A Week in Review
It has been a few weeks since the Sun Devils last took the field, and before we dive into the rankings of this shortened season’s uniforms, let’s review the final combination of the season. The Sun Devils had a strong showing in Corvallis, which was a refreshing sight for Sun Devil fans, as recent history in that town has not been kind to our lot. While an Oregon State touchdown as time expired gave the final score the appearance of a two-score outcome, the game was never really that close. Dominance from a deep running back corps and a productive day from QB Jayden Daniels, both through the air and on the ground, along with a solid defensive effort made for a second consecutive comfortable game for Sun Devil fans to watch - exactly the holiday gift that was needed after an irregular season. Another gift for Sun Devil Nation was given in the form of a new look on the gold helmet.
The Sun Devils wore gold helmets atop white jerseys and pants for their final game of the 2020 season. That particular combination of helmet, jersey, and pants has been worn before, but the difference in the 2020 version came in the helmet decals. The white silhouette pitchfork and white center stripe decals combined with a white facemask matched the white garments and delivered a sharp, striking look… well, at least up close.
Close-up, steady shots of different ASU players throughout the game were fleeting and gave brief glimpses as to how clean this look really was. However, the vast majority of any football game is shot from a wide-angle, high above the field of play, and during the majority of the broadcast, the decals were lost. The white decals on the light surface of the gold helmet did not provide enough contrast to create any impact during the majority of the game. This look would be a great impact display for a recruit to walk into when entering the athletic facility. It really does have a ‘WOW’ factor that catches the eye and keeps one’s attention. However, it just didn’t translate as an on-field look. An ‘A’ for concept, but a ‘C’ in execution average out to a decent final mark for the season’s final look.
Gold/White/White: B
Ranking the Uniforms
In a limited season, we saw some little wrinkles along with a throwback uniform. ASU Football Equipment Manager Jerry Neilly and his incredible staff worked miracles in a year filled with unrelenting challenges both related and unrelated to football. Despite challenges in receiving orders from suppliers and having to rework what to wear based on cancellations, the Sun Devil Equipment Staff compiled a respectable collection of uniforms in the short, four-game season. Typically, these post-season ranking articles split a full season into two parts, but with such a short season, we’ll be able to knock it all out in one shot. Bear in mind that this is completely subjective based on a combination of my own opinion as well as the reactions I saw week in and week out to each uniform from both ASU fans and national commentary. You will almost certainly disagree with me, and I welcome that as it opens up the opportunity for some fun discourse as to what you liked or didn’t like compared to my choices.
Also, keep in mind that though some looks are ranked higher or lower than others, the Sun Devils looked good in every game they played. Jerry Neilly and team keep the Sun Devils looking good and draw positive national attention on a week-to-week basis. So, without any further ado, here are the 2020 Uniformity Rankings:
4. Game 4 at Oregon State: Gold Helmet/White Jersey/White Pants
The lowest-ranked uniform on this list is the one that was just reviewed earlier in this article. The reason for this ranking comes down mostly to the fact that it didn’t stand out from a distance. Close-up shots looked very sharp, but football uniforms are designed to be recognizable from a distance. This uniform, particularly the helmet, was unable to accomplish that. Again, this doesn’t look bad. It bears repeating that this would be a great hype piece to put on a mannequin to lure in recruits on their official visits, but it didn’t translate into a successful on-field look.
3. Game 1 at USC: Whiteout
Whiteout uniforms are typically near the bottom of my lists on an annual basis. They lack character and color and usually feel uninspired. That was not the case with this year’s Whiteout. It was by far my favorite iteration of the Whiteout uniform to be worn by Arizona State in the 10 seasons since the pitchfork rebrand. The large maroon pitchfork with gold trim matched with the maroon facemask, maroon gloves, and maroon cleats gave the uniform the dark color anchor that it had been lacking in the nine previous versions. It would likely be higher than the bottom two of the rankings had there been more than four games and had the top two uniforms not been so strong.
2. Game 3 Territorial Cup: Gold Sparky Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Retro Gold Pants
Last season, Arizona State welcomed the idea of a color vs. color game in the Territorial Cup. This year, the ball was in the court of ASU’s rival, and fortunately, they answered the bell. The result was a second consecutive game where both teams wore their classic color combinations and traditional helmets. For ASU, that helmet is the Sparky helmet, and Sparky can do no wrong. The classic gold helmet with a maroon center stripe and our beloved, smiling, pitchfork-wielding mascot on the side of the helmet is the quintessential ASU look.
The classic Sparky look was great to see, but it didn’t come without a couple of creative wrinkles. A bit of a blend of new and old. Along with Sparky and the maroon center stripe, large block player numbers circa 1975 were on the back of the helmet. The modern era maroon jerseys were worn with 1975 era gold pants with vertical maroon stripes along the outside of the pant legs. Many different eras came together in one cohesive uniform, and add to that a 70-7 Territorial Cup win, and it makes those uniforms all the more gorgeous.
1. Game 2 vs. UCLA: 1975 Throwback Gold Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Gold Pants
Despite the rest of the year being difficult for mankind, the 1975 Fiesta Bowl champion Sun Devil team celebrated their 45th anniversary. The 2020 team honored that anniversary by wearing incredible 1975 throwbacks. The details that went into this look were incredible. Sparky patches on the sleeves and the sleeves of the compression shirts underneath the uniforms were made to replicate the sleeve stripes on the actual 1975 jersey. Mesh jersey print stylization on the jersey numbers gave the illusion of an older jersey as well. The pants with two vertical maroon stripes on each leg would look great in any era but matched the rest of the uniform perfectly.
Most of all, the helmet looked incredible. This is the first time since 1975 that the gold sunburst logo with the maroon ASU wordmark has been used since that 1975 season. In fact, that gold sunburst logo was only used during that lone 1975 season as it was replaced with a maroon sunburst with a gold ASU wordmark from 1976-79. That maroon sunburst has been brought back and used on helmets twice already this century, but one thing missing from those helmets that this gold sunburst helmet featured was a gray facemask. The accuracy of the helmet hinged on utilizing the gray facemask that the Sun Devils wore in that era of college football. The finishing touch on the helmet was the large block player numbers on the back of the helmet. It was an amazing uniform and a wonderful homage to one of the greatest Sun Devil teams of all time.
This concludes the 2020 Uniformity rankings for ASU Football’s 4 uniform combinations of 2020. In a year unlike any other, I would like to personally like to thank all of you that have stuck with me and Devil’s Digest through trying times. Things were not the same this year for the Sun Devil football program, nor was it for Uniformity. So, to those in Sun Devil Nation who read along and engage with me on social media, to those that aren’t ASU fans, but read with interest as to what the Devils wear week to week, to those who share their awesome #faniforms, to my fellow uniform trackers throughout the nation that carry the same passion I do for their respective college football teams, and most especially to you reading this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support and passion fuel Uniformity, and I look forward to the 2021 season and bringing you a full slate of uniforms. Go Devils!!
