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TEMPE, Ariz. — The 2026 Arizona State football season could not have gotten off to a much better start
The Sun Devils overwhelmed Morgan State from the opening snap Saturday night, rolling to a dominant 70-7 victory at Mountain America Stadium in front of 54,004 fans.
Arizona State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, built a 49-7 halftime advantage and added three more touchdowns in the third quarter before the fourth quarter was shortened to 10 minutes by mutual agreement between the two coaching staffs.
The 70 points tied for the second-most in program history, matching the score of Arizona State’s 2020 victory over Arizona. Only the 79-point performance against Colorado State in 1969 ranks higher.
But beyond the final score, Saturday night provided ASU fans with their first extended look at a new-look Sun Devils team — and particularly at quarterback Cutter Boley.
The Kentucky transfer wasted little time introducing himself to Tempe.
Boley completed 21 of 27 passes for 387 yards and six touchdowns, finishing his Arizona State debut without an interception. His six touchdown passes were the most by a Sun Devil quarterback since Andrew Walter threw six in 2004.
It was an impressive first chapter for a quarterback stepping into the enormous shoes left behind by Sam Leavitt.
Boley Makes Immediate Impact
From the moment Boley took the field, Arizona State’s offense appeared to be operating at a different speed.
The Sun Devils needed only two plays to find the end zone.
Senior running back Kyson Brown took the first carry of his season 46 yards for a touchdown, immediately putting ASU ahead 7-0.
Rather than allowing Morgan State to settle in, Arizona State followed the touchdown with an onside kick, which the Sun Devils recovered.
Five plays later, Boley found transfer wide receiver Omarion Miller for a 10-yard touchdown.
Just over four minutes into the game, ASU had already built a 14-0 advantage.
The early aggression was a clear indication that head coach Kenny Dillingham had no intention of easing into the season.
After Morgan State briefly forced an ASU turnover, the Sun Devil defense answered with a fourth-down stop. Arizona State immediately turned that opportunity into points when sixth-year running back Marquis Gillis broke free for a 25-yard touchdown.
The scoreboard read 21-0 with more than six minutes still remaining in the opening quarter.
Morgan State finally answered with a touchdown drive of its own.
Running back Jordan Barnett finished off a 73-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 21-7.
That would be the final time the Bears found the end zone.
Reed Harris Emerges
With Boley looking comfortable in his first start, another major storyline emerged on the outside.
Reed Harris announced his arrival in spectacular fashion.
The transfer wide receiver caught six passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, giving Boley a legitimate big-play weapon and providing ASU with another dangerous option in the passing game.
His first touchdown came on a 28-yard strike from Boley late in the first quarter.
His second came with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, when Boley found Harris for an eight-yard touchdown to push the advantage to 49-7.
Harris wasn’t the only receiver to produce.
Miller finished with eight receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown, while sophomore running back Grayson Rigdon became another major part of the passing attack.
Rigdon hauled in two touchdown passes, including a 54-yard score and a 56-yard touchdown that came early in the second half.
Together, Boley and the ASU skill-position group repeatedly exposed the Morgan State defense vertically and in space.
Sun Devils Turn the Game Into a Rout
Once ASU established control, there was little Morgan State could do to slow the avalanche.
The Sun Devils scored 28 points in the first quarter, followed by another 21 in the second.
By halftime, Arizona State had amassed a 49-7 lead.
The third quarter brought more of the same.
Boley connected with Rigdon for the 56-yard touchdown before giving way to backup quarterback Mikey Keene.
Keene took over and helped guide another scoring drive, which ended with a short touchdown run.
Arizona State added another rushing touchdown later in the quarter to reach the 70-point mark.
At that point, the game was effectively over.
With the outcome long decided, the fourth quarter was shortened to 10 minutes by mutual agreement between the coaching staffs.
An Offensive Explosion
The numbers tell the story of just how thoroughly Arizona State controlled the night.
The Sun Devils finished with 682 total yards, including 433 through the air and 249 on the ground.
ASU’s offense consistently generated explosive plays, while the defense held Morgan State to only 188 total yards.
Arizona State also continued an impressive opening-drive streak, scoring on its first possession of the season for the 11th consecutive year, the longest such streak in college football.
The 70 points also tied for the second-highest single-game total in school history.
For an offense replacing several major contributors from last season, the performance offered plenty of encouragement.
Defense Does Its Part
While the offense understandably grabbed most of the headlines, Arizona State’s defense quietly delivered a dominant performance of its own.
Morgan State managed only 188 yards of total offense and was shut out after Barnett’s first-quarter touchdown.
The Bears struggled to sustain drives, while ASU consistently forced Morgan State into difficult down-and-distance situations.
Cameron Edge, who entered the season after a strong opening-game performance against North Carolina A&T, completed just 6 of 15 passes for 54 yards against the Sun Devils.
Morgan State’s rushing attack was similarly limited outside of a 39-yard run by Marquez Spells.
The Sun Devils’ ability to control the line of scrimmage allowed the offense to repeatedly start with favorable field position and keep pressure on the Bears.
What We Learned About ASU
Saturday’s victory obviously came against an FCS opponent, so there are limitations to what can be taken from the result.
But there were still several encouraging signs.
1. Cutter Boley looks comfortable
The biggest question entering the season was how Boley would handle replacing Leavitt.
One game isn’t enough to answer that question completely, but a 21-of-27 performance for 387 yards and six touchdowns is about as strong a debut as ASU could have hoped for.
Boley was decisive, accurate and aggressive without putting the football in harm’s way.
2. The receiving corps has serious potential
Harris and Miller both topped 100 receiving yards, while Rigdon added two explosive touchdown receptions.
That gives Dillingham plenty of options to work with as ASU enters the more difficult portion of its schedule.
3. The rushing attack remains dangerous
Brown needed only six carries to rush for 80 yards, including the opening 46-yard touchdown.
Gillis added another explosive touchdown run, and ASU consistently found running room throughout the night.
The ability to create explosive plays both through the air and on the ground should make this offense difficult to defend.
4. The real test is next
As impressive as Saturday night was, the difficulty level is about to increase dramatically.
Arizona State now turns its attention toward a road matchup with No. 8 Texas A&M.
That’s where we’ll learn considerably more about this team.
Morgan State provided an opportunity for the Sun Devils to build confidence, establish an offensive identity and give Boley valuable experience.
Texas A&M will provide something entirely different.
The Bottom Line
Arizona State entered 2026 with plenty of questions.
Who would replace Leavitt?
Could the offense remain explosive after losing major pieces?
Would the new additions immediately make an impact?
Against Morgan State, the Sun Devils answered those questions with an emphatic statement.
ASU 70, Morgan State 7.
Boley looked the part of a starting quarterback. The receiving corps looked deep and explosive. The running game produced chunk plays.The defense suffocated Morgan State for most of the night.
And Dillingham’s team looked every bit like a program that expects to compete at a high level in its second season in the Big 12.
Of course, Morgan State isn’t Texas A&M.
Next week’s trip to Kyle Field will provide the first true measuring stick of the 2026 Sun Devils.
For one night, though, Arizona State did exactly what it was supposed to do.
And it did so in spectacular fashion.
Final: Arizona State 70, Morgan State 7
Arizona State: 1-0
Morgan State: 1-1
Up Next: Arizona State at No. 8 Texas A&M
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