What questions does ASU football have to answer for a successful 2024?

TEMPE — Arizona State football could very well be headed in the right direction in Kenny Dillingham’s second season, but the Sun Devils still have questions to answer if they want to be labeled as a success story in 2024.

ASU football is starting from a low point. Dillingham didn’t have a dream first season by any means.

He took over the offensive play-calling duties going into conference play. True freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada was injured in his first game — a sign of things to come as six different players attempting passes over 2023 was just one piece to an injury-plagued season. Then-offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin was replaced after the season.

Leading up to Dillingham’s second season, the team has already suffered losses in the form of defensive back Macen Williams retiring from football and potential starting offensive lineman Jalen Klemm reportedly out indefinitely with a health issue.

Dillingham said Monday that linebacker Tate Romney would miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand while offensive lineman Sean Na’a and defensive end Prince Dorbah deal with leg issues that would sideline them 2-4 games.

But as Dillingham says, no one’s going to feel sorry for the Sun Devils. All that matters is how ASU finds a way to succeed despite it.

Can Arizona State football’s offense come together quickly with so many new pieces?

Only a handful of starters returned, including running back Cam Skattebo and 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention center Leif Fautanu.

New coordinator Marcus Arroyo will call plays for the offense that receiver Jordyn Tyson said is dramatically different from last season because of unpredictability.

“I feel like year one, it was kind of bland … you could guess it really easy. But now it’s more complex. We got more routes, we run every route, we run every concept and it’s good for us,” Tyson said.

Expected to be a big part of the offense after the injury bug got him in 2023, Tyson has shown the optionality of making plays on a variety of routes in practice.

“It feels amazing learning the new concepts that we have in there. Feel like we’re all getting a pretty good idea of everything,” receiver Melquan Stovall said.

Can the offensive line keep quarterback Sam Leavitt upright enough?

ASU allowed 30 sacks last season, more than any 2024 Big 12 team except Colorado (56) and Baylor (34), so it’s an area of emphasis this season.

Kenny Dillingham on his comfort level with the offensive line that has much more depth this season, trying to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2023. pic.twitter.com/snwriUEqPS

— State of the Sun Devils (@AZSportsDevils) August 26, 2024

A returning Fautanu should help, as would improved injury luck if the Sun Devils can get it. Dillingham has said the line was so depleted in 2023 that it couldn’t conventionally practice.

Ben Coleman, a 6-foot-3, 325-pound graduate student, was one of the earliest hit by injuries. He missed all of 2023 due to a spring injury after starting 11 of 12 games at Cal the year before. He could be one of the best linemen on the team this season.

There have been days in fall practices where the defensive line has had its way, but the Sun Devils believe it’s a testament to a vastly improved line on that side. 

Plus, Dillingham has said the balance between sides in practice indicates a strong overall group, and the offense has produced enough deep shots where it doesn’t feel like the line will prevent those come the regular season.

Josh Atkins is another new face on the line, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound redshirt junior who started 13 games for Hawai’i last year and is likely to start.

How do the Sun Devils win the turnover margin?

Leavitt has been borderline elite this fall when it comes to ball security, a point Dillingham made when the redshirt freshman was named the starter.

“In 300 clips of team series scenarios, he has two interceptions. So you’re talking 300 clips — that’s roughly five football games — and you have two interceptions,” Dillingham said. “That’s pretty good.”

Pair a quarterback who doesn’t throw many interceptions with a physical starting running back in Skattebo, who didn’t turn it over once in nearly 200 touches last season, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

The defense has to do its part, and that starts up front with two defensive tackles who each squat over 600 pounds: sophomore C.J. Fite and Arizona transfer Jacob Kongaika.

Their ability to pressure the pocket would be what allows Dorbah and Clayton Smith to hurry quarterbacks from the edge spots. The two combined for 10.5 sacks a year ago, ranking first (6.0, tied with BJ Green II, now at Colorado) and third (4.5) on the team, respectively.

If the line can do its job, a strong secondary can feast on opportunities along with linebackers, such as Keyshaun Elliott.

Catching the ball is an important step when given those opportunities, Dillingham aptly pointed out on Monday.

“You’ve gotta be a good player in good position and then make a play,” Dillingham said, also emphasizing fumbles forced and recovered. “Creating fumbles is a lot of effort, you’ve gotta harass the football.

“Those types of fumbles, there’s some luck involved for sure, but some teams consistently create them because they’re swarming to the ball. They make it a torture to run the ball … that’s something we’ve been emphasizing … make it hell for them to run the ball.”

How conventional will the punts be this season?

Skattebo was statistically the best punter for Arizona State a year ago, sending eight of them an average of 42.3 yards per boot. Josh Carlson and Ian Hershey had more cracks at it but their averages fell below 40 yards. 

The issue was concerning enough that it changed ASU’s approach. The Sun Devils went for it on nearly twice as many fourth downs (38) as their opponent in 2023 (21).

True freshman P Kanyon Floyd of Scottsdale Horizon High is expected to make a difference, while Skattebo has practiced in other special teams roles and Hershey remains on the roster.

“I don’t know if we’ll be as aggressive going for it this year as we were last year because we have an ability to punt the ball and flip the field,” Dillingham told reporters Saturday.

He said Floyd is capable of pinning opponents inside their own 20 from the ASU 35-yard line.

Floyd was the No. 2 punter in the 2024 class, according to 247 Sports’ composite ranking. He averaged 48.5 yards on punts in high school and kicked touchbacks on 69 of his 93 kickoffs as a senior, according to ASU.