Arizona State is back in its usual routine, and the next test comes with a familiar conference wrinkle. The Sun Devils host Baylor on Saturday night in Tempe, lining up for a Big 12 matchup after a stretch that already sent them from Texas to London and back again.
ASU is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play, coming off a bye after opening league action with a 24-17 win over Kansas on Sept. 19.
Before that, the Sun Devils dropped a game at Texas A&M on Sept. 12, then immediately turned around for the trip to London. Baylor arrives at 3-1 and 1-0 after beating Colorado 23-13 in Waco last Saturday.
Kenny Dillingham made it clear Monday that Baylor’s record doesn’t tell the whole story. In his view, the Bears are much closer to being undefeated and nationally ranked than their record suggests.
"If they reach the ball 4 more inches, this is a Top 25 team coming to town," Dillingham said, referring to Baylor's 17-16 loss to Auburn in the season opener on Sept. 5.
That opener hinged on a two-point try, when Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway’s pass to tight end Matthew Klopfenstein came up short of the end zone late in the game, handing Auburn the win.
Arizona State handled Baylor 27-24 last season in Waco, though Dillingham said the Bears “stoned us for most of the game.”
Baylor’s defense showed its teeth against Colorado, piling up five sacks, 13 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery. First-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has leaned into pressure and a deep rotation up front.
"When you have a rotation of D-linemen and defensive ends that you can roll through and you can go three deep and feel good about a guy making a play, that's different from what it's been," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said Monday.
Lagway, a transfer from Florida, went 19 of 39 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Colorado.
On the other side, Arizona State quarterback Cutter Boley, also an SEC transfer from Kentucky, has found steady targets in Reed Harris and Omarion Miller. Those two receivers have combined for 39 of the Sun Devils’ 58 catches.
Aranda also knows what Baylor is walking into in its first true road game of the season.
"It's very tough to play (at Tempe)," Aranda said. "It's just loud, and at night it can be electric."
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