Mississippi State took away the goal posts from Starkville after their 24–20 win over Arizona State Sun Devils. The signs are showing for ASU and the skepticism over their Big 12 fate will only get louder with each defeat. They are sorely missing Cam Skattebo’s bruising rushing style, but does that really mean last year was a one-man show? That’s the question now dividing Tempe.

When a fan suggested that ASU without Cam is nothing, 247Sports reporter Chris Karpman stepped in to crush the narrative with facts. “They had two other RBs each run for 100+ yards on the road against an SEC team on Saturday. And they have Tyson, four returning OL starters and several returning All-Big 12 defenders to the best run-stopping defense in the Big 12. Lame post,” he fired back. Karpman’s right. Arizona State’s roster is loaded with enough proven pieces that one missing star shouldn’t define the entire product.

In reality, Kyson Brown had picked up the rushing mantle admirably before getting hurt, and his injury has created more of a hole than Cam’s absence itself. On the outside, Jordyn Tyson is one of the most feared wideouts in America, a probable first-round pick who can turn a game with one stride. Pair him with starter QB Sam Leavitt, and you have an NFL-caliber duo. Yet Leavitt’s uneven showing in Starkville, finishing with a career-worst 45.5% completion percentage and a 54.9 PFF offensive grade, made the Bulldogs’ defense look stronger than it was. He started sharp, going 5-for-6 in the second half before that costly interception, but the rhythm never fully materialized.

Yet, coach Dillingham isn’t panicking. His tone after the game made it clear that for him, the sky isn’t falling, even if critics are already circling. “The goal of the season and the vision of the season, there’s been no change, and for us the funny thing about football, more than any other sport, it’s that not all the plays are equal,” Dillingham said.

Dillingham was still pleased with the way his team ran the ball in the loss and the way they fought back from a 17-point deficit. “Good football teams take the actual substance of that football game, and the substance was we played really good football in the second half on the road in a great environment.” What doomed ASU wasn’t talent. It was three long plays by Miss St. that swung the game. Beyond eliminating explosive plays, there are obvious areas for improvement: spreading the ball to more receivers, converting critical third downs, and Leavitt playing closer to the Heisman hopeful chatter that surrounded him in August. These are correctable, mechanical flaws, not roster limitations. That’s why this is no Cam Skattebo memorial tour.

Leavitt needs to spread the ball around

A quick look at Arizona State’s loss in Starkville makes one thing crystal clear: the Bulldogs didn’t beat the Sun Devils with sustained drives. They won on three lightning strikes. Mississippi State scored 3 touchdowns on passing plays of 48, 47, and 58 yards. The last one, cruelly enough, came in the final minute to deliver the knockout punch. Strip those plays away, and the Bulldogs managed just 192 yards of offense the rest of the night out of their 345 total. That’s the definition of letting a few haymakers undo an otherwise solid defensive showing.

But ASU’s own offense is starting to look a bit too predictable. Yes, Leavitt and Tyson have one of the most dangerous QB-WR connections in college football, but when every pass seems to be aimed Tyson’s way, defenses can load the dice. In the opener against NAU, Tyson hauled in 12 catches for 141 yards on a staggering 17 targets. The next two most-targeted players? RBs. Malik McClain was the only other receiver to register a catch. Against Mississippi State, the script barely changed. Tyson was targeted 11 times on just 22 pass attempts.

Even Kenny Dillingham admitted the imbalance: “We’ve got to get more guys involved. That’s the plan. In fall camp, that wasn’t an issue. We have to do a better job, myself, of getting more guys involved. We have guys out there that should be more involved.” Arizona State has the depth, the weapons, and the head coach to steady the ship. Saturday against Texas State at Mountain America Stadium offers the perfect stage to show that ASU is still a contender, not just a team from last year’s highlight reel.