Twelve. That’s how many times Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham estimated he has watched the 39-31 double overtime loss to Texas in the Jan. 1 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Alone and tucked away in his office for each viewing, he’s trying to find out what tips the Longhorns had over his players. But Dillingham also is assessing his performance. And there’s one moment from the game he keeps going over.
No, it wasn’t the non-targeting call on Texas safety Michael Taaffe, which the sports world has debated over and over.
The second-year head coach, who opted to not wade into the targeting discourse, explained that a series of defensive play calls would have been put in to counteract Ewers at the line of scrimmage like an offense does with its audibles.
But with no timeouts left, the defense was left on its own and Ewers floated in a pass over the head of safety Xavion Alford – who Dillingham said did what he was instructed to do on the play – into the hands of wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Later, the conversation shifted to the structure of the player-led program. At Arizona State, comprised of players on the roster – plays a critical role in the leadership of the team.
Dillingham revealed an interesting tidbit when talking about his philosophy of the council: He doesn’t lock his car. It seems odd, but it aligns with Dillingham’s glass-half-full outlook on life and why he lets the players make the calls.
Just don’t try to check if Dillingham’s car is actually unlocked moving forward. He’ll be locking it now after revealing to the world about his peculiar habit.
