Report: ASU expected to start Mikey Keene at quarterback vs. Kansas State

TEMPE — Mikey Keene is expected to pick up where he left off as Arizona State’s quarterback against Kansas State this weekend, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported on Wednesday.

Zenitz’s report came less than two hours after head coach Kenny Dillingham said he wasn’t going to reveal the plan at quarterback.

“We’re going to wait. There’s no injury, I would never play games like that; it’s not my deal,” Dillingham said. “But there’s no reason to say anything right now. Our team knows. It’s not hidden for us.”

Dillingham said Monday he didn’t want Kansas State to know the direction ASU was leaning, so he declined to name a starter at that point in the week and he did not give his assessment of either quarterback’s Saturday performance.

Keene took over at halftime of a 53-25 loss at Texas Tech on Saturday after Cutter Boley bookended his first half with interceptions, including a pick-six three plays after the ASU defense got a takeaway.

Keene threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns on 74% passing in the second half to outdo Boley’s 124 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 50% passing in the first.

“Mikey gave us a nice spark. … I thought the communication was really clean,” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said Tuesday. “Went down those first two drives and went right down the field, did some really nice things.

“And that spark is something I think can help us. We can fuel the fire a little bit with that, and hopefully it’s something that we fed into and guys can feel it.”

Keene has consistently shown better footwork and quicker decision-making than Boley, but the biggest advantage in favor of Boley to this point — beyond being six inches taller — has been his stronger arm, which gives him more upside.

Boley has 14 total touchdowns with five interceptions (three of which were returned for touchdowns) and 1,353 passing yards (seventh in the Big 12) in six starts this season.

Keene will make his first ASU start on Saturday, but he has 67 passing touchdowns with 28 interceptions across 41 career college appearances (67.9% completion rate).

It will not be his first start at Mountain America Stadium, as he led Fresno State to a 29-0 win at ASU in 2023, Dillingham’s first season in Tempe. Keene threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the win, with 46 yards and one score going to now-Sun Devil receiver Jalen Moss. 

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