The Arizona Cardinals enter the offseason coming off a victory, as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 47-24 in Sunday’s season finale.

Kyler Murray threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers in a game without any playoff implications.

Arizona doubled its win total from 2023 with an 8-9 record, good for third place in the NFC West. There will be pressure for this team to make a jump to the playoffs next season.

Here are reactions to Arizona’s final win of the season from Arizona Sports’ hosts and reporters:

Reaction from our staff to Cardinals win vs. 49ers

John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo:

What do you take out of a meaningless game that ends the season? Not much. The Cardinals played very well today and it was good to see them get up for this game and execute the game plan to near perfection. Kyler Murray had his way with a bad 49ers secondary and padded his season stats with 4 touchdown passes. Good for him because he came into the game with 17 so it got him over the hump of 20 touchdowns. My prediction before the season was 9-8 and they finished 8-9. It is a four-game improvement from last season — that is pretty good. What wasn’t good was going 2-5 down the stretch to end the season.

Now the real work begins for GM Monti Ossenfort identifying the needs of this team and addressing them. Figuring out who is a part of the next Cardinals team and who is not. What to do with Kyler. His season overall was pretty mediocre as has been most of his time in Arizona. He is not a bad quarterback. He is not a great quarterback. He is ok. You can win some games with him. Do you bring in a veteran backup? Do you draft a QB in the second/third round? Do you consider trading him? Or do you ride it out with him for one more season and if things don’t drastically improve you cut your losses after seven seasons? It is likely Murray is back next season but things have to be better for this era of Cardinals football to continue beyond 2025. More wins, better QB play and an offense that scares people are in order. Can Murray do it? Time will tell. So far he has done it here and there just not consistent enough to say for sure he is the future.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo:

The reaction to the game is pretty neutral. The Cardinals scored 40 points. Kyler had a really good game. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a TD. The Cards forced 3 turnovers. They’re not empty calories but the stakes were so low going into the game it’s not the kind of performance that creates momentum or builds towards the future. By the time the Cardinals open the 2025 season, this game will long be forgotten.

What we remember will be up to you. I’ll remember the six wins at the bye and only getting two wins over the final seven games. Maybe that’s not fair and the year-to-year accomplishments deserve more respect. Again, it’s up to you. But this season let me down. This team was in a position of strength and it was squandered and to me that’s what matters the most. Doubling the win total and getting three wins in the division compared to none a year ago is important. But fading down the stretch matters more to me.

Much will be said about this offseason. We all know they need an edge rusher. We all know that money needs to be spent and a commitment needs to be made. We all know Marvin Harrison Jr. needs to make a greater impact. What we don’t know is Kyler Murray’s ability to improve. Is there more there? Is this it? Is it a function of the talent around him? I’m deeply concerned that one more year won’t make a difference, that his ceiling is their ceiling, and he’s reached it.

Vince Marotta, co-host of Bickley & Marotta: 

I wasn’t really eagerly awaiting Sunday’s season finale for the Cardinals, and it’s hard to take much out of their 47-24 win over the 49ers at State Farm Stadium.

Yes, Kyler Murray played well. He threw four touchdown passes for the third time in his career. He didn’t turn the ball over — only the second time that’s happened post-bye week. Not coincidentally, the Cardinals won both of those games.

This is the type of game that Kyler supporters will point to, citing his tantalizing potential. It’s the type of game Kyler detractors will point to and say “where was that when the games mattered?”  The Kyler debate has raged for six full seasons in the desert, and it’s not ending anytime soon.

Trey McBride continues to be a stud. Saw some nice things from Marvin Harrison Jr. Greg Dortch was used well in the offense.

The defense was terrible in the first half but improved and played aggressively in the second half.

Their four-win improvement over last year isn’t insignificant. It does put a little wind in the team’s sails going into the offseason. But the front office has a lot of work to do. The same personnel needs that were evident a year ago remain needs.  Edge rusher, line depth on both sides, shutdown corner, linebacker and wide receiver positions need to be improved if this team wants to rise above mediocrity, which is what they displayed over the last seven weeks of the season.

Tyler Drake, lead Cardinals reporter and co-host of Cardinals Corner:

Say what you want about the 2024 Cardinals, but at least they played to the final whistle. In a meaningless game with zero postseason implications, Arizona didn’t lay down in its season finale win over San Francisco. For the first time in a while, the offense was much more sound. Crazy what will happen when your franchise quarterback keeps the ball out of the other team’s hands. Kyler Murray looked like his first-half-of-the-year self behind four touchdowns and a noticeable rhythm. And maybe Greg Dortch should have gotten some more touches! Gannon isn’t big on momentum, but at least the Cardinals can head into what should be a very busy offseason on a high note. One thing is for sure, though, posting a sub-.500 record in Year 3 of this new regime cannot happen.

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PHOENIX (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster’s 23 points helped Grand Canyon defeat Southern Utah 82-71 on Saturday night.

Grant-Foster also contributed nine rebounds and three steals for the Antelopes (11-4, 1-0 Western Athletic Conference). Collin Moore scored 17 points, shooting 7 for 13, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc. Duke Brennan shot 5 of 10 from the field and 6 for 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 16 points, while adding 15 rebounds.

Perhaps the highlight of the game was a ferocious dunk from Moore with 1:17 left in regulation. The 6-foot-4 guard effectively put the game out of reach (79-68) after JaKobe Coles bypassed a Southern Utah double team and found Moore cutting to the basket. He threw down a one-handed slam over Thunderbirds forward Brock Felder and gave the home crowd a thrill.

COLLIN MOORE DETONATION!!! 💥🤯 pic.twitter.com/Jve6EU7BPQ

— Grand Canyon Men’s Basketball (@GCU_MBB) January 5, 2025

With the 11-point win, GCU lengthened its winning streak to five games. Head coach Bryce Drew moved to 5-0 in WAC openers.

Moore, who also added two assists and two steals, was a standout player defensively for Drew and ended with a on-court rating of +19.

“When he was on the court, our defense was significantly better,” Drew said postgame. “Really pleased with him. Thought he had a rough patch that second half, and he really regrouped and came back. And that’s a great sign of his maturity, his confidence in himself, his confidence in wanting to win. He had a really good all-around game tonight.”

The ‘Lopes trailed Southern Utah for the first time (59-58) with 7:40 remaining in the second half before Brennan scored 11 of his 16 to help his squad pull away.

GCU finished its nonconference schedule with a blowout 112-66 win over Bryant behind a career-high 31 points from Makaih Williams. The sophomore guard did not find the scoring column in this one, but contributed two assists and two steals in his 17 minutes.

Dominique Ford led the Thunderbirds (8-7, 0-1) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and six rebounds. Jamir Simpson added 13 points for Southern Utah. Tavi Jackson had 12 points, nine assists and two steals.

GCU will head to Utah Valley (9-6, 1-0) for a Thursday night showdown while Southern Utah will host Tarleton State (6-10, 1-0) on the same day.

BJ Freeman was ejected in the second half of ASU’s 81-61 win over Colorado on Saturday after a flagrant 2 was called as he fought through a screen.

This is what they called a Flagrant 2 against Freeman. The call implies intent that is tough to determine IMO. pic.twitter.com/NqNv8l1lVM

— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 5, 2025

“I’m trying to fight through the screen and, I accidentally hit him somewhere nobody wants to be hit at, so I apologize. It wasn’t nothing that was intentional or nothing like that,” Freeman said postgame of his first ejection in 72 career games.

“It’s just me trying to fight through a screen so that I don’t gotta hear coach Hurley mouth (off) about nothing or get chewed out,” he said with a smile. “Because I’ve been having a hard time fighting through screens and playing help defense. I apologize to that player, it wasn’t intentional.”

It came after he posted a season-high 19 points (8-for-12 shooting) to key the Sun Devils’ first Big 12 win, and it was the first time in an ASU uniform Freeman looked like the all-conference guard he’s been for the past two years, albeit when he was in a much lesser Horizon League.

Freeman’s best stretch came as ASU had gone 4:18 without points between the end of the first half and the start of the second. He emphatically ended the drought with eight of ASU’s next 10 points over less than 2:30, also drawing an offensive foul in the stretch.

The performance came at a good time as leading scorer Joson Sanon (13.5 points per game) was out with an ankle injury sustained late in Tuesday’s loss to BYU, his first missed game of his career.

The ejection meant the already-shallow Sun Devils — which had played just seven players to that point — were even more so, as they entered the game without depth guard Austin Nunez in addition to Sanon being out.

“He’s moving fairly good and doing more everyday,” head coach Bobby Hurley told reporters postgame, noting Sanon’s availability for Wednesday’s game at No. 7 Kansas was still uncertain.

The lead, which was up to a game-high 25 points at the time, gave the shorthanded Sun Devils enough room for error to escape with the 20-point win.

How did BJ Freeman, ASU open up big lead vs. Colorado?

After Colorado opened with a 6-5 lead, the Sun Devils rattled off a 26-6 run in which three of the Buffaloes’ points came on a 3-pointer from a player who has just three makes on the year.

ASU, meanwhile, was 6-of-11 from 3 to start as it took Colorado 12 attempts to get two makes.

Colorado got back one of its most important wings in Andrej Jakimovski, who missed Monday’s 10-point loss to No. 5 Iowa State, but he struggled offensively with nine points on 4-for-14 shooting.

Instead it was ASU forward Basheer Jihad hitting two 3s in the first half as the team assisted on nine of 15 made field goals. He ended the game with 17 points (6-of-9, 4-of-6 from 3) and six rebounds.

ASU was up 40-17 before Colorado crammed in a 10-point run to end the half and make it more of a game.

The Sun Devils’ healthy star freshman, Jayden Quaintance, picked up a second straight double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with his two steals and three blocks.

ASU next plays at No. 7 Kansas on Wednesday at 7 p.m. MST on ESPN2.

The College Football Playoff quarterfinal game played at the Peach Bowl between Arizona State and Texas saw record-breaking TV viewership.

At 17.3 million viewers, it was the most-watched bowl game with a kickoff before 3 p.m. EST ever. The game was also the second-most watched college football game this season and saw viewership peak at 23.6 million viewers.

Only Ohio State vs. Oregon at the Rose Bowl garnered more viewers at 21.3 million, with a peak of 24.3 million.

Comparatively, 7.8 million watched last season’s Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Penn State (although it was not a playoff game).

The Fiesta Bowl between Penn State and Boise State at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium was ESPN’s least-watched College Football Playoff quarterfinal at 13.9 million viewers, with a peak of 15.9 million viewers.

The Peach Bowl was the highest-rated ASU game of the 2024 season by a large margin. The Big 12 Championship between Arizona State and Iowa State on Dec. 7 saw 6.9 million viewers.

Before the College Football Playoff quarterfinals were played, the Sun Devils had a total of nearly 14 million viewers for the rest their games during the 2024 season, the 37th most in the country.

Arizona State, along with Colorado and Kansas State, co-leads the nation with the most national broadcast games this season with 14.

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It’s been more like a drunken stumble than a mild trip-up for the Phoenix Suns since a 9-2 start to the season.

The reported link in the rumor mill between the Suns and Jimmy Butler’s Heat unhappiness is percolating because his situation with Miami is deteriorating as fast as Phoenix’s defensive abilities. We are in the new year and about a month out from the NBA trade deadline, and the friction between the sides has a lot of time to get worse.

We’ve already crossed into considering the mechanics of how a deal would work if the Suns truly decided to blow up this current Big 3 and direct attention to a pursuit of Butler, who Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported was interested in joining Phoenix weeks back.

But here’s another reason to hold your horses on wondering about Miami shipping Butler away.

The Heat have good reason to hold onto him and let him walk away by opting out this offseason and entering free agency.

That is, unless they receive a wild trade offer that Phoenix likely can’t put on the table, writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks:

If the Heat let the Jimmy Butler $48.8M salary this season expire (that is assuming he walks away from $52.4M), they would be well positioned to add to their roster this summer.

Miami would be $47M below the tax and have access to:

– $14M non-tax midlevel
– $5.1M biannual exception
– $50M+ in expiring contracts
– The ability to take back more salary in a trade

Heat president Pat Riley has already issued a warning shot toward Butler: That he will not trade the veteran forward, who is averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

That was before Butler said Thursday that he’d be finding joy playing anywhere else in the NBA. Riley’s statement effectively acted as a pre-negotiation tactic warning other teams that they’re not going to get a marked-down deal to acquire Butler from Miami.

Marks adds the Heat must get both financial freedom and win-now components in a trade.

As I’ve said before, there’s no incentive to trade Butler if the return doesn’t accomplish 2 things:

– Financial flexibility in 2025 and the future

– Keeps this roster competitive

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 3, 2025

 

And let’s refresh you on why else the Heat targeting a Jimmy Butler-to-Suns trade doesn’t make sense

The Suns could potentially trade Bradley Beal for Butler and a smaller salary coming back Phoenix’s way. But for the Heat, that would prolong their salary cap nightmare.

Miami taking on Beal’s $53.7 million owed next year and $57.1 million player option for 2026-27 only kicks the can down the road, something the Heat likely don’t want facing a repeater tax penalty.

It would seem the Heat and Riley have the leverage to risk Butler opting into the $52.4 million left on his contract. That arguably could offer better financial flexibility over taking any trade package from Phoenix, even if the Suns burn a few second-round picks or that 2031 first-rounder available to trade.

This is the pain point in any Butler trade at all — before getting into the Suns specifically.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps put it well here:

The other thing to consider: The argument of “it’s better to get something than nothing” no longer applies in today’s NBA. As we wrote last month, Miami does not want to be stuck with money it can’t move on its books in a Butler trade.

Whether Beal would waive his no-trade clause to join a Miami team that could remain somewhat competitive with him is in the background.

Whether the Suns see a combustible, injury-prone and offensively limited Butler joining Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as a fix for what ails them is the question. Owner Mat Ishbia, CEO Josh Bartelstein and president of basketball ops and GM James Jones will likely gauge that thought if this season continues to go south in Phoenix.

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PHOENIX — In the last seven weeks of 10 weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the worst teams in the league.

Since Nov. 13, Phoenix is 6-15, the 25th-best win percentage (.286). Across that span, the Suns are 12th in offense and 26th in defense, via Cleaning the Glass’ numbers that eliminate garbage time. A 9-2 start that the efficiency charts said was fine offense and average defense carried by clutch-time prowess has indeed regressed to the mean.

On the season overall, the Suns are ninth in offense and 24th in defense. In Cleaning the Glass’ win projections that take into account a team’s efficiency differential and the win total that typically follows, the Suns sit at 36.4, 12th in the Western Conference.

For those brave enough to still find optimism in this season, Phoenix has dealt with lots of injuries, is 13-4 when Devin Booker and Kevin Durant play and is only 3.5 games back of the sixth seed for an automatic playoff spot.

But this most recent stretch, one we are halfway through that is full of light competition and has already featured some opponent injury luck, provides zero indication this group can figure out how to play together in enough time to still contend. Because remember, that’s what we are supposed to be watching. A team that has a chance to win a championship.

Phoenix is 3-9 over its last dozen that was kicked off by a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, who are 2-26 since beginning the year 3-3.

There’s still time to turn it around. The last dozen games of this fortunate chunk of the schedule includes three games against teams above .500 and five versus squads who have yet to win 10 games.

But, man. Even just part of the way Phoenix is losing recently is demoralizing.

What’s gone wrong with the Phoenix Suns’ defense lately?

The Golden State Warriors, who sit 24th in rim frequency, picked Phoenix apart with simple buckets. You wouldn’t believe it by watching below, but the Suns actually defended well on the night. It was just these constant hiccups off great Warriors movement that made everything look easy.

There’s so much “that’s too easy” that I had to split the clips into three different sections.

Here’s the first quarter.

And the second.

Before things tightened up in the second half (sound familiar?), there were still had too many of these, particularly off switches on bigs.

This came on a night when the Suns only took 11 shots at the rim themselves. Phoenix is taking 23.4% of its shots at the rim, dead last in the NBA and nearly five percent lower than the 30th-place finisher last year (which was last year’s Warriors!). That figure is on pace for the lowest in Cleaning the Glass’ database since the 2007-08 Portland Trail Blazers.

How can the Suns get more?

“I think the randomness, getting different combinations in the pick-and-roll, I think maybe some more cutting and slashing away from the ball, taking advantage of I think two to the ball and then a hard guy rotating if and when we get it to the guy in the pocket,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said after practice on Thursday.

To Budenholzer’s point, watch back some of those Warriors buckets again after reading that quote. Or see below at some of the similar scores Memphis had inside.

 

Clearly if this season continues down this path, even if it gets marginally better, we owe Frank Vogel a giant apology. A “I forgot our anniversary” level of apology.

Going beyond how the lack of on-court execution, organization and vibes seemed to be on him, with the vibes being the only thing that has improved (and with time for those to still sour), what he achieved defensively with last year’s far worse off personnel should be retroactively commended.

It’s not like the Suns made a mistake firing him. It had to happen. But on the nights he’s feeling petty instead of upset for the guys on the team he formed relationships with going through another struggle, I’m sure he’s getting a laugh out of this.

The drop-off in the defense by default is making things more difficult on the offense. Facing set defenses more frequently will always do that.

And with the combination of recent injuries to key reserves that space the floor and Phoenix’s need for more overall defensive energy/personnel, it is playing more of Ryan Dunn and Josh Okogie. The thing is, it has to happen and is the right call. The effect on the offense, however, is problematic.

The Suns’ spacing has cratered, and with Phoenix’s movement decreasing as well, it has been at times ugly. The turnovers are starting to add up even more.

These examples are not meant to absolve Durant, but rather emphasize how much his turnover problems can get further amplified by this.

Look at the Warriors’ help defense on these. An easy distinguisher is how many feet are in the key. Long-time readers will remember how opponents for the 2021-23 Suns would be dead in the water if even one foot was touching paint because of how great their spacing was.

In the next game, Dunn and Okogie tried to cut more but the problems persisted. Focus more on where those two are here instead of the defenders.

 

While these two games have been without Jusuf Nurkic (suspension), Phoenix plays two centers in he and Mason Plumlee who consistently show reluctance in finishing at the rim. This is nothing new for Nurkic but Plumlee used to be one of the most agile and springy bigs in the NBA before age caught up to him.

Plumlee is actually shooting a very good 75% around the basket, much higher than Nurkic’s 65%, per Cleaning the Glass. That, however, has come via passing up plenty of opportunities.

Dunn, a good short roll player at Virginia the Suns should use more in that role, makes a terrific pass here that Plumlee has to finish in the dunker’s spot.

Here’s another with poor Tyus Jones eating a turnover because of it.

Watching other average-to-below average centers match up with Phoenix emphasizes how much better it would be if it had someone of that caliber and how much of a Suns weakness it has become. Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis produced 16 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a steal and four blocks in 23 minutes (!) he dominated the interior for at an undersized 6-foot-9. Memphis’ Jay Huff gives the Grizzlies a stretch 5 element and was in the right spot defensively, hustling his ass off along with everyone else.

All of that is massively weighing down the offense because the usual baffling giveaways have not left us in the new season.

These are just some of the Suns’ issues as a team that can’t stay healthy and is suffering in other parts of the floor. The aforementioned next 12 games across the month of January will tell us if there’s progress being made, enough to believe a deep playoff run is still possible, or things continue moving south and it’s time for this era of Suns basketball to end.

Coincidentally, the stretch of games concludes 12 days before the trade deadline.

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The Arizona Wildcats landed Wisconsin quarterback transfer Braedyn Locke on Friday.

Locke, a sophomore who began his career at Mississippi State and played significant roles for the Badgers the past two years, has two years of eligibility left. He slots in as a backup to returning quarterback Noah Fifita for the 2025 season.

Locke took over for injured Wisconsin starter Tyler Van Dyke in September and threw for 1,936 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. He completed 55% of his passes.

Another notable portal addition for the Wildcats is FCS All-American linebacker Blake Gotcher, who committed with a year of eligibility remaining after leading Division I with 162 tackles this past season.

The Wildcats have also landed Kansas State transfer and receiver Tre Spivey, a product of Hamilton High School in Chandler and son of former Arizona Diamondback Junior Spivey.

Tre Spivey caught 14 passes for 160 yards as a redshirt freshman this past year.

Fifita, who was not entered into the transfer portal, has announced he would return under new offensive coordinator Seth Doege.

Among Arizona’s biggest losses in the portal is linebacker Jacob Manu, who has committed to play at Washington in 2025.

He first announced his intention to leave on Dec. 10 and will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Huskies and former Arizona coach Jeff Fisch. Following a 2023 All Pac-12 First Team selection, Manu only saw seven games of action with a season-ending knee injury in October.

Manu’s school decision came after defensive backs Genesis Smith and Dalton Johnson exited the portal to return to Tucson next season. Smith, like Spivey, is also a product of Chandler’s Hamilton High School.

While Smith’s return keeps more talent at home, the defensive backfield has lost several key players. Starting cornerbacks Tacario Davis, Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Treydan Stukes, plus safety Gunner Maldonado, have hit the portal.

Davis is the most notable entrant for the football team so far. Before the 2024 season, he was projected as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick.

The junior finished 2024 with 43 tackles and six passes defensed.

Brent Brennan’s first year leading the Wildcats went far south of expectations with a good portion of the roster returning from a 10-win club a year prior. Arizona football was projected to finish fifth in the Big 12 but fell flat with a 4-8 record that ended with a 49-7 rivalry loss to Arizona State.

Here’s who is incoming and outgoing via the transfer portal by date.

Arizona Wildcats football transfer portal tracker for the 2025 offseason

Additions

RB Mike Mitchell (Dec. 28) — Utah

QB Braedyn Locke (Dec. 27) — Wisconsin

Edge Riley Wilson (Dec. 26) — Montana

WR Tre Spivey (Dec. 23) — Kansas State

OL Ka’ena DeCambra (Dec. 22) — Hawaii

OT Tristan Bounds (Dec. 22) — Michigan

LB Blake Gotcher (Dec. 21) — Northwestern State

RB Ismail Mahdi (Dec. 21) — Texas State

DL Deshawn McKnight (Dec. 20) UT Martin

OT Ty Buchanan (Dec. 20) — Texas Tech

OT Jordan Brown (Dec. 20) — Georgia Tech

S Dalton Johnson (Dec. 19) — Return to Arizona

WR Kris Hutson (Dec. 18) — Washington State

S Jshawn Frausto-Ramos (Dec. 18) — Stanford

CB Jay’Vion Cole (Dec. 16) — Texas

CB Michael Dansby (Dec. 15) — San Jose State

S Genesis Smith (Dec. 15) — Return to Arizona

EDGE Chancellor Owens (Dec. 14) — Northwestern State

WR Luke Wysong (Dec. 13) — New Mexico

Departures

OT Leif Magnuson (Jan. 3)

CB Marquis Groves-Killebrew (Dec. 26)

QB Adam Damante (Dec. 26)

TE Keyan Burnett (Dec. 20) — Kansas

CB Demetrius Freeney (Dec. 17) — Boise State

DL Keanu Mailoto (Dec. 16) — Boise State

CB Treydan Stukes (Dec. 11)

EDGE Nolan Clement (Dec. 11)

CB Tacario Davis (Dec. 11)

EDGE Cyrus Durham (Dec. 11)

OT Elijha Payne (Dec. 11)

LB Jacob Manu (Dec. 10) — Washington

S Gunner Maldonado (Dec. 10) — Kansas State

EDGE Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei (Dec. 10) — Washington

DL Nick Fernandez (Dec. 10)

DL Nick Fernandez (Dec. 10)

LB Kamuela Kaaihue (Dec. 10)

CB Emmanuel Karnley (Dec. 9) — Miami

EDGE Tristan Davis (Dec. 9)

OL Jonah Rodriguez (Dec. 9)

CB Demetrius Freeney (Dec. 8) — Boise State

WR Reymello Murphy (Dec. 8) — UConn

WR Jackson Holman (Dec. 8)

ATH Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine (Dec. 8)

RB Brandon Johnson (Dec. 8)

QB Anthony Garcia (Dec. 8)

OG Wendell Moe (Dec. 6) — Tennessee

OT JT Hand (Dec. 4) — Oregon State

RB Rayshon Luke (Dec. 3)

WR A.J. Jones (Dec. 3)

TE Dorian Thomas (Dec. 2)

DL Bryce Echols (Dec. 2) — Nevada

QB Brayden Dorman (Dec. 1)

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The Arizona Cardinals won’t know their official 2025 road map for some time. They do, however, have an idea of who they will be lining up against when next season rolls around.

These matchups include the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys.

The San Francisco 49ers’ Monday Night Football loss to the Detroit Lions, which locked Arizona into sole possession of third place in the NFC West, helped with that.

While the two divisional foes could end up tied record-wise with a 49ers win this week at State Farm Stadium, the Cardinals hold the advantage in the tiebreaker department.

Even if they ended up with the same head-to-head and division records, Arizona would still have the better win-loss percentage in the common games played tiebreaker.

Because of that, Arizona will have to face three teams — Packers, Bengals and Cowboys — that finished third in their respective divisions on top of the normal slate of NFC West games.

Who else makes up the Cardinals’ 2025 opponents?

In addition to the aforementioned teams, Arizona is also slated to take on members of the AFC South and NFC South.

That includes a 2024 first-round matchup between Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr., who is pacing all NFL rookie pass catchers with 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.

A full look at the Cardinals’ 2025 opponents:

HOME

– San Francisco 49ers
– Los Angeles Rams
– Seattle Seahawks
– Atlanta Falcons
– Jacksonville Jaguars
– Tennessee Titans
– Green Bay Packers
– Carolina Panthers

AWAY

– San Francisco 49ers
– Los Angeles Rams
– Seattle Seahawks
– Houston Texans
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers
– New Orleans Saints
– Cincinnati Bengals
– Indianapolis Colts
– Dallas Cowboys

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Arizona State football managed a heroic fourth quarter comeback and came one play short of reaching the College Football Playoff semifinal, but Texas pulled out the Peach Bowl win 39-31 in a double-overtime classic on Wednesday.

ASU running back Cam Skattebo unloaded the quiver on a touchdown pass, caught a 62-yard shot from Sam Leavitt, scored from the two-yard line and punched the ball in for a two-point conversion to bring ASU back from down 16 points in the second half of the fourth quarter.

ASU trailed Texas 24-8 with seven minutes left in the game, at which point ASU counted on its Heisman hopeful to step up in the brightest moment.

Texas had its chance to overcome Skattebo’s dominance with a 38-yard field goal at the end of regulation, but kicker Bert Auburn clanked the attempt off the upright to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Skattebo followed a 16-yard Leavitt scramble — that fired up legend Jake Plummer on the sideline — with a go-ahead three-yard touchdown run with the assist from guard Kyle Scott.

ASU was one play away from a trip to the Cotton Bowl. Texas had its back to the wall but tied the game on fourth-and-13 with a 28-yard touchdown pass by Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden.

The Longhorns quickly returned to the end zone on a pass to Gunnar Helm to open the second overtime, and they converted the mandatory two-point conversion.

Leavitt was intercepted on ASU’s next drive, as the Sun Devils found themselves on the wrong end of an epic football game, by far the most dramatic and compelling of the CFP.

“Now, there are no moral victories when the season ends. There’s no such thing,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “This should hurt and be painful. The locker room is dreadful right now, and it should be. If it wasn’t, something would be wrong. But at the same token, now that this is over, I really am going to challenge our guys to reflect on where it all started, because it really is remarkable. I won’t be able to sleep for a while. But I will reflect immediately, because it’s an incredible season.”

ASU turned around from 3-9 to 11-2 entering Wednesday game in which the team proved it belonged with the biggest names in college football.

” Crazy season … We just have a different level of passion and something that I’ve never been a part of,” Leavitt said.

YOU KNOW WHO IT IS… and credit Kyle Scott with the assist 🤣@CFAPeachBowl | #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/UPNPEYfSVL

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) January 1, 2025

Cam Skattebo, the quarterback

On fourth-and-two, Skattebo completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to receiver Malik McClain after a pitch from Leavitt. Skattebo rolled out to the 50-yard yard and threw a bomb nearly 40 yards down the field. McClain beat a pair of defenders to the end zone to cut the deficit to 24-14. ASU converted the two-point conversion to make it an eight-point game with 6:40 to play.

CAM SKATTEBO WITH THE 42-YARD TD PASS ON FOURTH DOWN 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/CksEs2NL4K

— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2025

Throwing TD passes is not new for ASU’s do-it-all running back, as Skattebo delivered a dime to beat UCLA last season.

ASU got the ball right back on a Javan Robinson interception after Ewers attempted to go deep.

Cam Skattebo, the receiver

The very next play involved a deep ball from Leavitt to Skattebo that gained 62 yards plus an additional nine yards for a facemask. Skattebo gave a mean mug to the crowd after his helmet was ripped off.

“You give him the ball, crazy things happen,” Dillingham said.

CAM SKATTEBO IS FEELING IT‼️ pic.twitter.com/8apa3WMJKe

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 1, 2025

Cam Skattebo, the running back

Three plays later, Skattebo pushed into the end zone to set up ASU for a game-tying two-point conversation attempt. The first try fell incomplete but a Texas holding call presented ASU the chance to drive Skattebo in from the 1-yard line on the following snap.

“I bet you nobody in this room thought we were going to even be close when we went down 17-3,” Skattebo said. “So we believed in ourselves. We believed in what we had going, and undeniable is what this team is about. … Everybody on this team believes in each other and that’s what kept us close.”

Skattebo had more total yards (passing, rushing and receiving) with 257 than Texas’ offense (250) by the two-minute timeout.

He broke ASU’s single-season rushing record in the third quarter, beating out Eno Benjamin’s 1,642 mark from 2018. Benjamin was on the sideline rooting Skattebo on.

Skattebo had been battling in the second half, puking on the sideline and coming back into the game after receiving fluids. Despite looking flush at time, Skattebo kept getting back out there and saving his best for crunch time.

“I drank too much water too fast and I was kind of feeling sloshy, and then felt better after,” Skattebo said.

He finished the game with 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and 42 passing yards. Leavitt competed 24 of 46 throws for 222 yards and added 60 rushing yards.

Special teams and red zone woes put ASU in a hole, as the Sun Devils trailed 17-3 at halftime. Skattebo showed frustration on the sidelines during the first half, as Texas successfully limited his early impact.

The Sun Devil defense stepped up to open the second half with a three-and-out and a safety, but the offense struggled to find pay dirt. Ewers scrambled for a touchdown to take a 23-8 lead, but Texas elected to kick the PAT instead of a two-point conversion to potentially take a three-possession lead.

Missed targeting call

A reason Texas had an opportunity to win the game on a field goal came from a controversial non-call for potential targeting against Texas. ASU’s Melquan Stovall took a shot over the middle that led to a review, but targeting was not called.

No targeting on Texas here 👀 pic.twitter.com/3BkmiD73MM

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2025

ASU ended up having to punt the ball back to Texas, who marched down the field before missing the kick. Auburn missed two kicks in the fourth quarter.

Fourth-down woes for ASU

Fourth downs became an Achilles heel for the Sun Devils, who failed to come out with positive outcomes on three separate instances in the middle two quarters.

Leavitt was sacked on a fourth-and-10 inside Texas territory, a Carston Kieffer 36-yard field goal was blocked and Skattebo was stonewalled for no gain on a fourth-and-goal rush from the 2-yard line.

“We moved the ball pretty effectively actually, and we just needed to convert in the red zone,” Leavitt said. “I take accountability for a lot of stuff that happened. … That’s one thing I’m going to carry over into next year.”

Each of the drives ending with a turnover on downs lasted at least nine plays, meaning ASU was failing to pay off strung out offensive efforts.

Texas, meanwhile, had a scoring opportunity on each drive that made it to ASU territory.

ASU outgained Texas 510-375 and ran 37 more plays.

Season-ending loss comes hours after ASU coach Kenny Dillingham gets new deal

Though the season’s run has come to an end, ASU knows the coach who led the eight-win turnaround will be around for the long haul.

The new contract Dillingham received just over 12 hours in advance of the Peach Bowl added five years to the current deal, with the potential to reach 10 years based on performance incentives, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported.

Many of the players at the top of the depth chart have already committed to return for next season, as well.

CFP outlook after Texas advances

The Longhorns await the winner of the Rose Bowl between Oregon and Ohio State.

On the other side of the bracket, Penn State advanced after knocking off Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions will have to wait until Thursday to know its opponent, as the Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia was that killed 15 people in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed a day because of an attack about a mile away from the Superdome early Wednesday, when authorities say a truck driver deliberately plowed into a New Year’s crowd and killed 15 people.

The game, originally scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Central at the 70,000-seat Superdome, was pushed back to 3 p.m. Thursday. The winner advances to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against Penn State.

“Public safety is paramount,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media briefing alongside federal, state and local officials, including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “All parties all agree that it’s in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game.”

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter said the decision to postpone the game “was not done lightly.”

“It was done with one single thing in mind: public safety — making sure that the citizens and visitors of this great city, not only for this event, but for every event you come to in Louisiana, that you will be safe,” Carter added. “And we will use every resource possible.”

Landry said he had a message for those thinking, “Man, do I really want to go to the Sugar Bowl tomorrow?”

“I tell you one thing: Your governor’s going to be there,” Landry said. “That is proof, believe you me, that that facility and this city is safer today than it was yesterday.”

Hundley said work was underway to “set up a safe and efficient and fun environment” at and around the Superdome on Thursday. “We live in the fun-and-games world with what we do, but we certainly recognize the importance of this and support (public safety efforts) 100%.”

The Superdome was on lockdown for security sweeps on Wednesday morning, when people with offices in the home of the NFL’s Saints — including officials with the Sugar Bowl and Sun Belt Conference — were told not to come into work until further notice.

Some credentialed Superdome employees were permitted into offices by Wednesday afternoon.

The casualties occurred when a driver rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, injuring more than 30 people. The driver was killed in a firefight with police following the attack at about 3:15 a.m. along Bourbon Street near Canal Street, the FBI said.

The Georgia and Notre Dame football teams arrived in New Orleans on Sunday and have been staying at downtown hotels just blocks away from where the violence occurred.

Statements from the University of Georgia Athletic Association and from Notre Dame said both schools had accounted for all team personnel and members of official travel parties.

“To be in solidarity with those who suffer is to exemplify the spirit of Notre Dame,” said university president the Rev. Robert A. Dowd. “Today, we are in solidarity with all those impacted by this tragedy.”

A statement from Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks offered prayers for “everyone involved in this horrific event, and we are here to support them in any way possible.”

Georgia president Jere Morehead said the university confirmed that a student was among those critically injured. Morehead said the university is in contact with the student’s family to offer support.

New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno told WDSU-TV earlier Wednesday, before the postponement was announced, that the security perimeter around the Superdome was being “extended to be a larger zone.”

“So expect obviously extra security,” she said. “There are more police officers who are coming in.”

The Superdome, which is about 20 blocks away, also is scheduled to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

The first Super Bowl after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, also was held in New Orleans, and there was a massive security perimeter for that game including street closures surrounding the Superdome and officers — including snipers — on the tops of surrounding high-rise buildings, as well as on the roof of the dome itself.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the devastating incident in New Orleans,” the NFL said in a statement. “The NFL and the local host committee have been working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies the past two years and have developed comprehensive security plans.

“These planning sessions will continue as they do with all major NFL events,” the statement continued. “We are confident attendees will have a safe and enjoyable Super Bowl experience.”

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