Arizona State’s first three games have given Kenny Dillingham plenty to like about Cutter Boley - and a few reasons to keep watching closely.
“I think he's (Cutter Boley) played well,” ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham said on Tuesday. “He’s taken care of the football.
He doesn’t have, (knock on wood), a ‘real’ interception. Hasn’t thrown the ball to the opponent one time in three games.
That usually results to winning.”
That’s the cleanest summary of Boley’s start: the Sun Devils are 2-1, and their quarterback has already been part of a wild mix of outcomes. There was the 70-7 rout, the second-half collapse in Texas, and the messy, wet trip to London that wasn’t pretty on offense but still ended in a win.
The question now, with ASU in its bye week, is whether Boley’s early play points to something bigger or whether the sample is simply too small to judge.
One issue stands out: Boley still hasn’t really been tested late. He was pulled early in the season-opening blowout against Morgan State.
Against Texas A&M, two unlucky interceptions kept him from finishing with the ball in his hands. In London against Kansas, ASU’s defense did the heavy lifting while Boley finished things off with a 1-yard rushing touchdown and an eight-yard scramble.
If you want a better look at how he handles the fourth quarter, the trail leads back to Lexington, Kentucky, where his sophomore season with the Wildcats offered a fuller picture.
Boley posted a 63.9 completion percentage in fourth quarters that year, along with 517 passing yards and four touchdowns. That was a drop from his second- and third-quarter numbers, when he completed 67.4% of his throws in the second quarter and 69.2% in the third. He also threw four of his 12 interceptions in the fourth quarter, a third of his total.
The split looks similar now in Tempe, even though the ASU sample is still tiny. Boley has only seven fourth-quarter attempts as a Sun Devil, but his first-half and second-half numbers already show a gap.
In the first half, he’s completed 66.7% of his passes for seven touchdowns and 538 yards. In the second half, that drops to 54.2% with just two touchdowns.
That doesn’t make a final judgment possible, but it does suggest there may be something worth tracking as the season moves forward.
Weather could be part of the story, too. London was as far from Tempe conditions as it gets, and Boley’s numbers reflected that. He went 11-for-23, a 47.8% completion rate, in the wet and cold against Kansas, his lowest full-game completion mark since 2024.
The SEC didn’t exactly hand him tropical weather either, and his numbers there also leaned better early than late. In 2025, Boley’s first-half production outpaced his second-half work, and he threw more interceptions in November than he did in August, September and October combined.
Arizona State shouldn’t have to deal with many days like London, but there are some late-season games that could matter. BYU and UCF both sit on the schedule, and both could bring cold or rainy conditions. The Oct. 31 trip to BYU could be especially important if conference stakes are on the line.
At home, though, Boley has been far more comfortable. That was true at Kentucky, and it was true in his first game at Mountain America Stadium, where he put up six touchdowns and 387 yards in the 2026 opener.
His 2025 home splits were strong as well: a 74.6 completion percentage, 1,270 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. On the road, those numbers slid to 57.9% completions, 890 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions.
So yes, there are questions. But there’s also a clear pattern: Boley has looked far better when the setting is familiar and the weather is kind.
Over the next two weeks, he’ll get that comfort again. ASU hosts Baylor and Hawai’i in Tempe, giving Boley and the offense a chance to settle in after a rough two-game stretch away from home.
Whether the concerns are real or just early noise should start to become clearer when the Sun Devils return against Baylor on Oct. 3.
In Other News...
ASU Hockey Enters Opening Night Under A Much Bigger Shadow
Arizona States hockey program is trying to find its footing on the eve of a new season while carrying a far heavier burden than any opening-night storyline should require. Head coach Greg Powers spoke publicly for the first time since sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich was hospitalized with critical heat stroke-related brain trauma during an Aug. 20 workout, and the mood around the team has been shaped as much by care and concern as by preparation on the ice.
Powers declined to get into the details of what happened or the schools review, but he did stress the support system in place for players and staff as they move through a difficult stretch. For a roster getting ready to start playing again, the focus now is balancing the demands of hockey with the reality that one of their own is still at the center of a devastating situation. [Read more 🡒]
ASU Defense Is Turning Heads But One Concern Still Looms
Arizona States defense has been one of the early stories of the 2026 season, and it has done enough through three games to suggest this group is trending in the right direction. The Sun Devils have held opponents to an average of 17 points per game when you strip out points created by offensive and special teams mistakes, and the pass defense has taken a noticeable step forward. A recent trip to London only added to the momentum, with the unit forcing three turnovers in a conference win while several defensive linemen continued to flash with sacks and tackles for loss.
Still, there is one part of the picture that keeps the film room honest. Arizona State has not been as stout against the run, and that remains the most obvious area opponents will keep trying to exploit as the schedule settles in. For a defense that has already shown it can make splash plays and create negative-yardage moments, the next challenge is turning that disruption into consistency, especially when teams decide to stay on the ground and test the front snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Bye Week Puts Two Quarterback Situations In Focus
Arizona States bye week arrives at a useful time after consecutive road games, giving the Sun Devils a chance to reset before turning their attention to Baylor. The break also puts a spotlight on what is shaping up to be a layered quarterback week across the schedule, with Baylor expected to get DJ Lagway back for its conference opener against Colorado after Nate Bennett started the previous two games.
For Arizona State, the matchup with Baylor now comes with a little more uncertainty than usual, since the Bears are working through a quarterback transition while still trying to settle into league play. Elsewhere in the Big 12 and beyond, Hawaii is also heading into conference play with Micah Alejado playing a key role against Wyoming, a reminder that this stretch of the season can turn quickly on what happens under center. [Read more 🡒]