In Part 1 of Uniformity’s rankings, I counted down the bottom half of Sun Devil Football’s 2021 uniform combinations. Here in Part 2, the Top 6 uniforms will be revealed. Before we dive into the best looks of the season, let’s review the rankings from Part 1:
13. Week 12 at Oregon State: Maroon Helmet/White Jersey/Black Pants
12. Week 5 at UCLA: Maroon Helmet/White Jersey/White Pants
11. Week 2 vs. UNLV: Maroon Helmet/Maroon Jersey/White Pants
10. Week 3 at BYU: Gold Helmet/Black Jersey/Black Pants
9. Las Vegas Bowl vs. Wisconsin: Maroon Helmet/Gold Jersey/Gold Pants
8. Week 9 vs. Washington State: (Blackout) Maroon Helmet/Black Jersey/Black Pants
7. Week 1 vs. Southern Utah: Gold Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Gold Pants
Now, without any further ado, here are the six best uniforms of 2021:
6. Week 7 vs. Utah: Maroon Helmet/White Jersey/Maroon Pants
Matching helmets and pants are usually a safe bet, especially when they’re a dark primary anchoring white away jerseys. The maroon helmets and pants in this uniform combination do just that. Add to that an amazing gold oversized pitchfork decal with white trim and a white facemask, and we have a complete uniform combination. This is a fantastic look. The coordination and use of classic ASU colors had the Sun Devils looking sharp.
5. Week 6 vs. Stanford: Maroon Monsoon
The first true Maroon Monsoon in 3 years looked fantastic! It was a triumphant return in so many ways. First, the monochromatic maroon look never misses, and it was great to see it, as it was missed. Second, the helmet decals, especially the Hispanic Heritage center stripe, made for a unique and eye-catching look. Finally, the Sun Devils played a great game against Stanford, tallying a big win early in the Pac 12 season. All those factors and we have the uniform that’s kicking off the top 5 of the Sun Devils’ 2021 uniforms.
4. Week 4 vs. Colorado: “Valley Heat” Gold Sparky Helmet/Gold Jersey/Maroon Pants
Speaking of triumphant returns, for the first time in 31 years, the Sun Devils donned gold jerseys when they took the field against Colorado this past season. There was a stigma associated with gold jerseys for over three decades that included mismatched golds and embarrassing losses. Those demons were exorcized in its first appearance of the year during a decisive win over the Buffaloes. It was nice to leave those conversations about jinxed gold jerseys in the past, and it was great to see an enlarged Sparky decal on the gold helmet.
The first deviation of any kind from the standard-sized Sparky decal was a hit and will hopefully open the door for more Sparky options in the future. Matching the gold helmet and jersey with maroon pants was an ingenious move to allow naysayers the opportunity to adjust to the idea of a gold jersey a little easier than if they went all-gold right out of the gate. The maroon pants looked great with the uniform as well, making it a strong number 4.
3. Week 11 vs. Washington: Gold Helmet/White Jersey/White Pants
This is the highest that a uniform featuring white jerseys and pants has ever been ranked in the history of Uniformity. The answer as to why that was able to happen lies entirely in the helmet. The maroon center stripe and pitchfork decals are all accented with white trim. That color combination on a gloss gold helmet gives off a vintage ASU look while still utilizing the modern pitchfork logo. The white facemask gave a bit of a throwback element to the uniform as well, taking it back to the era of the 80s and early 90s. It was a complete look that was totally ASU from head to toe. Honestly, it could have made a run for a top 2 spot if it had maroon pants rather than white. Even still, it was a fantastic uniform.
2. Week 10, USC: Gold Rush/Military Appreciation
The third, and final, uniform, including a gold jersey on this list, comes in as the runner-up. The idea of an all-gold uniform lived rent-free in the heads of long-time fans that saw the two losses in the atrocities from 1989 and 90. They never wanted to see a mismatched mishmash featuring three shades of gold be worn during a bad loss again. However, the 2021 incarnation of the all-gold uniform was a beautiful monochromatic sight to behold. The gold was the same from the helmet down to the cleats. On top of that, the helmet was incredible. Maroon and gold digital camo PT*42 shields and center stripes gave this uniform more meaning than just reviving an all-gold uniform. The main thing that kept this uniform out of the top spot comes down to one detail: the sleeves. The maroon made it feel a bit disjointed, and the metallic gold never seemed like a great fit. The rest of the uniform is so good overall that it still warranted the high ranking it received. That, and the fact that an all-gold uniform was worn in a win against USC no less, really helps the legacy of 2021’s second-best uniform.
1. Week 13 Territorial Cup: Gold Sparky Helmet/Maroon Jersey/Maroon Pants
Sparky. In a year with incredible innovation made for incredible uniforms, this classic stood above the rest. For the fifth consecutive season, the Sun Devils kept the Territorial Cup in Tempe. As an aside, this feat was immortalized on a billboard before a bitter and petty fan from down south complained and got it taken down. Let’s hope this travesty can be corrected. Now, back to uniforms.
For the second consecutive season, the Sun Devils wore their Sparky helmet with their current standard maroon jersey and 1975 throwback gold pants with maroon stripes. It’s an incredible overall look. The maroon stripes on the pants complement the rest of the uniform, which gives it a more complete look. In 2020, these could only be seen on television in an empty stadium down south. However, this past season, they were able to be seen live, in person, in daylight, in Sun Devil Stadium, in front of Sun Devil Nation.
The Sparky uniform is always one of the top look every season; however, what put this over the edge to grab the top spot was the return to the gloss gold helmet. After years of a matte gold helmet that had almost a powder yellow look in the early seasons, the return of the traditional gloss gold shell was extremely welcome. The Sparky decal on a gloss gold helmet just feels right. The classic Sparky look was a breath of fresh air to close out an up and down 2021 season and was more than deserving of the top spot of this year’s Uniformity rankings.
Agree or disagree with the list? Tweet me at @ASU_Uniformity or @sundevilcole7. Thank you all for reading this season, and keep an eye out for new Uniformity content.
