Week in Review
Two straight weeks of utter domination. Unlike the Territorial Cup game, the Big 12 Championship Game was not a foregone conclusion from the opening kick. Iowa State proved their mettle in a back-and-forth affair that lasted into the beginning stages of the 2nd quarter. The Cyclones led for a respectable portion of the first half as the game seemed like it was shaping up to be a contest of who had the ball last. However, the Sun Devils found their footing, making a couple of defensive stops and finding the endzone twice after the game was tied at 10 to take a 24-10 lead into halftime. Coming back onto the field after halftime, the Devils were beaming with confidence, and that’s when all hell broke loose. The ASU defense forced three consecutive turnovers, and the offense, in turn, scored three consecutive touchdowns off of those turnovers to turn a two-score lead into a 45-10 mauling by the end of the third quarter.
Arizona State was then able to play backups for the entirety of the 4th quarter in a conference championship game. Iowa State tacked on nine inconsequential points against the ASU depth players in the fourth quarter. Then, Trenton Bourguet came out to run the most beautiful play in all of football as he took the decisive knees from the victory formation. Speaking of beautiful, let’s talk about those uniforms.
The classic gold Sparky helmet, maroon jersey, and gold pants uniform combination was on full display to the whole nation on a big stage, and it looked amazing. Commentary from Sun Devil nation and beyond was in awe of how well the Sun Devils played and how good the iconic Sparky uniforms looked. The third straight week of the Sparky helmet still had slight variations from the prior two weeks. The game to win back the Territorial Cup was away, and therefore, a white jersey was worn.
The uniform combination worn against BYU was very similar as they both featured gold Sparky helmets, maroon jerseys, and gold pants. However, the Sparky helmets worn against BYU featured white facemasks, while the helmets worn against Iowa State featured maroon facemasks. A minor but noticeable difference still makes for a unique combination. There is not too much to break down in rating this uniform. No notes. It’s perfect. This is the perfect ASU Football uniform.
It is the right ratio of gold to maroon, with just the right splash of white accents around the numbers and the Sparky decal. Critical eyes took notice as well. The Sparky uniforms were named the 8th best uniform of the week by UniAuthority in their weekly uniform rankings. The Sun Devils looked amazing as they wore the best helmet in college football atop the best uniform in college football. They played incredibly well, and they looked the part.
Sparky Helmet/Maroon/Gold: A+
The Week to Come
Uniform
The Sun Devils are riding a six-game winning streak and continued to get better with each game, including the rout of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game. They put forth their most dominant effort of the year on their way to claiming the conference crown, making it two straight games of putting together four full quarters of good football. The relative ease with which the Sun Devils won the last two football games when they play consistent football, especially with one of which being a neutral site postseason game with huge playoff implications, is encouraging as they head into their quarterfinal matchup with Texas.
Now, the most difficult test yet awaits: a date with Texas at the Peach Bowl for the quarterfinal game in the College Football Playoff. The Devils earned a first-round bye as the fourth highest-ranked conference champion in the country, and with that came a fast pass to the quarterfinal bowl round in the inaugural twelve-team playoff format. That means no risk of elimination in the first round and more rest after a long season, but it also leaves the potential for rust to form during the three and a half weeks between the Big 12 Championship Game and the Peach Bowl. Their opponent, Texas, is more recently battle-tested after having gone toe-to-toe with Clemson in the first round to earn their spot in the Peach Bowl against ASU. Will the rest be a benefit, or will the layoff be a detriment? This Sun Devil team has performed well out of bye weeks this season, notching wins in both of their games following an extra week of rest. The hope is that the Sun Devils were able to self-scout as well as prepare for Texas during the long break.
That Texas team that ASU will meet in the Peach Bowl is a heavy favorite and boasts a defense that has been dominant all season long. The secondary has been very impressive, giving up only four touchdowns leading into the CFP first round, the fewest in the country. Cade Klubnik and the Clemson offense were able to provide the ASU Offensive Coordinator some good film to work with after throwing for three touchdowns in their first-round loss to Texas. It wasn’t enough to earn the Tigers a win, but it was promising to see the Texas passing defense look human. The Texas offense has had ups and downs this season but seems to be operating with solid efficiency heading into the Peach Bowl. ASU’s defense has been keeping teams in front of them and forcing turnovers at a high rate. That will be made more difficult in the first half with Shamari Simmons serving a first half suspension due to a late targeting penalty against Iowa State.
However, Montana Warren, playing in his place, and the rest of the team will be looking to step up. If Cam Skattebo and the Sun Devils are able to establish the run against the talented Texas defensive line, that may be able to provide some space for Sam Leavitt to throw the ball with some success. If that scenario plays out, it has the potential to be an exciting day for Sun Devil Nation. Speaking of exciting, when the Sun Devils take the field in the Peach Bowl, they will be wearing the classic gold Sparky helmet, maroon jersey, and 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 darker tonal maroon 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 gold and maroon Big 12 logo and a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl patch above that. 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 adidas logo near the left hip.
Helmet
The gold helmet features standard-sized Sparky decals with a single maroon center stripe. The Sparky helmet features a maroon facemask. The front bumper has a white base and maroon “Sun Devils” text outlined with gold. The decals on the back of the helmet include a white Big 12 logo with a maroon border, a maroon PT*42 shield honoring the legendary Sun Devil, Pat Tillman, a maroon Warning label which is in the shape of the state of Arizona, features maroon text, and has a small, gold pitchfork with maroon trim over Tempe, a white decal that features both the CFP and Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl logos, and an American flag. The decals on the back of the helmet are rounded by the maroon “Arizona State” text outlined in gold on a white base rear bumper.
Cleats and Socks
The Sun Devils will wear maroon cleats against Iowa State. From left to right, there are four different types of cleats. The first two pairs are lighter cleats and are typically worn by speed position players (wide receivers and defensive backs), while the last two pairs are worn by heavier players (linemen).
From left to right, the pair furthest to the left is the adizero Electric. It features a maroon and gold sole with the maroon occupying the front half of the sole while the gold takes up the back half and reaches part way up the heel. They have a textured maroon base that has a bit of a sparkle element to it, with three gold stripes and an adizero wordmark on the outside of the shoe. The top portion of the cleat is a primeknit and has the adidas logo near the instep. It has maroon laces and a maroon finger loop on the heel. The next pair is the adizero Impact. It features a gold sole and a gold plastic band that reaches up towards the heel on either side of the shoe. The maroon base has three gold stripes on the outside of the shoe, while there is a gold adidas logo on the instep. The maroon laces lead up to the gold adizero wordmark on the tongue, and the cleat also has a maroon finger loop on the heel.
The final two pairs are adizero Chaos models, made for more ankle support for heavier linemen. The second to last pair is the adizero Chaos. It features a shiny gold plastic sole and a two-tone maroon and gold colorway on the main body of the shoe. The front half towards the toe is gold and features three maroon stripes on the outside of the foot, while the back half towards the heel is maroon. The cleat also features maroon laces with a maroon finger loop on the heel. The fourth and final pair is the adizero Chaos Torsion. It shares almost all of the major color characteristics as the Chaos. The main difference is that the sole is a gold rubberized material designed for better grip on the grass and it also features a small plastic maroon plate on the instep of the sole.
Maroon socks will be worn to match the cleats as well.
Gloves
The Sun Devils will wear 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 white adizeros feature a maroon pitchfork with gold trim on the palm of each glove. They also have a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand, maroon seams around the wrist, and a maroon adizero word mark on the pointer finger.
The gloves in the middle are adidas Freaks, worn by larger skill position players such as linebackers and tight ends. The white adidas Freak gloves feature the same maroon pitchfork 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 with a gold strap.
CFP Travel Gear
Along with success comes some perks, and the Sun Devils earned themselves some swag to wear during their time on the road in Atlanta. There’s more stuff than they can carry, so of course, they’ll need a bag to pack it in. The CFP bag has a maroon pitchfork with gold trim on the top and a Peach Bowl bag tag on the front, while on the back there is a College Football Playoff 2024-2025 word mark and logo on the back.
Now, let’s talk about the contents of the bag. There are two athletic shirts the team was provided. The first is a maroon short-sleeved shirt that has a gold 2024-25 print near the right shoulder, a white adidas logo centered under the collar, and a College Football Playoff wordmark and gold football logo near the left shoulder. It also features a white Sun Devil Football print between gold horizontal stripes and is rounded out by a maroon pitchfork with gold trim below the white print. The second shirt is a black long-sleeve with the exact same print design as the maroon shirt.
There is a black polo that features a maroon pitchfork with gold trim near the right shoulder and a white adidas logo near the left shoulder. There is also a white CFP football patch on the right sleeve.
The black cap features a maroon pitchfork with gold trim on the front of the cap, and a gold CFP football and white 2024-25 stitch on the right side of the cap.
A maroon quarter-zip mock neck performance fleece features a maroon pitchfork with gold trim near the left shoulder, a white adidas logo near the right shoulder, and a gold CFP football patch atop three white adidas stripes on the right sleeve
The final pieces are all parts of a white travel sweatsuit. The hoodie features a gold CFP football patch above a maroon pitchfork with gold trim near the right shoulder, a black adidas logo near the left shoulder, and black stripes running along the sleeves. The shorts feature a maroon pitchfork with gold trim near the right short cuff, a black adidas logo near the left short cuff, and a short, black diagonal stripe on the right leg. The pants feature a maroon pitchfork with gold trim near the right hip, a black adidas logo near the left hip, and black diagonal stripes across the shins on both legs.
Reaction
The dream season continues! Arizona State has its first eleven-win season and its first outright conference championship since 1996, is playing in the Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970 as part of the College Football Playoff, and is wearing Sparky for the fourth consecutive game. It is important to note that the pitchfork is still the official logo of Sun Devil Athletics, but it feels great to see Sparky with such consistency during this incredible run. With the Devils on such a hot streak, the continued usage of Sparky feels like it’s carrying the team’s momentum while also igniting an ASU fan base that is constantly yearning for the Sparky helmet to be used more often.
Although this is the fourth time the classic Sparky decal has been used, it has still been a part of four different uniform combination varieties. The Sparky helmet against BYU featured a white facemask, something that had not been done since 1995. The Sparky helmet was then worn in the Territorial Cup win with a maroon facemask and a white jersey. The helmet and uniform worn against Iowa State also had a maroon facemask and was worn with a maroon jersey, which will also be the case against Texas. However, the uniform for this game features a Peach Bowl patch on the right shoulder of the jersey as well as a CFP Peach Bowl decal on the back of the helmet.
This is the biggest stage that Arizona State has played on in 28 years, and as such, just like in the conference championship game, it is best to put your best foot forward. That rings true for the team’s preparation and how they come out to play against Texas, especially with such a long layoff, but it also rings true in putting the team’s visual identity on full display. The traditional home color combination with Sparky on the helmet is truly iconic. The Sun Devils are 4-0 this season when wearing a helmet with Sparky on it, including the week 2 win against Mississippi State, during which they wore a white helmet with the Sparky face decal. They have won three straight with the classic Sparky decal on the helmet. There is momentum, so why mess with success? The nation knows Sparky. The nation loves Sparky. Sun Devil Nation loves Sparky. Wearing the classic uniform color combination with the Sparky helmet accomplishes putting the team’s identity front and center and sets the Peach Bowl up for a great uniform matchup against Texas’s unmistakable uniform.
Once again, discussion about ASU’s uniform will center around how great it looks, and people will continue to express that it should be the permanent uniform. While it will not be taking over as the permanent uniform, the classic Sparky uniform is beloved far and wide, and why not? It is the best uniform in college football. It ought to be celebrated, and what better way to celebrate it than continuing to wear it for what hopefully becomes a deeper postseason run for Arizona State? ASU’s road to a National Championship begins with this Peach Bowl game. New Year’s Day can’t come soon enough.
What Color #Faniform Traveling ASU Fans Should Wear: Gold
Honorary #Faniform
Arizona State Athletic Director Graham Rossini continues to join in the fun of submitting a #faniform each week. While it is still a #faniform, anything submitted from Rossini will never be eligible for the #faniforms presented by Cactus Sports contest. However, we still love to highlight his participation and just how well dressed he is. Last game, Rossini wore a black Branded Bills cap that has a stylized gold Arizona state flag and maroon flame Sparky face within a state of Texas patch.
He also wore a gold shirt with Sparky centered between maroon Texas Devils print. He wore that shirt under a maroon suit jacket featuring a gold pitchfork with a maroon trim lapel pin. His shoes are white adidas ASU Centennials, which have maroon and gold stripes, a gold heel, and a gold pitchfork with maroon trim on the tongue.
#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. The regular season winner of the $125 Cactus Sports gift card was decided by you, the voters. A big congratulations to @ASU_Madness, our 2024 winner! The #faniforms submitted for the Big 12 Championship Game were voted upon for a free maroon Uniformity cap, as will the #faniforms for the Peach Bowl. 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 @matt_joanes for winning a free maroon Uniformity cap! Here are the three #faniforms from @matt_joanes, @Asu82Thompson, and @Dan_Moreno_13 that were voted upon for that cap!
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