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Nov 22Β β’Β 5 min read
Valley Activated: ASU Hosts Critical Game on Saturday
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β π GOOD MORNING Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 -- ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham has made one thing clear since he took over before last season: It's time to activate The Valley. It's now or never. The 8-2 Sun Devils have an unbelievable opportunity when the 9-1 BYU Cougars visit on Saturday, and the game will unquestionably have ramifications in the Big 12 title game picture. There are a litany of tiebreak scenarios, but ASU can stay right in the mix with a win over a team that was eyeing an unbeaten season just one week ago. If you need a laugh to get you through the weekend, here's your weekly joke: What has more lives than a cat? A frog -- it croaks every day! Let's run it back next week. On to the show! π° LEADING OFF Valley Activated: 'Where Else Would You Want to Be?'Get ready for the biggest game in recent memory at Mountain America Stadium. The Sun Devils host the BYU Cougars at 1:30 pm on Saturday, and fans have been clamoring for tickets, which hit a fever pitch following Arizona State's upset over Kansas State in Manhattan last weekend. ASU enters the game as a three-point favorite according to bet365, a stark contrast to its game last week when it faced the Wildcats as an eight-point underdog. With great success comes great expectations, and by those metrics, the Sun Devils have arrived. Head coach Kenny Dillingham wants to make sure the team is in front of a sold-out crowd wearing maroon and gold. "The one thing I'd say is if you have a ticket, and you're an ASU fan, make sure they go to ASU fans," Dillingham said. "There's a lot of BYU fans in The Valley. Let's make sure, if you're an ASU fan and you own a ticket, and you're selling it or you're giving it away, make them show you an ASU hat or an ASU shirt, show something ASU in order to get that ticket." β±οΈ BECOME A DIEHARD TODAY!
Similar Teams Seeking Big-Time WinMuch like last week's showdown in Manhattan, Kans., the tale of the tape shows two very similar teams on paper. ASU and BYU are separated by two yards in terms of total offense per game (399.4 vs 397.3, respectively), and roughly 23 yards in yards allowed per game (338.9 vs 315.3). The difference, in all seriousness, could come down to the electric atmosphere at Mountain America Stadium. "The environment for the guys when they run out of the tunnel is real," Dillingham said. "To be loud on third downs, on fourth downs, it's real. I can't wait until we hit our first third down, their offense, our defense, and the place just stands up and erupts. That's going to be exciting." ASU, BYU Had Very Different WeeksBYU will have some added motivation, and not just because it's entering the game as an underdog. The Cougars' first loss of the season came against Kansas last week, marking the first time the team has had to respond to a loss.
A conference title game appearance is assured for BYU if it wins all of its remaining games, offering a little added juice for a game that has already captivated fans and talking heads across the nation. "They're going to come into this game like it's the Super Bowl, which it is," Dillingham said. "It's the same value for both sides, but they're going to come into this thing with a real good head football coach and a really good team, expecting to win and playing with a little bit something extra." The Sun Devils' head coach said the team's meteoric rise may have surprised some, but he has seen the potential since their Week 2 win over Mississippi State -- marking the team's first-ever win against an SEC opponent. "The first half of that game, when we came out, we were physical, we played hard, we played with a passion and then just the guys' camaraderie throughout it, that's when I was like, 'OK, these guys have something to them,'" Dillingham said. "I always knew that, but when you see it live in a game setting, it confirmed that we have something about ourselves." They sure do. Enjoy the Game, Create the AtmosphereYou have a chance to be part of something that could be talked about for years, if not decades, to come. Dillingham has spoken at length of his desire to 'activate The Valley.' The 34-year-old is turning into a folklore hero after bringing his hometown team to national prominence, though he's not focused on that aspect. He's as genuine as he is talented, and it's hard to imagine the local product not pausing a moment before Saturday's game to take in the atmosphere he is helping cultivate. For his part, the coach will always deflect any credit to the student athletes. But his message to fans has been just as clear over his first two seasons: Activate the Valley, full stop. "To be able to experience what they get to experience, which is an unbelievable college football environment on Saturday, is what we need to get people bought back into here," Dillingham said. "There's nothing that can replicate it. This is going to be that entry game. We haven't had one yet since I've been here. this is going to be the game that people can really feel, wow, this is fun. "This is exciting." Yes it is, coach. Yes. It. Is. Editor's note: Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the FREE PHNX Daily here, and don't miss out on free, exclusive content about The Valley's top sports stories every morning! ποΈ ABOUT LAST NIGHT... β½ CIRCLE K CIRCLING BACK π¬ THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID
(results to be posted in Monday's newsletter) π GEAR UP π» DON'T MISS OUT |
The PHNX Daily brings you the top sports stories in Arizona every day, delivered right to your inbox! Follow along with all of your beloved AZ sports teams as we bring unique, free content featuring your favorite players, coaches and personalities from throughout the state's sports scene. You can also catch up on the most recent stories from your favorite PHNX writers, check out the most recent podcast from our vast offering of shows, and find all the information needed to see which of your teams are playing on any given day, what time they start, and where you can watch or listen to them. It's all free, delivered to you bright and early each and every morning!