Despite the timely bye, the Sun Devils will yet again be without star junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson for Saturday's, Nov. 15, game against the Mountaineers, marking the playmaker's third straight absence from the squad. 

“(We’ve) got a lot of guys dinged up,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said. 

ASU (6-3, 4-2 Big 12) faces a rolling WVU (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) squad in an early Saturday morning kickoff at Mountain American Stadium, with potential Big 12 title and College Football Playoff bids on the line. 

While the Mountaineers' record currently places them in 13th in the Big 12 standings, head coach Rich Rodriguez has the team flying high in November, winning their last two games against then-ranked No. 22 Houston and Colorado. 

“They’re stopping the run, being efficient on offense and winning the turnover battle,” Dillingham said. “Pretty good combination to win the last two games… Could have easily won the last three.” 

WVU’s offensive success over the past two weeks traces back to Rodriguez starting freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. against Texas Christian on Oct. 25. 

Since taking over the starting role, Fox has proven to be the sparkplug the Mountaineers needed all season, recording a passing touchdown in each game and leading the squad to a 2-1 record. 

“(WVU’s) passing game has really expanded the last couple of weeks,” Dillingham said. “(WVU) is always going to run the ball… Now they’re throwing the ball at an efficient rate with a quarterback change.” 

With the recent surge of WVU’s offensive attack, the Sun Devils received some welcome news this week, as the team announced that senior defensive lineman Prince Dorbah would be returning after missing the previous two games due to an injury. 

Dorbah, who is still tied for the team lead in sacks despite missing two outings, brings some much-needed firepower to an ASU defensive line that has at times struggled without the veteran. 

“Getting (Dorbah) back is huge for the pass rush,” Dillingham said. 

While the positive news of Dorbah's return from injury was a welcome boost to the Sun Devils defense, the unit also received a crushing blow when Dillingham announced Monday, Nov. 10, that Pat Tillman Leadership Council member and star senior safety Xavion Alford would be out for the remainder of the season. 

“That's a kid who’s been here since we got here as a staff,” Dillingham said. “He's one of the heartbeats of the program.” 

Alford, who has been battling an undisclosed injury since Sept. 6 against Mississippi State, was a cornerstone in ASU’s defense both on and off the field since arriving at the program in 2023. 

“It pains me that he's not going to be able to make it back,” Dillingham said. 

On the other side of the field, the Sun Devils look to continue momentum following the outstanding performance of senior quarterback Jeff Sims against Iowa State two weeks ago. 

Following the announcement that star sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt will miss  the remainder of the season, Sims was thrust into the spotlight and immediately showed his skill, throwing for 177 yards and a touchdown while setting the school quarterback rushing record with 228 yards and two scores coming on the ground.

“Our team loves Jeff,” Dillinghams said of the team's effort to rally around the signal caller. “He's a man of the people.” 

Despite the success on the ground, Sims could be in for a huge week through the air with the Mountaineers' defense currently leading the Big 12 this season in passing yards allowed. 

However, with Tyson's absence, other pass catchers will need to step up and produce for the offense to find success at home. 

“(Pass catchers) realize that anybody can get the ball in any snap… They’ve got to be ready when their moment shows up,” Dillingham said. “I think they did that two weeks ago, and I hope that continues.” 

While injuries are unavoidable, Dillingham and ASU look to close out the season strong for the remaining seniors on the squad, starting Saturday at 11 a.m. MST.. 

“One game at a time,” Dillingham said. “There's a lot of seniors left who have three games left to play football.”