TEMPE, Ariz. — After Arizona State racked up nearly 6,400 miles in September, it’s good to be home. 

ASU hasn’t played in front of its home crowd in nearly a month, with the only game to date at Mountain America Stadium being a 70-7 barnstorming of FCS opponent Morgan State back on Sept. 5. That was 27 days ago. 

Over the last three weeks, the Sun Devils visited then-No. 10 Texas A&M, traveled across the Atlantic to play Kansas in the inaugural Union Jack Classic in London and had their bye in Week 4. 

So, after 29 days and the second-longest trip in program history, ASU returns home on Saturday, Oct. 3, to take on Baylor in the first true home atmosphere of the season. The Sun Devils and Bears enter play with eerily similar starts to their seasons in an early Big 12 matchup.

With thousands of miles under his belt, head coach Kenny Dillingham said he’s thankful to be back home.

“I love playing at home,” Dillingham said. “I love running out of the tunnel and seeing 12,000 students…that’s remarkable.” 

Since 2024, ASU is 12-2 at home and 3-2 in games following a bye week under Dillingham.

ASU’s competition is much stronger this time around in Tempe, as the Bears come into Saturday’s matchup with a 3-1 record on the young campaign. 

Baylor boasts an identical 1-0 Big 12 record to ASU, picking up its first conference win last week in a 23-13 win over Colorado. 

The parallels between these two squads don’t stop there, as the lone loss for both teams came to an SEC opponent. 

ASU fell to the Aggies 48-20 in Week 2, while the Bears came up a few blades of grass short in a 17-16 loss to Auburn in the season opener. 

Dillingham discussed how the significance of Saturday’s showdown could be much greater if Baylor came to Tempe undefeated. 

“Literally, (Baylor is) four inches away from being 4-0,” Dillingham said. “If they reach the ball four more inches, this is a top 25 team coming to town.”

The Bears also enter Saturday’s matchup looking for revenge after ASU walked them off in Waco, Texas, last September on a Jesus Gomez field goal.

Leading the way for redemption on Saturday are two quarterbacks who have each started two games.

Of the two, junior quarterback DJ Lagway is expected to start on Saturday.

Lagway currently sits at 554 yards and four touchdowns in two games, having missed the latter half of Baylor’s September matchups due to an ankle injury. 

Sun Devils defensive coordinator Brian Ward thinks Lagway’s arm talent is at a pro-caliber level. 

“He can make every throw,” Ward said. “He has NFL written all over him.” 

Even in a new conference, Lagway is familiar with ASU junior quarterback Cutter Boley. The two faced each other last season, but at different schools.

Last year, Boley’s Kentucky Wildcats hosted and decisively beat Lagway’s Florida Gators 38-7 on Nov. 8, 2025.

This year, both Boley and Lagway’s top-performing receivers are off to impressive starts. 

On ASU’s sideline, senior wide receiver Reed Harris ranks sixth in the nation in yards receiving per game at 124.7 and has five touchdowns. 

Despite the standout statistics, Harris still isn’t content with his overall output. 

“I think my plays have been good but not great,” Harris said. “I have some good stats but I think there’s room for improvement.” 

As a unit, ASU wide receivers’ 9.4 yards after the catch lead the nation and rank sixth with 305 yards after contact. 

For the Bears, fifth-year senior wideout Gavin Freeman’s stats pop off the page.

Freeman currently leads all of college football in receptions with 35, turning those catches into 364 yards and two trips to the end zone. 

Dillingham noted the unwavering energy Freeman, a primary slot receiver listed at 5-foot-9, brings to the table. 

“(Freeman is) just one of those guys that are wired to be full speed ahead all the time,” Dillingham said. “Obviously, operating out of the slot … it’s really just a different plan to take it away.” 

On the other side of the ball, Baylor brings a defense that hasn’t allowed 20-plus points in a game this season, with opponents averaging just 13 points per game in 2026.

Baylor also forces turnovers at a high rate, ranking second in the Big 12 with seven takeaways. 

Dillingham recognized the challenge the Bears defense poses, specifically the front seven. 

“When you watch them play… they win a lot of reps up front,” Dillingham said. “This will be a good, tough task for us.” 

Looking to carry its defensive momentum on the road, Baylor enters Saturday in unfamiliar territory. 

Outside of a neutral-site game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Bears have yet to play a road game. 

On top of that, Baylor hasn’t played in Tempe since 1990 or beaten the Sun Devils in three tries.

So, with history, home-field advantage and two weeks to prepare, Dillingham can’t wait to run out of the tunnel on Saturday night. 

“To me, there’s not many better things than to run out of that tunnel in a night game,” Dillingham said. “There’s nothing like it.”