Sun Devil football hosts Baylor in Big 12 home opener
If it feels like it's been ages since Sun Devil football played from the friendly confines of Mountain America Stadium, you're not wrong. By the time Saturday night rolls around, it will have been 35 days since the Sun Devils have had a home game.
Arizona State will keep on the Big 12 side of the schedule, playing host to the Baylor Bears. A repeat opponent from last season, the Sun Devils came away from Waco with a 27-24 win, thanks to the right foot of kicker Jesus Gomez.
Baylor will be playing their first true road game on Saturday, their only game away from Waco is also their only loss on the season, a 17-16 decision against Auburn in the Aflac Kickoff Game from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The top key for Baylor in the offseason was transitioning the defensive playcalling away from head coach Dave Aranda. New defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has hit the ground running in his new post, turning around a defensive unit that finished 2025 as the 122nd ranked scoring defense in FBS to become the 16th ranked (13 points against per game) through four games in 2026.
In large part, that has been accomplished with a much improved pass rush that is tied for 4th nationally with 15 sacks this season. Incoming transfer Hosea Wheeler and returning 5th year Kyler Jordan are the established leaders on the defensive line, opening the door for players on all three levels to wreak havoc on opposing offenses, such as safety Bo Onu and lineabcker Kyland Reed.
On the offensive side of the ball, the conversation starts and ends at quarterback. DJ Lagway was the crown jewel, fitting perfectly at the center of Jake Spavital's air-raid offensive scheme. Combined with the addition of wide receiver Gavin Freeman, the Bears offensive attack is deadly on paper. One thing to keep an eye on is Lagway's health. He missed two games after the loss to Auburn, and backup Nate Bennett didn't lose a step in his place. If Lagway is anything less than 100%, the Sun Devils can't sit back against Bennett.
So what are the keys for the Sun Devils this weekend? Top of the list has to be third-down conversions. The Sun Devils rank 127th nationally in conversion percentage (30.8%), and facing a defense coming off a 5 sack performance against Colorado will be no easy task. For the defense, Brian Ward's unit has to focus on containing Lagway in the pocket, and not allow him to use his dual threat ability to stretch plays and drives.
Kickoff from Mountain America Stadium is set for 7:30pm Arizona Time, airing on ESPN.
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