Arizona

Cardinals embarrassed by Commanders in Kingsbury's return

Published

1 year ago

September 29, 2024

Cardinals embarrassed by Commanders in Kingsbury's return

GLENDALE –Embarrassment. That was the word best associated with the end of the Kliff Kingsbury era with the Arizona Cardinals.

Whether it be the product on the field — especially at home — or the mountain of distractions off of it, there was no escaping it for the franchise.

Fast forward to two seasons later, and embarrassment was again coursing through State Farm Stadium with Kingsbury in attendance, albeit for a completely different reason.

In his return to Arizona as the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator, Kingsbury and former Arizona State Sun Devil Jayden Daniels again had their offense rolling, carving up the Cardinals to the tune of 42-14 on Sunday.

“We got a couple stops on defense. We scored some points, but not a lot (of positives),” head coach Jonathan Gannon said postgame. “This league is very humbling and we got humbled today.”

Even with Washington’s scoring and turnover streaks coming to an end, the Commanders had more than enough offense to get the job done on Sunday.

As a team, Washington amassed 449 yards of offense and scored on all but two of its drives throughout the afternoon.

Outside of an early interception, the Cardinals defense really had no answer for Daniels, who completed 86.7% of his passes (26-for-30) for 233 yards and a touchdown. He was not sacked.

“He’s a good player. He’s dynamic,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said postgame. “We had him wrapped up a couple times and he got out of it and made some plays with his legs. He gets the ball out and he’s accurate.

“I give him a lot of credit, but we’ve got to do a better job of affecting the quarterback.”

Washington’s run game had little resistance, too, rushing for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries. Daniels had his handprints in the run game, too, behind 47 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

The Commanders offense absolutely took it to the Cardinals on Sunday. But it was Kingsbury’s victory laps down the sideline on seemingly every Washington touchdown scored — getting a peek at the Arizona sideline every now and again — that was the proverbial twist of the knife for Cardinals fans.

And for as bad as the defense looked, the offense wasn’t much better.

In what’s become a common theme for the Cardinals this season, they had little trouble scoring on their opening drive behind a quarterback Kyler Murray two-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Much like last week, though, Arizona’s offense couldn’t back up the quick start. After going 55 yards for the score on the opening drive, the Cardinals registered just 51 yards across the next five possessions before eventually finding the end zone for a final time late in the third quarter.

Among the most glaring issues for the Cardinals offense was the inability to move the chains on third down, converting four times out of 11 tries (36%).

The poor third-down conversion rate has been a recurring theme in recent weeks, with the Cardinals going 1-for-9 on third down in last week’s loss to the Lions.

“We gotta be able to stay on the field,” Murray said postgame. “That’ll take a lot of the pressure off the defense. We all work together. When you can’t stay on the field on third down and the defense is always on the field, they get worn down and vice versa. As a team, we have to be better.”

Seeing Kingsbury back on the sidelines of State Farm Stadium was bound to bring back some memories for Cardinals fans.

They probably didn’t expect the Cardinals to pay homage to Kingsbury’s last ride in Arizona with that kind of performance, though.

A positive in waiting?

If you can find a positive outside of two defensive stops and a pair of touchdowns, take a bow. That’s harder than finding Waldo.

But while the negatives are front and center, how Arizona responds in the aftermath of the beatdown will speak a lot to the makeup of this team.

“We’ll get back to it and the positive will be what we get out of this tape tomorrow, the adjustments that we make, the corrections that we make and we’ll get better from it,” Gannon said. “That’ll be the positive from it.”

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Arizona

ASU, state of Arizona launch initiative to power up the public workforce

Published

7 hours ago

November 7, 2025

Press Room

ASU, state of Arizona launch initiative to power up the public workforce

Arizona’s public employees keep the state moving — maintaining infrastructure, supporting families and serving communities.

Through a new initiative from Arizona State University and the state of Arizona, these employees have the opportunity to strengthen key skills and apply them in service to their communities.

This statewide initiative brings together a broad portfolio of professional learning offerings developed by ASU’s schools and colleges — spanning business, data analytics and visualization, collaboration, leadership and more — to meet the evolving needs of Arizona’s workforce.

Participating ASU schools and colleges

The collaboration was created in response to employee engagement survey feedback that professional learning and development ranked among employees’ top priorities. Data also showed that employer-paid certifications are among the most valued workplace benefits, evidence that continued learning builds both satisfaction and performance in the workplace.

Due to its strong alignment with the needs of Arizona state employees, the program reached capacity just two weeks after launch. More than 1,000 employees expressed interest, and 600 have already enrolled. Additional enrollment will be offered as more space or funding becomes available.

In collaboration with their supervisors, employees were able to choose what fits their goals, such as a short course to sharpen computer application skills or a longer certificate that builds leadership, data and technology expertise. Every option is flexible, practical and available to eligible employees at no cost.

“Arizona’s state employees are the heart of public service. This partnership invests in them — helping our workforce strengthen its skills, stay adaptable and continue delivering the best possible service to the people of Arizona,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said. “The incredible demand for the program shows how much state employees value high-quality professional development and the opportunity to earn a credential, which will generate a strong return on investment for the state.”

Preparing Arizona’s workforce for the future

Across industries, work is being reshaped by new technologies, automation and artificial intelligence.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 “Future of Jobs Report,” nearly 40% of job skills will change within the next five years, while more than 170 million new roles will emerge globally as others evolve or disappear.

Arizona’s public agencies are navigating that same transformation. The ASU-Arizona partnership provides a structured, accessible way for employees to build digital fluency, strengthen leadership and enhance problem-solving skills relevant to their roles in government.

ASU, ranked No. 1 in the nation for innovation by U.S. News & World Report for 11 consecutive years, already has supported more than 1 million learners worldwide through its continuing and professional learning programs.

A leader in workforce development, the newest Global Employability University Ranking and Survey, or GEURS, again ranked ASU second among public U.S. universities for employable graduates — ahead of UCLA, the University of Michigan and Purdue. That same expertise now supports Arizona’s public workforce, offering learning experiences that help employees meet today’s challenges while preparing for those ahead.

“As a lifelong Arizonan, I’ve seen firsthand the impact public employees have in every community across our state,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. “Arizona will continue to thrive thanks to programs like this one, which ensures that our public employees have opportunities to learn and grow throughout their careers. This partnership reflects ASU’s commitment to transforming the university experience into a lifelong relationship that empowers people at every stage of life.”

Practical learning with measurable value

Eligible employees were able to participate in one of two program types designed to meet different professional goals:

Skills-based courses, focused primarily on digital and project management skills — including areas such as data analytics, agile project management and technology-enabled collaboration — many of which can be completed in eight hours or less.
Career certificate programs, providing deeper study in leadership, strategic thinking and data-driven decision-making.

Each offering provides practical, job-relevant tools that employees can apply immediately in their work. Upon completion, participants earn a digital credential from ASU, which can be shared in professional portfolios or annual performance evaluations.

The partnership also includes up to eight keynote sessions throughout the year, led by ASU experts, on leadership, innovation and managing change — giving employees a chance to learn together and share ideas across agencies.

By connecting the state’s workforce goals with ASU’s learning resources, the collaboration strengthens leadership and innovation across public service and supports Arizona’s capacity to adapt, grow and shape what’s next.

Learn more

While the program is at capacity, eligible employees can visit hr.az.gov/asu-careercatalyst-program to explore available offerings and join an interest list.

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Arizona

Hamilton vs. Chandler: Watch live Arizona high school football showdown Friday night (11/7/2025)

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Press Room

Hamilton vs. Chandler: Watch live Arizona high school football showdown Friday night (11/7/2025)

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The undefeated Hamilton Huskies (9-0, 3-0) travel to take on the red-hot Chandler Wolves (8-1, 3-0) in a pivotal 6A Fiesta League regular-season finale showdown on Friday night. With both teams sporting impressive resumes, this matchup is a can’t-miss battle for supremacy in one of Arizona’s top high school football rivalries.

The Huskies have been dominant all season, most recently cruising to a 63-0 victory over Cesar Chavez. Sophomore quarterback Jax Sculley tossed three touchdown passes, while fellow sophomore Jake Disanti added two more scoring strikes, and senior signal-caller Daniel Vaita also found the end zone through the air in the rout.

Chandler enters this clash riding a seven-game winning streak after last week’s 28-22 triumph over Pinnacle. Junior quarterback Will Mencl was the catalyst, throwing for 338 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for two scores. Sophomore running back David Douglas chipped in with a rushing touchdown of his own in the victory.

Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on Friday, November 7 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.

• WATCH: Hamilton vs. Chandler football is livestreaming on NFHS Network

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