TEMPE — Arizona State has failed its last two tests. 

On Oct. 3, the Sun Devils held their first home conference matchup and got embarrassed by Baylor in a 55-19 loss. 

The ASU defense surrendered 306 passing yards and four touchdowns to junior quarterback DJ Lagway in that game, as well as an average of 6.8 yards per carry combined between five rushers for the Bears. 

Most of the announced crowd of 54,063 headed for the exits early, and the few fans who did stick around booed the Sun Devils late in the game. 

However, ASU had the opportunity for a bounce-back performance after playing Baylor against Hawaii, now a 1-5 team that was a feeble opponent compared to the competition ASU has coming up.

While the Sun Devils managed a 30-12 victory against the Rainbow Warriors, nothing looked pretty. 

ASU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) has little time to recuperate as the Sun Devils are limping into a battle with Goliath this Saturday, when they travel to Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, to take on No. 10 Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0) in a homecoming game. 

The Red Raiders have been red-hot to start the season. 

Still, head coach Kenny Dillingham doesn’t want his team to go into Lubbock with their tails between their legs. 

“Every freaking game, I expect to win,” Dillingham said. “There has not been one game since I’ve been the head coach here that I have not taken the field expecting to win the football game.” 

A number of things will have to go right for the Sun Devils to pull out an upset, but Dillingham said he believes in their plan. 

“I think these guys have prepped to a level where I have a lot of confidence in them,” Dillingham said. 

Dillingham acknowledged that this preparation doesn’t guarantee success, but said it’s important for his team to keep doing everything it can to prepare and to believe in that preparation.

“You’ve just got to put yourself in the best position to be successful, and then try to go do it,” Dillingham said. 

Part of the challenge will be the atmosphere the Sun Devils are walking into. This includes–or so Dillingham hopes–fans at Galaxy Stadium throwing tortillas onto the field. 

The tradition of throwing tortillas in the direction of the field started in the 1980s, believed to be a reference to a comment from a broadcaster that Texas Tech has “nothing but Tech football and a tortilla factory.” 

However, in August of last year, the Big 12’s ban on objects thrown onto the field rendered this tradition illegal. On the second offense, this is good for a 15-yard penalty and a fine. 

Up against the odds, Dillingham said he’d be willing to take one for the team on third or fourth down if it meant a free 15 yards. 

“Anybody that wants to hit me with a tortilla, if it’s our third down, go for it,” Dillingham joked. 

While ASU is heading into what is likely to be a raucous environment, Dillingham said he feels like the Sun Devils are well prepared because they’ve seen just about everything this season. 

ASU has played in front of about as many types of atmospheres as possible: a home sellout, a packed road crowd with over 100,000 fans, a London crowd witnessing its first FBS game and even a sparse home crowd filled with boos. 

“We haven’t gotten hit by a tortilla yet, so that may be the next step,” Dillingham said. Schematically, Texas Tech poses a number of threats. 

Dillingham said that, while the Red Raiders get praised for their passing game, their calling card is actually their ability to run the ball. 

“They want to tell you that they’re a pass-first, ‘spread’ team,” Dillingham said. “No.” 

Dillingham mentioned Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, and how running the ball is a family business for Leftwich, whose brother and father both have experience as offensive line coaches. 

“I think his family would be calling him weakly if he’s not scheming up runs,” Dillingham said. Texas Tech spreads the ball around in the rushing attack between three main running backs.

The Red Raiders’ leading rusher is junior running back J’Koby Williams, who’s rushed for 373 yards on 63 carries so far, good for an average of 5.9 yards per rush. Williams is the team leader in all three categories. 

Right behind him in carries is junior running back Cameron Dickey, with 57. Dickey, along with senior Quinten Joyner, both average just over four yards per carry in support of Williams. 

This gives Texas Tech a versatile rushing threat with an explosive first-team back and two very consistent runners behind him. 

Dillingham said this rushing ability is what opens up the passing game. 

“The game starts up front,” Dillingham said of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire’s mindset. Dillingham said this is especially important for the Red Raiders’ explosive passing plays. 

Teams can’t afford to not have defenders in the box because of the team’s ability to run the ball, but that can also expose weaknesses in the secondary. 

“You’ve got to be able to limit their explosives while stopping the run, and that’s what makes the offense good,” Dillingham said. 

Junior quarterback Will Hammond takes full advantage of this. 

Hammond has already thrown for 1,102 yards and 7.8 yards per reception. 

The last time these two teams matched up, ASU upset No. 7 Texas Tech at home in Hammond’s first career start. This isn’t keeping Dillingham from having respect for Hammond, who Dillingham mentioned is 5-0 on the season. 

“He’s a phenomenal player,” Dillingham said. 

While the task is tall as ASU heads to Lubbock, Dillingham wants the Sun Devils to focus on a simpler task: playing their own game. 

“If you want to have success, we have to play our best game,” Dillingham said.