Football Lifts Lids on Dillingham Era on Thursday

THE GAME - Sun Devil Football lifts a number of lids in the Kenny Dillingham Era with the program's 2023 season opener this Thursday, Aug. 31 against Southern Utah at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils in Tempe. The contest will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks (Roxy Bernstein and Lincoln Kennedy) and available over the airwaves locally on ESPN 620 AM (Tim Healey, Jeff Van Raaphorst, Kevin Turner, Jeff Munn).

ON THE THUNDERBIRDS/SEASON OPENERS - ASU won the lone contest between these two programs with a 41-14 victory over th Thunderbirds in 2021.

ASU has won 23 straight home openers dating back to 1999, excluding the unusual circumstances of 2020 that didn't see ASU open at home until December. That streak is the third-longest active streak in the nation behind Florida (33), Oklahoma State (27).

ASU is 80-28-2 all-time in season openers and 62-15-1 when Opening Day is played at home. ASU has won 20-straight Opening Day games when played at Sun Devil Stadium.

KICKING OFF

AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...

MILESTONE WATCH

SMART DEVILS

ASU will compete with 22 young men this season that have already earned their undergraduate degrees: Emmit Bohle, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Trenton Bourguet, BS Communication, 2022, Ben Bray, BAE Secondary Education (Mathematics), 2023, Jordan Clark, BS Communication, 2022 , Jalin Conyers, BA Liberal Studies, 2023 , Anthonie Cooper, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2022, Christopher Edmonds, BA Liberal Studies, 2022, Michael Matus, MBA Business Administration, 2023, Gio Sanders, BS Psychology, 2022, Messiah Swinson, BA Liberal Studies, 2023, Macen Williams, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023, Cade Briggs, BA University Studies, 2023 (Texas Tech), Trae Brown, BA Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2022 (Washington State), Joshua Carlson, BA Business Administration, 2022 (New Mexico State), Ben Coleman, BA Media Studiees, 2022 (California), Sione Finau, BS Consumer Science Concentration, 2023 (Purdue), Demetries Ford, BS Criminal Justice, 2023 (Austin Peay), Dario Longhetto, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (California), Dashaun Mallory, BA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2023 (Michigan State), Joey Ramos, BS Business Management, 2022 (Iowa State), Melquan Stovall, BS Business Administration/Organization and Innovation Management, 2022 (Colorado State), Slater Zellers, BA Legal Studies, 2023(California)BY THE NUMBERS170 - Jalin Conyers had 229 receiving yards after the catch (out of 422 total yards) - the 21st-highest tally of all FBS tight ends. More impressively, 228 of those came in the final six games of ASU's season - fourth-most of all FBS tight ends from Week 7 onwards. He finished with 170 total yards after contact last season - fifth among all FBS tight ends despite only being significantly involved in the offense in the latter half of the year. He forced 21 missed tackles on the year - the most of any FBS tight end and 18 of those came in ASU's final six games. No other FBS tight end had more than 14 in the same stretch.78 - Coach Kenny Dillingham had his work cut out for him after taking the job eight months ago, essentially rebuilding the whole roster with 78 total newcomers this season - the second-most of any FBS school behind only Colorado (88). The team's 40 total transfers from all levels are also the second most in the FBS while the squad's 52 scholarship newcomers are third. ASU's 29 returning scholarship players are the second-fewest behind Colorado (9) and the team's 134 total starts returning are the fourth lowest in the FBS.Jaden Rashada will become just the second true freshman quarterback in program history to start the season opener, following Jayden Daniels in 2019.70 - Elijhah Badger finished with 70 receptions last season, the 9th most in single-season program history. It was the fifth-most in a 12-game season.His 25 missed tackles forced were tops among Pac-12 receivers and second among all FBS receivers during the regular season. He had 24 explosive receptions (15+ yards) on the season, good for 23rd among FBS receivers in the regular season and third in the Pac-12. His 32.0 adjusted target share percentage (targets/plays with an aimed pass) last season was second among all Pac-12 receivers. He Ffnished and 5.8 receptions per game (32nd in the FBS) and was Top-50 in total yards.44 - Since 2018, ASU has rushed for 100+ yards in 44 of 55 games (80.0 percent).Since 2020, ASU has picked up a first down or touchdown on 31.2 percent of its rushes - 19th-most in the FBS. The team is averaging 5.7 yards per rush in that time, tied for 12th in the FBS. ASU has received a team rushing grade of 94.6 from PFF since the 2020 season, the 20th-highest tally in the FBS The team has averaged 3.3 yards after contact per rush in that time - 21st in the FBS.The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher nine times in the last 12 seasons - with one of the lone exceptions being the shortened 2020 season. For comparison, from 1976-2010, ASU had a 1000-yard rusher just eight times.20 - Ro Torrence allowed just 20 receptions in coverage last season, the lowest tally among Pac-12 corners with at least 300 snaps played in coverage in the regular season and the 14th-lowest tally among all FBS corners.. Torrence allowed just 225 yards to receivers in coverage this season - the lowest in the Pac-12 regular season and the 16th-lowest tally in the FBS. His 0.72 yards allowed per coverage snap was fourth in the Pac-12 and 31st in the FBS. He allowed just four plays over 15 yards against him - tied for 6th-lowest in the FBS regular season.In Cover-0 or Cover-1, Torrence allowed just five catches on 101 coverage snaps - the lowest tally among FBS corners in the regular season.4 - B.J. Green was fourth among FBS interior linemen with 11 QB hits last season. His 37 total quarterback pressures were 10th among FBS interior linemen, however, he has done so on significantly fewer snaps. Green's 20.0 win percentage on pass rushing plays was second in the FBS among interior linemen and 15th among all defensive linemen, period. Green generated a QB pressure on 22.4 percent of his pass-rushing snaps - the-third best tally of any defensive lineman in the FBS and two percentage points higher than any other lineman (min. 150 pass rush snaps and four percentage points better than any other FBS interior lineman.

#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)

1. The Sun Devils will feature 78 new players on the roster in 2023, the second-most of any FBS institution behind only Colorado (88)

2. Jalin Conyers had 170 yards after contact last season, fifth among FBS tight ends despite only being significantly involved in the ASU offense over the final 6 games.

3. Washington State was 13th in the FBS in fewest missed tackles last season (118) with Brian Ward at the helm of the defense.

4. The Sun Devils have produced a 1,000-yard rusher nine times in the last 12 seasons (one of the exceptions being shortened 2020 season) after producing just eight from 1976-2010.

5. After struggled in the first 5 games (allowed 13 total pressures) Emmit Bohle allowing just 7 pressures over the final seven games - the 3rd-fewest of any Pac-12 tackle with 200+ pass-blocks from Oct. 2 onward and the 19th-lowest among FBS tackles.

6. Ro Torrence allowed just 225 yards to receivers in coverage last season - the lowest among corners in the Pac-12 regular season and 16th-lowest in the FBS.

7. Jaden Rashada will become just the second true freshman quarterback in Sun Devil history to start the season opener on Thursday, joining Jayden Daniels from 2019,

8. B.J. Green had a pass rush productive rating ((sacks + (.5 x hits) + (.5 x hurries)/play count) of 12.4 last season, tops among all FBS interior lineman and eighth among all linemen overall.

9. Elijhah Badger's 25 missed tackles forced on receptions last year were tops in the Pac-12 and second among FBS receivers during the regular season.

10 .The Sun Devils have recorded 22 pick-sixes sinc the 2012 season - seventh among FBS schools and have recorded at least one pick-six in each season sinc 2000 with the exception of 2020 - a 22 "full season" streak that is longest in th FBS.

RUSH HOUR

A HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

GETTING DEFENSIVE

NO FLY ZONE

GREEN LIGHT, GO

BADGER DON'T CARE

PROS AND CON-YERS

SKATT BACK

TAKING OFFENSE

MOUNTAIN AMERICA STADIUM, HOME OF THE ASU SUN DEVILS