ASU football and Kenny Dillingham got caught right in the eye of the storm – literally and figuratively. What was supposed to be a promising bounce-back stretch got washed away in a 42-10 blowout loss to Kyle Whittingham’s Utah. However, as Hurricane Priscilla’s remnants battered Arizona with flooding and chaos, the team found itself weathering its own storm. Fast forward to Week 7, and they’re sitting at 4-2, and yet off the field, the situation in Tempe is nothing short of catastrophic.

On October 13, Sun Devils insider Blake Niemann took to X to show the aftermath of Hurricane Priscilla, which had shredded parts of ASU football stadium, Mountain American stadium: “So a sudden rainstorm just hit Tempe. The field is completely drenched right now. Some of the labeling and banners have been ravaged in a way. The tunnel banner has completely fallen down. Crazy weather days here in Arizona!” The damage goes way beyond the stadium.

The remnants of Hurricane Priscilla, which weakened into a tropical storm, swept through Arizona in October and caused major weather disruptions. The storm brought hefty monthly rainfall, flooding several areas, including Tempe, Phoenix, Mesa, and Scottsdale. Officials issued multiple flood warnings as streets filled with water and visibility dropped, creating hazardous travel conditions. The severe weather also impacted the Arizona Fall League and other local sports events.

Likewise, Tempe experienced some of the worst impacts on Monday, as a powerful thunderstorm hit the city. The intense rainfall caused flooding in several neighborhoods and storm damage, such as downed trees and scattered debris. Mountain America Stadium, home to Arizona State University football, also sustained minor damage from the heavy winds and rain. Local emergency services were busy responding to calls of flooded roads and damaged property across the area.

The storm also led to widespread power outages throughout Maricopa County. By 2:00 p.m. local time, more than 36,000 homes and businesses were without electricity. The Salt River Project (SRP) reported over 26,000 outages, while the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) reported nearly 7,000 more.

Although Hurricane Priscilla didn’t make landfall in Arizona, its lingering moisture pushed deep into the state, bringing over two inches of rain to the Phoenix area and even higher totals in southeastern and northern parts of Arizona! On the field, the Sun Devils face a catastrophic threat this weekend.

Kenny Dillingham on Texas Tech’s NIL-Fueled Dominance

Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State Sun Devils are set to face Joey McGuire’s undefeated Texas Tech squad. It’s a team making headlines for spending a fortune of $28 million on NIL deals this season. Ahead of the matchup, Dillingham broke his silence on McGuire’s big-money approach during his press conference.

Blake Niemann posted the clip on X, noting Dillingham’s take on what it means for a program to be all-in: “Yeah, I mean, I think all-in is constantly changing. I think all-in is saying, wherever, you know, the top end is, we’re gonna get there… And that number’s changing, and that’s what all-in is, is constantly changing.” Notably, Dillingham showed nothing but respect for how McGuire and Texas Tech have embraced the new era of college football.

McGuire’s Red Raiders have evolved into one of the most aggressive NIL-driven programs in the country. With the financial backing of Texas oil money, Texas Tech landed 21 transfers. It completely revamped its roster, especially on the defense side, by bringing players like David Bailey (Stanford, one of the best players in the portal) and Romello Height (Georgia Tech). The investment is paying off handsomely. The Red Raiders are 6-0, have beaten every opponent by at least 23+ points, and are ranked No. 7 in the latest AP poll.

Dillingham explained it best: “It’s like, the person in seat 1 goes all-in… another 100 bucks… 400 bucks… all-in’s changing.” His point was simple – what it takes to compete keeps rising, and programs like Texas Tech set the bar.

While McGuire’s spending spree raised eyebrows across the Power 5, Dillingham’s words showered admiration for the boldness it takes to stay competitive in the NIL era – something the ASU football team hopes to match soon.