Arizona State forces 3 turnovers in win over Wyoming to start 2024
All offseason, coach Kenny Dillingham preached about forcing turnovers, and forty seconds into the first game of the season, the defense committed its first one.
Sophomore running back Kyson Brown is one of the faster players on the Arizona State football team. But Brown seems to have a little more momentum this week. Why? Well, the Sun Devils (1-0) will face Mississippi State (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain America Stadium.
Sure, an SEC opponent is enough to get any athlete excited. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete hails from Tupelo, Mississippi, which is where he got his nickname, Sipp. Tupelo is 67 miles north of the Mississippi State campus in Starkville, which Sipp has visited a few times.
“I have family, growing up they were all Mississippi State fans and some Ole Miss fans,” he said. “Some of my family are considering whether to cheer for me or not. It’s going to be good. A lot of hometown friends. A couple of guys I went to high school with are there. It’s going to be good to see those guys and hopefully we can compete at a good level and win.”
Brown, a mechanical engineering major, is enrolled in ASU’s Barret Honors program. He has emerged as one of the team’s most improved players. As a true freshman in 2023, he spent some time on special teams and has positioned himself for a larger role despite the depth of the ASU backfield.
In last week’s 48-7 win over Wyoming, Brown had six rushing attempts for 25 yards and two catches for 73 yards. His 68-yard touchdown pass was the longest play ASU had of the night.
“It was an incredible feeling to be back in the end zone,” Brown said. “Coming out of high school, you know I’m used to being in the end zone all the time on every play. On that play, I knew after I knocked the first guy out of the game that I wasn’t going to let anyone catch me.”
Brown lived in Mississippi until he moved to Lancaster, Texas, outside of Dallas, after his sophomore year of high school. After transferring, he sat out his third year. In his senior year, he averaged 9.5 yards per carry, finishing with 707 yards and 11 touchdowns on 74 carries, in addition to catching 14 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Sitting out his third year hurt his recruitment, but he still had big-name offers from Purdue, Missouri and Houston. The rest of his options were lesser-known schools. Mississippi State did not offer him.
He’s happy with the end result. A spot on the ASU football roster. During the offseason, he worked on his agility, flexibility and catching the ball, which was evident in his recent game with hits.
“We all have the potential to make big plays,” he said of his fellow running backs. “I think my role is to make plays no matter where they put me so I can perform.”
