Confidence has become the defining issue for Arizona State, and it may also be the thing that pushes Mikey Keene into the starting job.
After the Sun Devils were battered by Texas Tech and Baylor, Keene took a direct shot at the team’s response after the loss in Lubbock.
"I saw a team come out and punch us in the mouth and we didn't really respond," ASU quarterback Mikey Keene said. "It's not on the coaches, it's on us."
That kind of message landed. So did what happened after Cutter Boley was pulled from the game. Once Boley went out after going 5/0 with two interceptions, including a pick-six, Keene took over and immediately guided ASU to a scoring drive to open the second half.
By the final whistle, Keene had put together a line that was hard to ignore: 25/34 passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, the Red Raiders were in soft coverage and running plenty of prevent defense with a big lead, but the production still stood out because of the spot he was dropped into.
That’s why the chatter around Tempe has shifted. Fans are openly asking whether Keene should be the one leading the offense moving forward.
For a team trying to find its footing, the question goes beyond stats. It goes to confidence, communication, and whether the huddle feels like it’s following the quarterback. Keene’s presence appears to check those boxes in a way that has not always been obvious with Boley.
The signs, in hindsight, may have been there before the season even started. When Boley was named the starter in late August, players were asked about the decision, and the answers were noticeably careful.
"I'm happy for the guy, I'm happy for all the guys. I know Mikey is going to do a great job.
He's got all the knowledge that we could ask for in a backup quarterback, so, we're going to be safe no matter what. I hope Cutter comes out and does his thing." - WR Reed Harris
"Either choice would've been good. I think we would've been straight in both hands.
I think, if Mikey was the starter, we wouldn't have no issues, just as much as Cutter is. I love both guys, they both equally come in to play and compete, and it's just been fun watching them compete all fall camp." - OL Tana Alo-Tupuola
"Whoever it was, we were comfortable with, so if that's our guy, we're rolling with him. We're going to be behind him the whole time, and the whole quarterback room is talented, so like I said, we were comfortable with any guy he (Kenny Dillingham) chose." - DL CJ Fite
Nobody is going to publicly say they preferred one quarterback over the other. Still, the fact that Keene’s name surfaced first in those answers says plenty.
Dillingham declined to reveal this week’s starter during Monday’s press conference, saying there was no need to make that information public.
"I just think this week in particular, I don't know if we need to disclose that. If there was an injury, I would 100% come out and say it, and we would put it on the report, but it not being an injury, to me, I don't think that would do anything for us," Dillingham said.
"Our players will know. Everybody else will know.
So who knows? It may leak.
I don't know. I hope not.
But you know, just not something I need to get into depth on."
Both Keene and Boley were getting work in Tuesday’s practice, but the more revealing signs may have been verbal rather than physical. Reed Harris said Keene’s voice carries in the locker room and on the field.
"Mikey is a vocal guy," Reed Harris said after practice. "He's got a lot of different sides.
In the locker room, he's probably one of the funniest guys on the team, so everybody knows his voice, and everybody understands what he's saying, especially in the serious moments when he's directing us. He's got a great voice for the position he is in now with the team."
Dillingham also seemed to leave the door open to that same idea on Monday when talking about leadership on the roster compared with the previous two seasons.
"I think there's a lot of guys who are leading in their own way, and everybody's way to lead is different," Dillingham said, after being asked about his leaders on this team, compared to 2025 and 2024. "I think they're leading in their own way.
I think Mikey's definitely a guy who is more in that mold from that perspective that you're describing (vocal). I definitely think he fits that style.
If you're looking for that type of leader."
Whether that becomes the decisive factor Saturday is still to be seen. Arizona State meets Kansas State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Saturday, with kickoff set for 12:45 p.m.
In Other News...
Arizona State Faces A Defining QB Decision Against Kansas State
Arizona State heads into its meeting with Kansas State carrying the kind of quarterback uncertainty that tends to linger after a rough loss. Cutter Boley was benched at halftime against Texas Tech in favor of Mikey Keene, and coach Kenny Dillingham stopped short of naming a starter for the next game, leaving the Sun Devils with a decision that could shape how they handle one of the Big 12s tougher tests.
Kansas State arrives with some momentum after beating Kansas, and Collin Kleins offense has put up the kind of production that demands discipline from the other side. For Arizona State, the question is no longer just who starts at quarterback, but which direction gives the Sun Devils the best chance to steady themselves and keep from letting one loss turn into a bigger slide. [Read more 🡒]