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Arizona State’s comeback efforts ultimately fell short in their second-round matchup against Texas in the College Football Playoff. Still, the Sun Devils kept things classy after what was undoubtedly the best Playoff game of the postseason.

Arizona State trailed the Longhorns 17-3 at halftime but clawed its way back to force overtime before ultimately falling 39-31 in the second extra frame. Given that the Sun Devils‘ season ended in incredibly dramatic fashion, players were understandably frustrated, but ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham wasn’t going to let that frustration wipe away the standard he’s set at the program.

Some Arizona State players attempted to leave the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta before shaking hands with any Texas players or staff, but Dillingham wasn’t having it. Dillingham rounded them up and made sure his players showed great sportsmanship after the tough result.

“You lose the game, it doesn’t mean you just get to leave. You shake hands, that’s what you do. That’s sportsmanship,” Dillingham told reporters after the game. “So nothing more than, if we would have won, you shake the team’s hand. You lose, you go out there, and it’s not fun, but that’s part of life.”

Dillingham has done an unbelievable job at Arizona State since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2023 season in what was his first head coaching gig of his career. 

The Sun Devils struggled in year one under Dillingham, winning just three games, but they shocked the world in 2024. Many picked Arizona State to finish last in the Big 12, but the Sun Devils ignored that outside noise and won the conference to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff and go toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in the country.

Dillingham was among the most sought-after coaches during the 2023 hiring cycle and he’s more than proved his worth in just two seasons at the helm in Tempe.