Arizona State’s Nov. 7 home game against Colorado now has a kickoff time, and the Sun Devils will be back under the lights in Tempe.
The Big 12 matchup is set for 5:30 p.m. MT on ESPN2, with Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes making their first trip to Tempe since joining the conference. It lands right as November gets going, adding another chapter to a series that has tilted Arizona State’s way for most of its history.
The Sun Devils lead the all-time matchup 10-4 and have won three of the last four. Still, Colorado’s last visit to Tempe ended well for the visitors, who left with a 27-24 win. Since Kenny Dillingham took over in Tempe, Arizona State has split its two games against Colorado, including a 42-17 win in Boulder last season.
The series itself has a short history compared with some conference rivalries. These teams didn’t meet on the field until 2006, then became league opponents in the Pac-12 in the 2010s. Arizona State jumped out fast and won the first seven meetings before Colorado finally broke through for its first win over the Sun Devils in 2016.
There’s also mutual respect between the two head coaches. Sanders had high praise for Dillingham, saying, "Coach Dillingham, love him to life, man.
One of my classmates, you know, we came in at the same time. What he’s done for the program is unbelievable,” Sanders said.
“I think he was Big 12 coach of the year, right? Well deserved.
Shoulda ran away with it. Shouldn’t have even been close last year.
What he did with the program and what he’s doing with the program, I applaud him tremendously. His character.
The consistency. What he’s asking for his young men.”
Dillingham responded by noting Colorado’s rise under Sanders, saying, "People are talking about Colorado, recruits want to go to Colorado. They've won, like I said, a high percentage of games with him than before him.
He's battled a bunch, and it just shows the type of person he is. He's a fighter and a winner, and that's shown up at Colorado since he's been there."
For Arizona State, the timing makes this one another night test at home. The Sun Devils are 23-12 in kickoffs at 4 p.m. or earlier, and they’re 4-0 in Big 12 home afternoon games. But their most recent home night game was a rough one, a 55-19 loss to Baylor in early October.
Now the Devils get another shot to reset the mood after dark when Colorado comes to Tempe on ESPN2.
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For Randy Bennett, it also marks a significant first recruiting win since his move to Arizona State. Landing a player of Miles profile this early sends a message about where the program wants to go under its new leadership, even if there is still plenty of work ahead in building out the rest of the class. [Read more 🡒]
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Arizona State gets the benefit of the spotlight in the next matchup, with the Sun Devils set to face Colorado on Nov. 1 at 5:30 p.m. MT on ESPN2. For a Colorado team trying to stop the slide, it is another chance to reset on a stage that will be easy to find. For Arizona State, it is the kind of late-season window that can carry real weight if the Buffs bring the desperation their situation demands. [Read more 🡒]