Week in Review
After taking care of business in Manhattan by knocking off Kansas State the week prior, the Sun Devils returned to Tempe for Homecoming to take on number 14 BYU for ASU’s biggest home game in a decade. The hype was palpable all week long, while the weekdays seemed to drag on as the anticipation grew for Saturday. Once game day finally arrived, there was a sense that something special was about to occur despite far too many seats having been sold to opposing fans on the secondary market. That did nothing to shift this gritty Sun Devil team’s focus away from the task at hand.
Once again, the Sun Devil defense wasted no time making their impact on the game, forcing a turnover on downs and an interception on BYU’s first two drives of the game. The ASU offense responded in kind with three Cam Skattebo touchdowns in the first half, giving the Devils a 21-3 halftime lead. After a long drive that stalled on a failed fourth down conversion at the BYU 3-yard line, the momentum began to shift. BYU scored their first touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive but failed a two-point conversion attempt. Arizona State answered in two plays when Sam Leavitt hit Xavier Guillory for a 61-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-9.
The defense struggled to stop the BYU passing game as it attacked the ASU zone. BYU clawed back into the game, pulling the score to a narrow 28-23 margin. The Sun Devils had another promising drive stall when they failed another fourth down conversion in the red zone with just over two and a half minutes left in the game and all the momentum in the hands of BYU. The Cougars were in the midst of marching down the field when a blitz forced BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff to rush a throw right into the arms of ASU corner Javan Robinson, who returned the interception all the way down to the BYU 7.
This is when chaos sets in. The Devils ran the ball for four yards on first down, which led to BYU taking its second timeout of the half. On second down, Sam Leavitt ran backward for a 26-yard loss to try to kill the clock before BYU took its final timeout with 52 seconds left. On third down, Leavitt again took a big loss back to the 39-yard line in an effort to kill more clock, but could only run off 5 seconds, meaning there would still be 7 seconds to kill on fourth down.
ASU kept the offense on the field, and Leavitt heaved the ball as high as he could in Jordyn Tyson’s direction in order to run the rest of the clock out. The clock in the stadium hit all zeroes, and the crowd rushed the field. All the while, the game officials were reviewing the play and determined that there was still 1 second left of the clock. That meant that BYU still had one opportunity to throw a Hail Mary. It took over 15 minutes for the crowd to clear the playing surface so that the final play from scrimmage could take place. In the final play, Retzlaff rolled to his right, threw the ball towards the end zone, and it was caught. However, it was short of the goal line, and ASU was able to stop the comeback. The crowd rushed the field again, and the maroon and gold taking over Frank Kush Field was a thing of beauty. Speaking of beauty, let’s talk about those uniforms.
The Sun Devils brought Sparky back in a surprise uniform drop last week, and it did not disappoint. Something special about this Sparky helmet is that the facemask was white for the first time since 1995. We’ve all grown used to seeing Sparky with a maroon facemask, which has been the standard since 1996. Prior to then, the Sparky helmet was worn with a white facemask from 1980 until 1995. Last week I incorrectly said that the Sparky helmet with a white facemask and single maroon stripe was only worn in 1995, however, that was the helmet style from 1992-1995.
The last time ASU defeated BYU was in 1995 wearing Sparky helmets of the same style that they wore this past weekend. Because of the white outlines around the gold numbers on the maroon jerseys, the white facemask really popped. While I still prefer the maroon facemask overall, this was an incredible execution by the equipment and creative staff at ASU to bring this uniform out for such a big game. It looked amazing. Folks took notice nationally. Leading up to the game, I received countless messages of approval from college football fans across the country. UNISWAG rated the uniform as its 9th best of the week, while UniAuthority called the BYU-ASU game its 2nd best looking uniform matchup of the week.
Sparky with White Facemask/Maroon/Gold: A+
The Week to Come
Uniform
The Sun Devils have now won four straight and seem to be getting better with each week. Despite the tense moments last week, the Devils were able to beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks, with the stakes being so high, which shows that they have improved not only in execution but also in mental fortitude. That mental fortitude will be put to the test on Saturday when the Devils go on the road to try to bring the Territorial Cup back home to Tempe. The ASU defense will face a dynamic quarterback-wide receiver tandem that is sure to present a challenge, though that duo has not been as dominant as they were a season ago.
Still, the Sun Devil defense was gashed by them last season, and they must do all they can to neutralize the passing game. Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, Arizona State will need another fast start but must carry that momentum into the second half. The Sun Devils scored only once in the second half of each of the last two games. In a rivalry game where anything can happen, that kind of a lull won’t cut it. The Sun Devils are in a position to pull off an incredible feat with a win this week and must take advantage of that opportunity. When the Devils take the field to win back the Territorial Cup and potentially punch their ticket to the Big 12 Championship game, they will be wearing a traditional gold Sparky helmet, white jersey, and gold pant uniform combination.
The white jersey features the Arizona state flag as a stripe feature on either side of the uniform. It is a darker tonal white 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 jersey also has a maroon cuff around the sleeves.
The white jerseys feature maroon player numbers outlined in gold 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 maroon.
The nameplate on the back of the jersey utilizes the maroon Sun Devil Bold font. On the front of the jersey, near the left shoulder, is a maroon adidas logo. Near the right shoulder is a maroon and white Big 12 logo. 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, returning to the helmet build we’ve been familiar with since 1996. 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, 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 white cleats for the Territorial Cup game. 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 white sole that reaches part way up the heel. They have a textured maroon base that has a bit of a sparkle element to it with three white stripes and an adizero wordmark on the outside of the shoe. The top portion of the cleat is a maroon primeknit and has the white 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 white sole and a white plastic band that reaches up towards the heel on either side of the shoe. The white base has three maroon stripes on the outside of the shoe, while there is a maroon adidas logo on the instep. The maroon laces lead up to the white 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, which are made for more ankle support for heavier linemen. The second to last pair is the adizero Chaos. It features a shiny white plastic sole and a two-tone white and gold colorway on the main body of the shoe. The front half towards the toe is white 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 hee. 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 white rubberized material designed for better grip on the grass and it also features a small plastic maroon plate on the instep of the sole.
Another white cleat option is being made available to players as well. It is another pair of adizero Electric but with a different colorway. The mostly white shoe features metallic gold adidas stripes and accents, including an adizero word mark on the tongue.
White socks will be worn to match the cleats as well.
Gloves
The Sun Devils will wear maroon and black 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 maroon adizeros feature a maroon pitchfork with gold trim on the palm of each glove. They also have a gold adidas logo on the back of the hand, gold seams around the wrist, and a gold 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 maroon adidas Freak gloves feature the same maroon pitchfork palm design as the adizero, gold seams around the wrist, and a gold 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 a game. They are plain black with black padding on the palm and along with a gold adidas logo on the back of the hand; they also have white accents on the knuckles and a black wrist wrap with a gold strap.
Reaction
Pinch me; I must be dreaming! Sparky two weeks in a row? If that seems unheard of, that’s because it is in the modern pitchfork era. This is the first time since 2010, prior to the pitchfork rebranding in 2011, that ASU will wear Sparky in consecutive weeks. This is the first time that the facemask of a Sparky helmet is a different color, not just in consecutive weeks, but in the same seasons. Returning to the maroon facemask is a great move for this weekend, as the most recognizable helmet in college football ought to have its signature look for the Territorial Cup game.
I know that I and many other Sun Devil fans would love to see the classic gold helmet, white jersey, and maroon pant uniform combination hit the field again. It has been some time since that uniform combination has seen the field. There has already been a gold, white, gold combination when ASU visited Texas State in week 3. That being said, the gold Sparky helmet, white jersey, and gold pant combination are as classic as they come, so there’s no complaint about the combination itself. With the white facemask on the Sparky helmet last week, it almost makes sense to keep that consistent with the white away jersey being worn this week. The maroon facemask ties everything together, though, providing that much-needed dark element to anchor the uniform. It complements the numbers on the jersey and the maroon trim of the gold pitchfork on the pants, but moreover, it completes the Sparky helmet that we all know and love.
Many have reached out to me asking about color on color games like those that we’ve already seen this season between the likes of Utah and BYU or USC and UCLA, however that has not been in practice for the Territorial Cup game since the 2020 game. I will always hold out hope that it will return, as this rivalry deserves the same reverence as any other throughout the country and deserves a color-on-color game. Until then, the Sun Devils will look fantastic on Saturday and will unquestionably visually outshine their opponents. Hopefully, the obvious aesthetic advantage will spill over to the play on the field, leading to a Sun Devil victory and bigger aspirations to come. Just as I closed this section last week, Saturday can’t come soon enough.
What Color #Faniform 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 would still love to highlight his participation and how well-dressed he is. Last game, Rossini wore a maroon Charlie Hustle vintage jacket with gold Devils script and a gold, white, and maroon collar.
He also wore a black Sun Angel Collective shirt under a gold Sun Devil golf polo that has a gold pitchfork with maroon trim and a gold ASU letter mark logo. His shoes were white and metallic gold adidas x Flight Club Silverbirch SPZL Metalheads. He accessorized with a Roostas maroon and beige Renegade belt, a maroon and gold braided bracelet, and a beaded bracelet with his name on it.
#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 @keithsaurin on earning a finalist spot last week! And best of luck to @bradley187, @ASU_Madness, and @Nat_Steff in this week’s Twitter and Instagram poll!
