ASU gets closer to elusive complete game with comfortable win over Colorado

TEMPE — Kenny Dillingham has talked almost weekly about Arizona State falling short of its capabilities this season, insistent that a higher ceiling was there to be reached.

ASU’s 20-10 win over Colorado on Saturday was the closest thing to a complete game the Sun Devils have played (against an FBS opponent) this season. And while there were impressive highlights from promising freshmen — including some trickery — it started with how the defense set the tone.

Colorado (3-6, 1-5 in Big 12) mustered just 21 total yards across its first four drives, failing to move the chains once. ASU (5-4, 3-3) was already up 10-0 by the time Colorado picked up a first down for the first time, halfway through the second quarter. ASU led 17-0 at the half.

Freshman quarterback Jake Fette had two catches by the time Colorado put points on the board, including one that went for a touchdown after he motioned out wide to set up fellow freshman Cardae Mack in the wildcat.

Fette showed off the more conventional element of his game — a live arm that hasn’t been fully unleashed yet — on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Reed Harris placed perfectly in front of the star receiver.

gorgeous ball from jake fette to reed harris for a 34-yard touchdown, this probably the best throw of his college career so far.

fette up to 7 of 8 for 101 yards through the air, two first-down pickups on the ground and his earlier touchdown catch in his first home start. pic.twitter.com/mb424wXRu7

— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) November 8, 2026

It was a major bounce-back game for Harris, as he finished with four catches for 103 yards and a touchdown after BYU double-covered him on most plays the previous week to the tune of just one catch for four yards.

Fette continues to look like the answer at quarterback for the Sun Devils, but each of ASU’s scoring drives was followed by a three-and-out. It can be fine to struggle putting together sustained offensive success against Colorado, but it likely would’ve prevented the same kind of win from happening against a ranked opponent.

Defensively, the Sun Devils were in the Buffaloes’ backfield all night, with three sacks from Albert Smith III, eight tackles for loss as a team and two more QB hits.

Cornerback Ashton Stamps took advantage when the Buffaloes pressed to make something happen with a downfield interception of Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson, just the fifth interception of the season by the ASU defense.

Colorado’s first points didn’t come until it made a 39-yard field goal as the final seconds of the third quarter ticked away. The Buffaloes averaged just 1.9 yards on the ground, tied for their season low.

However, it wasn’t all bright spots for the Sun Devils, as starting cornerback Rodney Bimage Jr. was carted off with an apparent right leg injury. Freshman Daquwan Dunn saw his snaps bumped up as a result.

Dunn was solid defensively and downed multiple punts inside Colorado’s five-yard line, but he was called for roughing the kicker on a late Colorado field goal attempt that was missed. That gave Colorado another set of downs from the seven, and it took just one play to punch in a touchdown.

Dillingham on Wednesday told reporters that his main focus for the final four games of the season was as simple as “getting better.”

“I know nobody likes to hear that, but that’s how I stay focused. I just want our football team to grow and get better every single week,” Dillingham said. “Obviously, you want to get judged by winning and losing, so winning would be great. That’s what I would prefer every single week.

“I want to see our team play a complete football game. We’ve been getting better, but I don’t think we’ve played to our maximum potential of this team. I don’t think it’s all struck at the same time.”

Dillingham noted that when one unit has been on top of its game, another unit happens to fall into a lull.

“I want to see a half, a game, where it’s like all three phases are playing at optimal level. That’s my number one goal is I want to get to that point with this team,” he said.

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