What Stood Out From Kyle Whittingham’s Arizona State Week Press Conference
Oct 6, 2025, 1:24 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah heads into Week Seven with a high-stakes matchup at Rice-Eccles Stadium against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Head coach Kyle Whittingham met with reporters on Monday for his fifth in-season press conference of 2025.
Coming off a tough 48-14 win at West Virginia, Utah enjoyed a bye this past weekend. The Utes are looking to build momentum in a late-night clash that will have major implications for the Big 12 race.
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The session lasted about 15 minutes, during which he offered updates on injuries, personnel, and the team’s focus heading into this pivotal conference matchup.
One – The Matchup with Arizona State
“Arizona State back at Rice-Eccles this week, and night games at Rice-Eccles is one of the best environments in the country,” Whittingham said. “Sun Devils are playing good football. They’ve got two really outstanding players: #0, Jordyn Tyson, who’s leading the conference in receiving, and #3, Raleek Brown, who leads in rushing.”
Tyson has been a dynamic force for ASU through the first six games of 2025, catching 483 yards and 7 touchdowns, while consistently drawing the attention of multiple defenders on every snap. His route-running and ability to create separation make him one of the most explosive receiving threats in the Big 12.
Brown, meanwhile, leads the conference in rushing with over 506 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and has consistently broken tackles to extend plays.
Whittingham noted that both players are catalysts for ASU’s offense, along with quarterback Sam Leavitt, “who is dangerous, especially when he runs the football. He’s done so much damage to teams this year, making big plays with his legs.”
On defense, Whittingham added: “They’re very athletic, fundamentally sound, and technique-driven. Not overly elaborate schemes, but a solid defense, and they’ve got great athletes.”
The Sun Devils’ defense ranks No. 13 nationally in sack rate at 14.1%, consistently generating sacks and hurries, while also ranking No. 26 in run stuffs at 23.3%, showing they can disrupt the backfield.
Led by standout defenders in the front seven and a disciplined secondary, ASU has allowed only 78.2 rushing yards per game and 242.8 passing yards per game, demonstrating a balanced and effective unit that can challenge Utah’s offense on both fronts.
Two – Nate Ritchie & Injury Updates
“None of those injuries were season-ending,” Whittingham explained. “Going forward, you’ll just check the availability report. But again, fortunately, not season-ending. We’ll see who we have available this week and who we don’t.”
With Ritchie likely to miss time, Utah has several options. “We have Nate Tilmon, who came in and did some good things as a true freshman,” Whittingham said. “There were a few errors last Saturday, but overall, he showed promise.”
“Jackson Bennee also has experience at safety,” he continued. “We have some options there, we have a couple corners that have good size, and we might look at moving one of those guys inside. Probably the Jeremiah Caldwell kid, if we go that route.”
Bennee spent most of spring ball playing safety. There is a lot of familiarity with the position for him. “Rock” Caldwell was a junior college addition to the secondary last year, and he actually played a number of snaps at safety last season with Garden City C.C..
Three – Byrd Ficklin’s Status & Role
Whittingham was asked whether true freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin would redshirt.
“We’re very pleased with what Byrd has done, I can tell you that much right now,” Whittingham said. “I would say there is not a concerted effort to redshirt Byrd.
Kyle Whittingham on Byrd Ficklin and whether they plan on redshirting him this season… pic.twitter.com/L0lZGDEGxy
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) October 6, 2025
Through four games in 2025, Ficklin has accumulated 106 passing yards and 91 rushing yards, scoring three total touchdowns without any interceptions.
“I think the road we’ve been going down is the road we’ll continue to go down,” Whittingham said. “He’s really made the most of his snaps and has looked very poised and very in control when he’s been out there.”
Ficklin’s performance has sparked discussions about his potential as a future starter. While sophomore Isaac Wilson currently holds the backup quarterback position by title, Ficklin’s development and usage has been very encouraging.
“For a true freshman, he’s very mature, and seems to handle his business the right way,” Whittingham finished.
Four – Big 12 Race Implications
“Texas Tech is obviously the odds on favorite, I meanhow can you not say that based on what’s happened so far?” Whittingham shared. “There’s always going to be surprises, Iowa State getting beat by Cincinnati last week, I didn’t see that coming.
He continued, “I think that there’s probably four or five, maybe six teams that still have a legit shot at winning the conference, but it’s all got to go through Texas Tech right now.”
Utah currently sits 4–1 with one conference loss. A strong performance against Arizona State could propel the Utes into the toughest phase of the schedule.
Texas Tech remains undefeated and leads the conference with a perfect 5–0 record. Their high-powered offense and solid defense make them the team to beat. BYU also boasts a 5–0 record, with a balanced team that has played well both offensively and defensively. Arizona State has won three consecutive games, including a notable victories over Baylor and TCU, and is positioned well in the standings.
Cincinnati has been consistent, winning four straight games, including a big one over Iowa State this weekend. The Utes, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, TCU, and Arizona are all within striking distance, each with one or two conference losses.
As of Week 6 in the 2025 college football season, the Big 12 Conference is shaping up to be highly competitive, with several teams vying for a spot in the championship game. Here’s an overview of the current standings and the race for the title:
Big 12 Standings (as of Week 6):
| Team | Conference Record | Overall Record | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Tech | 2–0 | 5–0 | W5 |
| BYU | 2–0 | 5–0 | W5 |
| Arizona State | 2–0 | 4–1 | W3 |
| Cincinnati | 2–0 | 4–1 | W4 |
| Iowa State | 2–1 | 5–1 | L1 |
| Baylor | 2–1 | 4–2 | W2 |
| Kansas | 2–1 | 4–2 | W1 |
| TCU | 1–1 | 4–1 | W1 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 4–1 | W1 |
| Arizona | 1–1 | 4–1 | W1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 4–1 | L1 |
| UCF | 0–2 | 3–2 | L2 |
| Oklahoma State | 0–2 | 1–4 | L4 |
| Colorado | 0–3 | 2–4 | L3 |
| West Virginia | 0–3 | 2–4 | L3 |
Five – Ending the Winless Streak at Home in the Big 12
“That sucks,” Whittingham said in response to a question about Utah being 0-5 the last two years in Big 12 play at Rice Eccles.
The Utes, who have notoriously been tough to beat at home, have struggled the last few years to protect the home field. The crowd has always shown up and provided a raucous environment, now it’s on the team to buck the trend and get back to winning in the comfy confines of RES.
“That’s a trend we certainly hope to break this weekend,” he finished.
With the Sun Devils’ potent offense coming to Salt Lake City, Utah will need to execute across all phases—offense, defense, and special teams—to maintain its home-field advantage and build momentum for the second half of the season.
