 campaign that felt like the punishment the NCAA truly wanted the Sun Devils to experience, 2024 has turned into a dream.
On Saturday, Arizona State fought through inclement weather and defeated Oklahoma State 42-21 to clinch a bowl berth for the first time since 2021.
And the Sun Devils did it just as they have done all year: their way.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt entered the transfer portal 11 months ago and bought into what Dillingham had sold him, a chance to pave his own path and captain a ship through the storms of conference realignment and violation.
Battling through a rib injury, Leavitt was efficient through the air completing 20 of his 29 pass attempts for three touchdowns and 304 yards -- his first time ever eclipsing the 300-yard mark.
Cam Skattebo was one of the first to join the new era Sun Devils in 2023 and played in last season’s loss to the Cowboys. Earlier in the week, Skattebo told reporters “This is the one I've circled since we had our schedule.”
He rushed for 153 yards, caught four passes for 121 yards, and scored three touchdowns on the day in another dominant performance.
His counterpart Kyson Brown who committed to the Sun Devils in 2022 while current running back coach Shaun Aguano was interim head coach has waited his turn playing limited reps and has now firmly taken grasp of the backup role in the stable of running backs.
In his first career game as a heavily featured back, Brown rushed for 63 yards on 15 carries and had a pair of rushing touchdowns, the first time he’s scored on the ground in his career so far.
While the offense shined, the defense just as they did all of 2023 held its own and did it with those who trusted the vision.
Linebacker Caleb McCullough who thrived in the Utah game, returned to his traditional non starting role but played heavy reps and for the second time this season led the Sun Devils in tackles with nine in the game.
McCullough came to the Sun Devils under the previous regime led by Herm Edwards and had multiple chances to transfer out, he instead stayed and earned his way on the field and continues to be a bright spot in the middle of the defense.
Make no mistake, Kenny Dillingham has made it very clear he wants to win but wants to win with people who want to be at Arizona State.
And that may be the most unique thing about Dillingham and the whole turnaround in year two of his first ever head coaching job.
Most head coaches, especially younger coaches are so hell bent on trying to either work their way up to a better job or winning right away that they sacrifice building a culture or shy away from what got them there in the first place.
Dillingham has boldly let recruits walk and let players on the roster transfer because he believes you have to be all in if you want to be successful, he’s done it his way and in spite of skeptics and those who criticized him from the moment he was hired, he hasn’t changed and as Arizona State continues to win it doesn’t appear he will.
What’s Next: UCF at Arizona State, Nov. 9, 5 p.m.
The Sun Devils will now return home to Mountain America Stadium to host the UCF Knights who are coming off a 56-12 thrashing of Arizona. The Knights have struggled in conference play due to a brutal schedule, starting off 2-4 with a slate of games that included No. 9 BYU, No. 11 Iowa State, and No. 23 Colorado.
The quarterback position has been a revolving door all year long as the Knights started on Saturday their fourth different player at the position. The key to stopping UCF will be containing running back RJ Harvey who appears to be the only running back in the Big 12 that stands in the way of Skattebo’s quest of being the undisputed best running back in the best running back conference in America.
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