The Sun Devils open the season ranked No. 11 in the AP poll, highest in the Big 12, the first time they've been nationally relevant since 2013, and, before that, 1996.
Do you buy that third-year coach Kenny Dillingham is a rising star?
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ State head coach Kenny Dillingham stands on the sideline during the first half of the Dec. 7, 2024, Big 12 Conference championship game against Iowa State in Arlington, Texas.
Last week, Sun Devil defensive coordinator Brian Ward said: "This is my 20th year of being a defensive coordinator. I think this is as good of a group as I've ever had, which is saying a lot."
Or is it?
Ward's last 20 years as a defensive coordinator were at, in reverse order, Washington State, Nevada, Syracuse, Bowling Green, Western Illinois, Drake, North Dakota State and Missouri Southern.
That's not exactly a Who's Who résumé.
Contact sports columnist Greg Hansen at GHansenAZStar@gmail.com. On X(Twitter): @ghansen711
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