Kenny Dillingham is doing something in Tempe that frankly didn't seem possible a few years ago. After the 2024 season saw the Sun Devils shock the world by winning the Big 12 and pushing Texas to double overtime in the playoff, the 2025 campaign arrived with massive expectations. Honestly, following up an 11-3 season is never easy. The arizona state football stats from this most recent 8-5 run tell a story of a team that’s no longer a "feel-good story" but a legitimate Big 12 factor, even if they hit some speed bumps in November.
They finished 6-3 in conference play. That’s solid. But you’ve gotta look at the context—they were dealing with a laundry list of injuries that would’ve buried most teams.
The Offensive Identity and Those Wild Rushing Numbers
The Sun Devils' offense was basically a "pick your poison" situation for most of the year. While the passing game gets the highlights, the ground game was the engine. ASU averaged 5.05 yards per carry as a team. That’s high-level efficiency. They racked up 2,517 rushing yards over 13 games.
One of the weirdest and most impressive stats? Jeff Sims—yeah, that Jeff Sims—came off the bench and put up 228 rushing yards in a single game against Iowa State. That's the ninth-highest single-game rushing total in the history of the program.
Then there’s Raleek Brown. He went off for 255 yards against Colorado in November. It’s kinda crazy when you realize that two of the top ten rushing performances in Sun Devil history happened in the same season by two different players.
🔗 Read more: Men's Sophie Cunningham Jersey: Why This Specific Kit is Selling Out Everywhere
Sam Leavitt and the Tyson Connection
Sam Leavitt didn't have the "Heisman" year some fans were dreaming of after the 2024 hype, but he was efficient. He finished with 2,908 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. More importantly, he only threw 9 interceptions on 430 attempts. He’s careful with the rock.
His favorite target, Jordyn Tyson, is just a different breed of athlete. Tyson finished the year with 61 catches for 711 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 9 games. If he stays healthy for the full 13-game slate, we're talking about a guy who likely shatters the 1,000-yard mark easily.
Why the Arizona State Football Stats Look Different on Defense
The defense was... well, it was a tale of two halves. On the season, they allowed 24.5 points per game. That’s not "elite," but in the Big 12, it’s usually enough to keep you in every game. They were particularly stingy in the first half of games, where they held opponents to a 129.74 passer rating.
But things got a little shaky in the fourth quarter.
💡 You might also like: Why Netball Girls Sri Lanka Are Quietly Dominating Asian Sports
Opposing quarterbacks threw 7 of their 20 touchdowns against ASU in the final frame. Some of that is probably fatigue, and some of it is definitely the depth issues caused by the injuries the CFP committee mentioned. Still, the Sun Devils managed 8 interceptions on the year. Xavion Alford remained the heart of that secondary, and while the sack numbers (21 total) weren't league-leading, the pressure was consistent enough to force 11 fumbles.
The Special Teams Factor
You can't talk about ASU's 2025 season without mentioning the kicking game. Jesus Gomez was a weapon. The team was 22-of-30 on field goals. That sounds like a lot of misses, but when you look at the distance, Dillingham was regularly asking for 50-plus yarders to bail out stalled drives. They also went 33-for-33 on PATs. In a season where they had several one-score games (like the 25-23 nail-biter against West Virginia), those points were the difference between a bowl game and staying home.
The Reality of the Big 12 Grind
Look, the 7-23 loss to Arizona in the Territorial Cup hurt. It sucked the air out of the room. It also dropped them to the 6th spot in the Big 12 standings. But looking at the full arizona state football stats profile, this team is miles ahead of where they were in the Herm Edwards era.
- Total Offense: 5,425 yards (5.85 yards per play)
- Third Down Conversions: 33.3% (This needs to get better, honestly)
- Red Zone Success: 78.7%
- Time of Possession: 31:32 per game (They love to control the clock)
They out-gained their opponents in total yardage (5,425 to 4,647). Usually, when you out-gain people by almost 800 yards over a season, you win more than 8 games. The 12 lost fumbles were the killer. You can't put the ball on the carpet 21 times and expect to beat teams like Utah or Houston.
📖 Related: Why Cumberland Valley Boys Basketball Dominates the Mid-Penn (and What’s Next)
What's Next for the Sun Devils
The program is clearly heading in the right direction under Dillingham. He’s already hitting the transfer portal hard for 2026 to fix the depth issues that plagued the defense in the second half of the season.
If you're looking to track where this team goes next, keep an eye on the turnover margin. That's the one stat that fluctuated wildly in 2025. If they can clean up the fumbles and get a full season of health from Jordyn Tyson, they’ll be right back in the thick of the Big 12 title race next year. You should also watch the early 2026 portal commits, as Dillingham has already started stockpiling defensive line talent to bolster that pass rush.
Check the official Sun Devil Athletics site for the updated 2026 spring roster to see which transfer portal additions are already on campus.