Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham was not pleased with his team’s effort in Day 2 of practice and did not hold back to the media.
“It was a really, really bad day on offense. It all stems from the passion we play with,” Dillingham said. “Don’t be mad going 5-7. It’s okay. Don’t be mad going 6-6. Don’t be mad going 3-9, cause somebody has to go those records.”
ASU set a new standard for its program last season, winning the Big 12 title and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. It was the team’s first year competing in the conference, and they finished 11-3.
Dillingham was not necessarily alluding to the team’s performance; he was disappointed in the team’s effort and lack of passion.
“We threw one pick. Like we didn’t practice bad, we didn’t practice with passion. We didn’t care if we scored a touchdown. We didn’t care if there was an interception,” he said. “We didn’t care if somebody made a great play.”
Following former standout running back Cam Skattebo’s entrance to the NFL, the team has a lot of production to make up for, considering he accounted for 293 carries and 45 catches last season.
ASU returns several key talents, including quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who became one of the best offensive tandems in college football last season.
Dillingham knows what it takes to lead a program to the top, as he was named Big 12 Coach of the Year in just his second season at the helm.
For the team to return to glory, Dillingham says they need to show their desire to win at every opportunity.
“To me, the best teams, it matters all the time, you want to win everything, and today we didn’t have that mindset. We didn’t want to win,” he said.
The Sun Devils will start off the 2025 season against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30.
