Week in Review
It was a long one for Sun Devil Nation last Saturday as Oregon came into Tempe and proved why they are one of the top teams in the country. A first-half domination sealed the fate of the game, but it was nice to see the Devils show some life and outscore the Ducks in the second half. It was also nice to see a unique uniform combination on the field that still kept tradition and service at the heart of things.
The white helmet, matched with the maroon jersey and pants, looked surprisingly good. I was unsure of how the maroon digicamo pattern in the PT*42 shield and the center stripe would match up with the other elements of the uniform. While the chrome finish and tone of the maroon weren’t an exact match, it did not distract or detract from the overall look. In fact, national uniform tracker UniAuthority found the uniform good enough to rank number 7 in its weekly uniform poll.
It was a nice salute to the military and ASU legend Pat Tillman. The overall combination made one think of the possibilities for future white/maroon/maroon looks with the variety of decals that Arizona State has at its disposal. Mix it up with a maroon facemask every now and then as well. The seeds are there for some really cool looks in the seasons to come. As for this uniform, it was a solid combination, and the Sun Devils looked sharp.
White/Maroon/Maroon: A-
The Week to Come
Uniform
There is no use looking back now. There is one game ahead, and it is the only one that matters. The Sun Devils will work to protect their home field and win back the Territorial Cup as their rivals make the short drive to Tempe. It will be a tough game, but history has shown that records can be thrown out the window in a rivalry matchup. When they take the field to win back the Territorial Cup, the Sun Devils will wear their classic gold Sparky helmet/maroon jersey/gold pant uniform combination.
The maroon jersey features the Arizona state flag as a stripe feature on either side of the uniform. It is a dark gray with the rays leading up and fading into the armpit, the star around the base of the rib cage, and the river block running downward and eventually fading towards the waist. In a move towards an even more simplified design, adidas has opted not to include any identifying letter or wordmark on the jersey.
The maroon jerseys feature gold player numbers outlined in white on both the front and back of the jersey, as well as the TV numbers on the sleeves. Though it may be hard to see, the numbers on the front and back of the jerseys have a subtle, tonal flame pattern within the gold.
The nameplate on the back of the jersey utilizes the gold Sun Devil Bold font. On the front of the jersey, near the left shoulder, is a gold adidas logo. Near the right shoulder is a maroon and gold Pac-12 shield. Last, but not least, at the base of the collar is the black PT*42 shield in honor of ASU Football legend Pat Tillman.
The gold pants have a large gold pitchfork with maroon trim on the right thigh and a maroon gold logo near the left hip.
Helmet
The classic gold helmet features traditional Sparky decals on either side of the helmet with the timeless single maroon center stripe. It will feature a maroon facemask, and the front bumper has a white base and maroon word mark outlined in gold that reads “Sun Devils.”
The decals on the back of the helmet include an American flag, a maroon Pac 12 shield, a maroon PT*42 shield honoring the legendary Sun Devil, Pat Tillman, and a maroon outlined Warning label, which is in the shape of the state of Arizona, featuring maroon text, and has a small, maroon silhouette pitchfork over Tempe. The decals on the back of the helmet are rounded out by the maroon “Arizona State” word mark outlined in gold over a white base on the helmet’s rear bumper.
Cleats and Socks
The Sun Devils will wear maroon cleats this week. From left to right, there are three different types of cleats. The first four pairs are a mix of AdiZero and Freaks, and the last two are Nastys. The AdiZero cleats are typically worn by speed position players (wide receivers and defensive backs), while the Freaks have a hybrid element and can be worn by mid-size players (fullbacks, linebackers, and tight ends), and the Nasty cleats are worn by heavier players (linemen).
From left to right, the pair furthest to the left is the AdiZero. It features a gold sole and textured maroon base. It features white seams with maroon stitching along each side of the shoe as well as down the middle and up the tongue where a maroon AdiZero word mark. The outside of the shoe features three gold adidas stripes towards the toe, while the inside of the shoe features a gold digital scribble design around a large gold AdiZero word mark. It also features maroon laces. The next pair is the AdiZero primeknit. It features the same characteristics as the AdiZero, with a few distinct differences. The sole is a slightly different shade of gold and has a more sateen finish. The main body of the shoes is a more breathable primeknit material, and the maroon laces also have gold thread woven in.
The middle pair is the Freak 23 Inline. The Freak has a gold sole and primarily gold base with a repeating maroon starburst pattern and three gold maroon stripes on the outside of the shoe towards the toe. The tongue, ankle, and laces are all the same maroon fabric with gold thread woven throughout. There is also a maroon finger loop with a gold “Freak” and an adidas logo on the heel.
The Final two pairs are adidas Nasty models, made for more ankle support for heavier linemen. The second to last pair is the Nasty Fly. It is a primarily maroon shoe with a gold sole, gold adidas logo on the inside of the heel, and three adidas stripes that feature a gold border as well as a maroon and gold chevron pattern within the stripes. The shoe has a maroon zipper and a gold finger loop with a maroon “Nasty” word mark on the heel. It also has a maroon finger loop on the heel. The last pair is the Nasty Torsion. It features many of the same design elements as the Nasty Fly, with a few differences. It is a heavier-duty shoe with even more ankle support. It has a maroon sole and a gold rubber seam that surrounds the entire bottom of the shoe except the toe.
The Sun Devils will wear maroon socks this week to match the rest of the uniform.
Gloves
The Sun Devils will wear gold and white gloves, and as with the cleats, there are different gloves for different positions. The gloves on the top are AdiZeros, which are typically worn by speed position players like wide receivers and defensive backs. The gold gloves feature a gold 90s “Sun Devils” script with a maroon drop shadow that becomes complete when the palms are placed together. They also have maroon vent specks and a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand, maroon seams around the wrist, and maroon lining around the maroon wrist strap, which features the AdiZero word mark and a maroon arrow. The gloves in the middle are adidas Freaks, worn by larger skill position players such as linebackers and tight ends.
The gold adidas Freak gloves feature the same “Sun Devils” script palm design as the AdiZero, maroon seams around the wrist, and 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 heel of the palm meant to withstand all of the contact that linemen endure throughout the course of a game. They are plain white with black padding 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 the black wrist-wrap.
Reaction
Once again, in the blink of an eye, the college football regular season is coming to an end. As quickly as the time goes, this certainly has been a long and different kind of season for Sun Devil fans. The announcement of a self-imposed bowl ban, the weird opening game delayed by an enormous monsoon, an ever-changing quarterback and offensive line situation, and injuries galore throughout the rest of the team, the season didn’t ever really feel like it even began for ASU until after the bye week. Nevertheless, here we are, approaching the Territorial Cup game, hoping to salvage an otherwise tenuous season by bringing the Cup home to Tempe.
The classic Sparky uniform is beloved far and wide within the Sun Devil community as well as throughout the college football world. I get many messages from uniform enthusiasts and casual fans alike outside of Sun Devil Nation that beg for ASU to use Sparky more often. The Sparky helmet, while perhaps not representing as vaunted a history, became as recognizable a helmet in college football as Michigan’s winged helmet, Alabama’s numeral decals, or Notre Dame’s golden domes. I’m consistently told by folks outside of ASU’s fan base that the Sparky helmet is unquestionably one of the best in the country. I simply cannot disagree with that sentiment.
The uniform for this upcoming week is as good as it gets. The classic gold/maroon/gold uniform combination with Sparky and his single maroon center stripe to accompany him is the best helmet in all of football. Now that the white outline is back around the numbers on the maroon jersey, the uniform looks even better. Although having the pitchfork instead of Sparky on the pants creates a logo mismatch, it’s not the worst thing in the world. It also displays Sparky as the primary logo and the pitchfork as a secondary, which is something many, including myself, believe that Sun Devil Athletics should establish. Ultimately, the Sun Devils are going to look incredible. Now, all we can do is hope they execute well enough to bring the Territorial Cup back home to Tempe.
What Color ASU Fans Should Wear: Gold
#Faniforms Presented by Cactus Sports
Welcome back to #Faniforms Presented by Cactus Sports! Uniformity loves to highlight your best gameday #faniforms that you wear to support the Sun Devils each week. As a reminder, with Uniformity’s partnership with Cactus Sports, three #faniforms will be chosen at random each week, just like in the past, but this season, there will be a weekly Twitter poll to vote for which of those three #faniforms will become a contest finalist. At the end of the regular season, all of the finalists will be entered into a final vote, with the grand prize being a $125 gift card to Cactus Sports! Reminder: when posting to Twitter, remember to use the hashtag #faniform and tag the Uniformity Twitter account @ASU_Uniformity. Here are this week’s selections! Keep an eye out on Twitter for the fan vote! Cast your vote for the best #faniform each week!
Congratulations to @asudbubba on earning a finalist spot last week! And best of luck to @ASUDave, @Bolivar_C4, and @nicole_pinter6 in this week’s Twitter and Instagram poll!
