Arizona State University’s football squad took the field on August 22 for a preseason scrimmage at Mountain America Stadium, facing Morgan State before a modest crowd.
The offense moved the ball with relative ease, stringing together several sustained drives and capping the night with an 80‑yard touchdown pass from sophomore Grayson Rigdon to Mikey Keene, the longest play of the session.
Special teams proved to be a bright spot, with kicker Carson Smith and Carston Kieffer each nailing 52‑yard field goals and Smith also converting a 38‑yard attempt, while punters Kanyon Floyd and Nick McLarty combined for five successful kicks ranging from 42 to 50 yards.
The pass rush showed promise, as edge rushers Joshua Shanklin and Emar'rion Winston each recorded two sacks, complemented by single‑digit pressures from Roman Pitre and Tristan Bacon.
However the line’s blocking consistency drew criticism; tight ends struggled to keep defensive ends at bay, allowing the front seven to penetrate and pressure the quarterback.
Running backs displayed depth, with Jason Brown, Demarius Man Man Robinson and Cardae Mack rotating in and showing versatility, while the defense’s ability to generate takeaways remained limited, producing only a single interception early on.
Key Takeaways
Coach Kenny Dillingham praised the offensive execution but emphasized that pass protection and creating more turnovers will be crucial moving forward, noting the team’s overall consistency as a positive foundation, and highlighted injuries to sophomore defensive back Nigel Pringle and lineman My'Keil Gardner, both of whom will miss the remainder of the preseason.