ASU Football Scrimmage Reveals Offensive Firepower and Defensive Struggles

Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham sees room for improvement after explosive plays on both sides

Apr. 13, 2026 at 2:48am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in the style of Pablo Picasso, depicting the chaotic energy and intensity of a college football scrimmage, with players and the field broken down into abstract shapes and planes of color.A cubist interpretation of the explosive plays and defensive struggles that defined Arizona State's football scrimmage.Tempe Today

Arizona State University's football team held a scrimmage that featured dominant performances from the offense, particularly the running game, but also exposed issues on the defensive side of the ball. Head coach Kenny Dillingham acknowledged the team's good effort and intent, but was critical of the high number of penalties, missed tackles, and other mistakes that need to be corrected before the season starts.

Why it matters

As ASU looks to build on last season and compete in the highly competitive Big 12 conference, the scrimmage highlighted both the team's strengths and areas that require further development. The explosive plays on offense are promising, but the defensive struggles against the run will need to be addressed to ensure the Sun Devils can compete at a high level.

The details

The ASU offense was led by a trio of running backs - Demarius Robinson, Marquis Gillis, and Cardae Mack - who each broke off touchdown runs of 75 yards or more. The offensive line also stood out, creating large holes for the backs. However, the defensive line struggled to stop the run, an issue that has plagued the team in recent seasons. On the other hand, the pass defense performed well, with the secondary and pass rush making life difficult for the quarterbacks.

  • The scrimmage took place on Saturday night at the Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields in Tempe, Arizona.
  • Earlier that same day, the 22nd annual Pat Tillman run was held, with over 20,000 people in attendance, including the ASU coaches and players.

The players

Kenny Dillingham

The head coach of the Arizona State University football team.

Demarius Robinson

One of the ASU running backs who had a touchdown run of 75 yards or more during the scrimmage.

Marquis Gillis

One of the ASU running backs who had a touchdown run of 75 yards or more during the scrimmage.

Cardae Mack

One of the ASU running backs who had a touchdown run of 75 yards or more during the scrimmage.

Brian Ward

The defensive coordinator for the Arizona State University football team.

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What they’re saying

“That was a bad football scrimmage. Too many penalties, explosive runs, missed tackles, not picking up pass pro. I mean, that was just a that wasn't a good day.”

— Kenny Dillingham, Head Coach

“Good effort, good intent, but our staff, we didn't prepare guys good enough to come out here and uh have a good scrimmage today.”

— Kenny Dillingham, Head Coach

“Too many penalties, especially in crit critical situations, too many missed tackles, right. Too many things that we've tried to correct that we haven't been able to correct. We got to get a lot fixed.”

— Kenny Dillingham, Head Coach

What’s next

The coaching staff plans to focus on cleaning up the mistakes and not installing any new plays or schemes in the remaining four days before the next scrimmage, in order to allow the players to become more familiar with the existing plays and formations.

The takeaway

The ASU football team's scrimmage highlighted both the offensive firepower and defensive struggles the team will need to address as they prepare for the upcoming season in the Big 12 conference. While the running game showed explosive potential, the defensive issues against the run and recurring mistakes will require significant work by the coaching staff to resolve.