Week in Review
The season could have begun and ended with this past weekend’s utter domination en route to a 4th straight Territorial Cup victory and that would have been plenty satisfying. A complete effort in every phase of the game gave the Sun Devils their largest point total ever in the history of the rivalry with their 70-7 win. When the term, “from the opening kick” is used, it usually implies that a team had control for the whole game, but in this case, ASU literally dominated their inferior opponents from the opening kick with DJ Taylor’s 100 yard (108) kickoff return for a touchdown. That moment set the stage for the onslaught of turnovers (7 forced and 4 on downs) and touchdowns (10 in total) that were to come.
In a season and year of disappointment through tough losses, game cancellations, and external noise globally, this game was the cathartic therapy that Sun Devil Nation needed. There’s another game on the schedule, but this is the one that will stick in our memories. Those memories will be further aided by the fact the Sun Devils were wearing the classic gold Sparky helmet/maroon jersey/gold pant combination, a melding of different generations into one great looking, cohesive uniform.
Seeing Sparky is always great, especially after the 2011 rebrand. This is the sixth time Sparky has appeared on the helmet since he made his first return in 2014, and with this win, the Devils have won 3 in a row to even up Sparky’s record at 3-3 after dropping their first three straight with him on the helmet from 2014-2016. The Sun Devils are now 2-1 against their in-state rival while wearing Sparky, and 1-1 on the road in the Duel in the Desert series.
Matching the Sparky helmet with the 1975 throwback pants worn the week prior was a slam dunk. That pant style works great in modern-day college football. It works very well in displaying both ASU’s maroon and gold. The large player number decals on the back of the helmet added a different dimension but didn’t really add or detract from the uniform's look. It was an incredible look. Sparky always is. Add to that the exuberance and excitement of a big Territorial Cup win, and this was an absolute home run.
Sparky/Throwback Combo Grade: A+
The Week to Come
Uniform
The Pac 12 promised an extra week of games for every team based on the seeding after 6 regular season weeks. As luck, or lack thereof, would have it, the Sun Devils get to make a long road trip to Corvallis, Oregon, to take on Oregon State in the middle of December. Oh, if that weren’t enough, they get to kick off in the latest TV time slot. Oregon State has shown flashes of promise this year, including a win over rival Oregon. The Beavers’ Reser Stadium has not historically been friendly confines for the Devils, as they have had their fair share of struggles there, but they will put their best foot forward as they play for a third consecutive week in this topsy-turvy season. The equipment staff is looking to put their best foot forward, too, as they shake things up with a gold and white motif for this game. When the Devils take on the Beavers, they will wear a gold helmet/white jersey/white pants combination.
As a reminder, sublimation is a process in which heat is used to transfer ink into the uniform, providing a tonal effect within the color scheme of each jersey. The white jersey features a sublimated Arizona state flag in representing the sunset and the star across the chest in lieu of identifying text, which is now on the back of the jersey, keeping with the simplified style that is being seen more in both college football and the NFL.
The maroon player numbers on the uniforms being worn this weekend are outlined in gold on both the front and back of the jersey, as are the TV numbers on the sleeves.
The nameplate on the back of the jersey utilizes the black Sun Devil Bold font and above the nameplate is a small, maroon “ASU” outlined in gold. On the front of the jersey, near the right shoulder is a maroon and gold Pac 12 logo, and near the left shoulder is a black Adidas logo. Finally, at the collar's base is the black PT*42 shield in honor of ASU Football legend Pat Tillman.
The white pants have a small gold pitchfork with black trim near the right hip and a black adidas logo near the left hip. “Sun Devils” is in maroon Sun Devil Bold running vertically along the left thigh side. There is paneling on the pants that features the darker tonal white, not only providing further dimension to the uniform as a whole, but also serving a purpose in providing a greater range of motion.
Helmet
New decal alert! This is where Jerry Neilly and his team are again getting creative with the decals. The gold and white motif is most noticeable on the helmet. The gold helmet features standard-sized, silhouette pitchfork decals with a white outline and gold interior as well as a white center stripe. The facemask is also white, and the front bumpers will be both 2D and 3D with a gold base and maroon font that reads PT*42, also honoring the legendary Sun Devil, Pat Tillman. A similar look was worn against Oregon last year, but that helmet had a maroon center stripe, a gold facemask, and those pitchfork silhouettes had maroon trim with the gold interior.
The decals on the back of the helmet include a white Pac 12 shield, and the American flag, and the Warning label has maroon text. Players have the choice of adding a small Black Lives Matter decal of a fist holding a pitchfork as well. The decals on the back of the helmet are rounded out by small Sparky decals on either side of the helmet’s rear bumper.
Cleats and Socks
Both gold and white cleats will be worn for this game. The first pair pictured below are the gold-based adidas UltraBoosts. The base of these cleats is a substantial blend, including a significant amount of Primeknit material. The sole is gold with black-tipped cleats. The tongue is gold and features interchangeable “ASU” and Pitchfork Velcro patches. There are three maroon adidas stripes on the instep and the outside of each shoe as well. Finally, to close out these outstanding details, the internal sole reads “Forks Up” when looking into the top of the shoes
The white cleats pictured below feature the adidas Adi-Zero, Freak, and Nasty cleats. The Adi-Zeroes are typically worn by speed position players (wide receivers and defensive backs), while the Freaks and Nastys are typically worn by heavier players (linebackers and linemen).
Beginning with the Adi-Zeros, which make up the three pairs on the left. On the far left is the Adi-Zero Primeknit, which is a mid-top that features a white base and maroon sole, a white tongue, white laces, three maroon adidas stripes near the toe on the outside of the shoe, and a prominent maroon adidas logo on the instep near the arch. The Adi-Zero second to the left is a new Adi-Zero Scorch, which features a maroon and white base. The cleat starts as maroon on the heel and digitally transitions to white towards the middle of the shoe. It also features a white sole, maroon tongue, maroon laces, three maroon adidas stripes near the toe on the outside of the shoe, and a prominent white adidas logo on the instep near the arch. The third pair in from the left is a standard Adi-Zero. It has all the same color features as the aforementioned Primeknit, but instead of a mid-top, it is a low-top and does not feature the Primeknit material.
Next in line is the adidas Freak. The Freak low-top features a white base and maroon sole, a white tongue with a maroon Freak logo on it, and white laces. The front of the shoe is Primeknit and has three maroon adidas stripes near the toe on the outside of the shoe. The back heel of the shoes is leather and has a prominent maroon adidas logo further back on the inside of the shoe near the arch. The two pairs on the right are part of a new product introduced this year called the Nasty line and are meant for the larger players. Second to the right is the Nasty Torsion high-top, which features a white base and sole, white laces, and white tongue with a maroon Nasty logo on it. There are maroon accents near the shoelace eyelets and on the sole underneath the arch of the foot. Three maroon adidas stripes are featured on the outside of the shoe, and a maroon adidas logo is on near the ankle on the inside of the shoe. Finally, on the far right is the Nasty Fly mid-top, which features a white base and maroon sole, white laces, a white tongue with a maroon Nasty logo on it, and maroon accents near the shoelace eyelets. Three maroon adidas stripes are featured on the outside of the shoe, and a maroon adidas logo in on near the ankle on the inside of the shoe.
Along with the gold and white cleats, the Sun Devils will also, be wearing white socks with a black adidas logo on the front of the shin.
Gloves
The Sun Devils will wear both gold and white sets of gloves, and as with the cleats, there are different gloves for different positions. The gloves on the top are Adi-Zeros, which are typically worn by speed position players like wide receivers and defensive backs. After a departure from the gloves creating an image when the palms are placed together last year, this year’s gloves display an homage to an ASU and Tempe landmark. When the palms are placed together, a maroon and gold silhouette of A Mountain with a maroon outlined A atop the famous butte. They also have a maroon adidas logo is on the back of the hand and maroon accents on the wrist strap. The middle gloves are adidas Freaks, worn by larger skill position players such as linebackers and tight ends. The adidas Freak gloves have a pattern of small, repeating adidas logos that are gold in color on the white palm, along with a large maroon adidas logo that is completed when the palms are placed together. The adidas Freaks also have a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand. Finally, for linemen, the gloves on the bottom are adidas Freak-Max, which boast extra padding on the palm's heel meant to withstand all of the contact that linemen endure throughout the course of a game. They are plain white and black two-tone on the palm, and along with a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand, they also have gold accents on the knuckles and wrist-wrap.
Reaction
At first look, there are mixed feelings about this uniform as a whole, especially when it comes to the helmet. Anyone who has kept up with Uniformity knows that one of my cardinal rules is that the uniform must provide some shade of dark color element to anchor the uniform and make it feel more complete. This uniform relies heavily on gold and white to carry it, and the maroon numbers aren’t necessarily enough to satisfy that “dark color anchor” rule.
The more I looked over it as I have prepped and reviewed the look for this article, it has grown on me slightly, I must admit. I do have concern for the light on light color scheme and fear that the white pitchfork silhouette decal will get lost, even in close-up shots on screen. I do see and appreciate what Jerry Neilly and his equipment crew are looking to accomplish. This is a clean look, and it doesn’t feel forced. They are trying something fresh without introducing an off-color. White fits within the scheme and allows them to be creative.
As always, I will wait to see how it looks on gameday when eleven guys on the field are all wearing this to give the full effect. The fact that this game will only be seen on TV may be to this uniform’s benefit, as the white decals may be lost on fans that are not in rows close to the field of play. Either way, I’m excited to see the equipment staff have an opportunity to flex some creativity within this 2020 season.
What ASU Fans Should Wear: Your best Faniform. See Below!
#Faniforms
We began sharing our gameday gear, or “Faniforms” with each other on Twitter last. I invited you all to keep up with that tradition last week, and you all answered that call to action with a plethora of great looks! We’ll keep it going every week because what you wear to support your Sun Devils on gameday is a meticulous process chosen with the utmost amount of care. Maroon, gold, black, white, copper, and everything in the Sun Devil rainbow is handpicked and adorned from head-to-toe. Please continue to share that passion with your fellow Sun Devils. Use the hashtag #Faniforms and tag the Uniformity Twitter account at @ASU_Uniformity. I’ll do my best to give your #faniform the “Uniformity treatment” and describe it to the Twitter world. I will also post a few in the Uniformity article each week. They will be chosen at random, so keep on sending them in every week!
