ASU’s Kenny Dillingham Fires Brutal Jab as Jeff Lebby Makes Big Demands From Mississippi State Fans

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham spoke for nearly 20 minutes after Saturday’s wire-to-wire 38–19 victory over Northern Arizona. Interestingly, he called Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby’s place of business, Starkville, a “small town.” That’s where the Arizona State Sun Devils are headed in Week 2. And while the comment landed with a smirk, it also set the tone for what’s shaping up as one of the most fascinating matchups of the early season.

When pressed about the differences between traveling to big cities and small towns, Dillingham didn’t exactly sugarcoat it. “So interesting is now that we play in a lot smaller towns, we play further away from stadiums, our road game. So we stay about an hour and 20, hour and 15 minutes away from the stadium this week, because that’s the nearest hotel that’s not a casino to stay at. No, that’s the truth. That’s that some teams stay at the casino. That wasn’t even a joke, but it’s just the nearest hotel.” His point wasn’t about geography as much as logistics. Road games in small towns are their own beast, weird meals, limited facilities, and unusual routines.

“Some guys are finicky eaters,” he explained, pointing out how hotels sometimes serve food players won’t touch. “So now we get like sandwiches on the side… Texas Tech, we played last yea,r and our guys got sick the day of the game. We had about 10 guys their stomach’s; they’re getting IVs because their stomach’s were sick from the food.” That’s not just a throwaway detail. Coaches obsess over control, and food is part of the competitive equation. Kenny Dillingham has adapted by keeping backup meals on hand, anything from subs to burgers, because a player can’t go without proper fuel of two meals before kickoff.

In Seattle, he joked, “the food’s unbelievable,” but in smaller towns, feeding 160 people isn’t simple. What sounded like a jab at Starkville was really about preparation: how to keep a ranked team running like a machine on the road. While Dillingham was talking travel headaches, Jeff Lebby was cranking up the noise machine in Starkville.

On September 1, On3’s Mississippi State beat writer Robbie Faulk posted a copy of Lebby’s email to fans with the headline, “I Want You To Bring The Madness Saturday.” Lebby wrote: “Bulldog Family, We’re 1-0. But this week is bigger. Saturday night, under the new lights at Davis Wade Stadium, a Top-10 Arizona State team — a really good football team — is coming to town. And we need you. All of you.” It was less a note, more a rallying cry. Lebby, in his first year at the helm, knows an upset against a team like ASU could define the early arc of his tenure.

Mississippi State may be unranked, but Lebby understands the power of atmosphere. “This is our moment to show what Mississippi State is all about.” That plea, emotional as it was, underscores the obvious gap between these programs. MS State will be short three starters, and Lebby’s biggest weapon may be 60,000 fans willing to turn Starkville into a cauldron.

ASU, ranked No. 11, didn’t play a flawless opener. Northern Arizona hung around longer than the Sun Devils would like, but QB/RB Sam Leavitt/Jordyn Tyson showed why they’re one of the most dangerous duos in the country. Dillingham’s squad can call places like Starkville “small,” but their margin for error on the road is smaller. They controlled the opener, yes, but didn’t dominate in the way a top-10 team is expected to. That leaves open the question: are they primed for a statement, or for a stumble? September 7 will tell the tale.

Kenny Dillingham is keeping ASU fans engaged

Apart from his playful jabs in pressers, perhaps the most impressive feat Kenny Dillingham has pulled off in his short tenure at Arizona State doesn’t even take place between the white lines. It’s in the stands. A program that had seen its relationship with fans erode under Herm Edwards — and truthfully, even before that era — is suddenly alive again. Dillingham has managed to re-engage a Sun Devil fanbase that had grown distant, flipping the script at a pace nobody saw coming.

What makes it work is that he’s not just asking fans to show up, he’s giving them reasons to. Students are being encouraged to stay longer, new incentives are being crafted to reward loyalty, and behind the scenes, he and athletic director Graham Rossini are making tangible improvements to the overall fan experience. For a school that often felt like it was fighting apathy, this shift feels like oxygen.

And the proof is in the numbers. That August 30 opener against Northern Arizona wasn’t just a tune-up win on the field — it was a juggernaut in the stands. A record-breaking 14,280 students packed in, shattering previous marks. In total, 56,759 fans filled Sun Devil Stadium, despite the official capacity being just over 53,000. It’s safe to say that Kenny Dillingham has played a huge role in mending the relationship between the fans and the team.