Hi, Sun Devils! Skylar Vanterpool here, reporting live from a pool float on Tempe Town Lake in spirit, with a sports-science master's degree in my heart and a 40-ounce water bottle in my hand. Before we start: take a sip. I'm serious. Hydrate and dominate. I'll remind you again in 90 seconds.
This week is a two-part workout. Part one is the cooldown nobody wanted after a rough Saturday in Lubbock. Part two is the warmup for Kansas State, who are flying from the Little Apple into a desert afternoon. I hope they packed electrolytes.
Part 1: The Lubbock Cooldown
Let's be honest, because honesty is good for your heart rate. Texas Tech beat us 53-25 on Saturday in Lubbock. We're 3-3 and 1-2 in the Big 12. AP billed it as a matchup of the past two Big 12 champions, and I'll take the reminder: we won the league in 2024, and nobody can take that banner down.
But the first half was a tough set. Texas Tech scored on its last seven drives of the half and led 43-10 at the break. It started with a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown by Ben Roberts, three plays after we had recovered a fumble at our own 2. J'Koby Williams ran for 165 yards on just 11 carries, including touchdown runs of 62 and 38 yards. That's not a running back, babe. That's a sprinter who wandered onto the wrong field.
Now the bright spots, because every workout has a personal best. Cutter Boley hit Raiden Vines-Bright for a 74-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Boley went 5 of 10 for 124 yards with two interceptions before halftime. Then Mikey Keene came in and was smooth as a lap swim: 25 of 34 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He threw a 2-yard touchdown to Reed Harris, his Big 12-leading eighth touchdown catch. Then he hit Cardae Mack for a 12-yarder and passed to Kyson Brown for the two-point conversion. Derek Eusebio caught seven passes for 89 yards.
Coach Kenny Dillingham said he would assess all personnel after watching the tape, and he praised Keene's leadership and veteran presence. So we'll see who starts. I trust the process. I also trust my water bottle.
The hard truth: two weeks ago, Baylor beat us 55-19 at home. We need this defense to recover, rebuild and come back stronger, like a good leg day.
Part 2: Kansas State Comes to the Desert
Saturday, 3:45 p.m. Eastern, ESPN2, at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. Kansas State (4-2) at Arizona State (3-3). Arizona State leads the all-time series 6-1. We won the last meeting, 24-14 in Manhattan in 2024. The Wildcats' only win in the series came the last time they visited Tempe, in 2002. That was 24 years ago. Some of our students weren't even a sparkle in anybody's eye.
What the Wildcats Bring
I'll be a good host first. Kansas State is legit on the ground. The Wildcats rush for 239.8 yards a game, sixth in FBS, and they convert 59.3% of their third downs, second in the country. Quarterback Avery Johnson has 1,301 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, and he leads the team with 462 rushing yards on 51 carries. Their pass defense allows 136.3 yards a game, third in FBS. Respect. Hydrate.
Last Saturday they beat Kansas 35-24 for their 18th straight win in that rivalry. Joe Jackson ran for 159 yards and Johnson ran for 132.
What the Wildcats Also Bring
But, babe, let's look at the film. Against Kansas, Kansas State fell behind 17-7 at home. AP described a "rash of mistakes." The Wildcats lost a fumble. They failed on two fourth downs inside the Kansas 12. And early in the third quarter, they ran four straight times from first-and-goal at the Kansas 5 and didn't score. Four tries from 5 yards. I can swim 5 yards underwater. Twice.
Two weeks earlier, Houston came to Manhattan and beat Kansas State 35-16. And in September they lost 31-26 at Cincinnati. So the Wildcats are 1-2 in conference play, exactly like us. Same record, very different sunscreen needs.
Their run defense is the soft spot: 160 yards allowed a game, 96th in FBS. Kyson Brown, who has 329 rushing yards this season, should have some room to stretch.
What We Bring
Our passing game ranks 23rd in FBS at 276.7 yards a game. Harris has 41 catches for 653 yards and eight touchdowns. Owen Long leads us with 53 tackles, and Julian Hugo has three sacks. Our defense allows 32 points a game, 120th in FBS, and I won't pretend that number is a personal record. But it's a home game in the desert, against a team built to grind the clock. Kansas State holds the ball for 32:44 a game. That's a lot of time standing in Arizona sunshine. Hydrate, Wildcats. I mean it kindly. Mostly.
Pool Deck Postcards: A Tale of Two Towns
Tempe. Let me show you around. Tempe has 180,587 people, per the 2020 census, and it's built around a real lake. Tempe Town Lake was made by damming the Salt River, and it hosts Ironman Arizona and the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. Next to our stadium is Hayden Butte, widely known as A-Mountain, with our big "A" on its south face. Even our name is fancy. A pioneer named Darrell Duppa looked at the Salt River valley by the butte and compared it to the Vale of Tempe near Mount Olympus in Greece. We were named after a place near the home of the gods. Just saying.
And our mascot, Sparky, was designed by a Disney illustrator named Berk Anthony after students voted 819 to 196 in 1946 to become the Sun Devils. A Disney artist, babe. Sparky has a trident and a fancier animation pedigree than most cartoon characters.
Manhattan, Kansas. Now. I love a cute college town, and Manhattan is cute. It calls itself the "Little Apple." Which, okay, but you named yourself after New York and then called yourself little. That's like naming your pool "the Pacific, Jr."
And here's my most beloved town fact of the whole season. In June 1855, a steamboat called the Hartford, carrying settlers from Ohio, ran aground in the Kansas River. They had been headed 20 miles farther upstream. They got stuck, joined the local settlement, and insisted it be renamed Manhattan. Before that, the town had been named Boston. So Manhattan, Kansas, was named Boston first, and it only exists because a boat got stuck. Babe, that's not a founding. That's a towing problem.
Manhattan had 54,100 people at the 2020 census. Tempe has more than three Manhattans. The Konza Prairie south of town is a beautiful tallgrass preserve, and Aggieville is a six-block district of restaurants and shops. But when the Wildcats want water recreation, they drive 5 miles to Tuttle Creek Reservoir. We just walk to the lake. And our lake has an Ironman.
To be fair, Manhattan has very nice fall weather. We have late-October sun in the desert. Bring a hat. Bring two. Bring a water bottle. Okay, I'll bring you one.
The Final Rep
Here's how I see it. Kansas State runs the ball as well as anybody, but it stumbles near the goal and it gives up yards on the ground. Arizona State has a top-25 passing game, the Big 12's leading touchdown receiver and a home crowd that knows how to handle an afternoon in the sun. If we stay patient, tackle well and keep our heads cool, this one is ours to take.
Wear gold. Wear sunscreen. Drink water every 90 seconds. Hydrate and dominate, Sun Devils.
My call: Kansas State Wildcats 32, Arizona State Sun Devils 27.