Sun Devils to wear all-white uniforms at UCLA

This is usually where I would lament about the prior week’s game as there is usually a storyline and something to look for in the upcoming week. Last week, I can’t say there was a whole lot to take from it other than the defense played very well, and the offense seemed to be outmatched by a far more experienced team. It was an ugly game for both teams, but the difference was that one was able to get its footing offensively just enough to earn a win. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the Sun Devils. Head Coach Herm Edwards said the team has moved on and I believe we should move on as well. We should move on to talking about the uniforms.

The Sun Devils wore a gold helmet/white jersey/white pant uniform combination in Salt Lake City. For the second consecutive week, they wore a gold facemask with the gold helmet. It’s a bold choice and I feel it really takes the overall uniform combination and decal choice to make it work. It looked good the week prior at home against Washington State with the traditional color uniforms and gold pitchfork decals. This week, while it still looked sharp, it didn’t strike my fancy as much has it did against the Cougs.

Too much gold up top without much to tie it together from the white jersey or pants is the most glaring issue with this combination. The “dark anchor” I always hope for in a uniform combination didn’t make an appearance this week. I’m not sure how a darker element like maroon pants would have looked, but it’s possible it could’ve complemented and offset the bold gold of the helmet. A different decal set would have been ideal and probably would have greatly changed the complexion of the entire uniform for the better. This is a rare miss for the equipment staff this season which has been exemplary despite their lack of helmet colors to choose from.

Gold Helmet/White Jersey/White Pants: B-

The Week to Come

Uniform

After a tough road loss, the Sun Devils will look to right the ship in their second consecutive road game as they travel to take on UCLA in the Rose Bowl. The Bruins have had a roller coaster ride of a season thus far, but seem to be gaining some footing as they prepare to welcome the Devils. It will be interesting to see if ASU can bounce back. Now, what will they be wearing when they try get in the W column in Pasadena?

If you were in Sun Devil Stadium when the Devils took on Colorado, you may have heard the in-game announcement over the PA about what the team will be wearing against UCLA. That game against Colorado was the sustainability game, so they highlighted the sustainability uniform and made it known that it will be worn on the road against UCLA. I am going to highlight the aesthetics of the uniform in this week’s article. If you would like to know more about what makes this uniform a sustainable uniform, I invite you to check out my preseason article about it by clicking here.

The “Selfless” sustainability uniform the Sun Devils will wear this week is the 2019 edition of the Whiteout road uniform that has become an annual staple each season. The white helmet/white jersey/white pant uniform combination has a much different look than Whiteouts of past years.

The white jersey features a maroon and white stylized Arizona state flag in representing the sunset and the star on each sleeve. The maroon player numbers on the uniforms are cut in straight, squared off lines on both the front and back of the jersey. Along with the typeface differing from the standard uniforms, the player numbers are not outlined in gold like they typically are on the standard away white uniforms.

The nameplate on the back of the jersey utilizes the simplified, plain text maroon font and above the nameplate is a small, maroon “ASU” in Sun Devil Bold font outlined in gold. On the front of the jersey, near the left shoulder, is a maroon adidas logo. Near the right shoulder is a maroon and gold Pac 12 shield, and while not pictured, there will also be a white and gray “150” patch signifying the 150th season of college football that has been on each jersey all season. Last, but not least, the base of the collar still has the black PT*42 shield in honor of ASU Football legend, Pat Tillman.

The white pants have a small gold pitchfork with maroon trim near the right hip and a maroon adidas logo near the left hip. Rather than the “Sun Devils” text that typically runs vertically along the side of the left thigh, the pants for the “Selfless” uniform have thick maroon stripes that on each pant leg.

Helmet

This week’s whiteout helmet features standard-sized maroon pitchfork decals with white trim, a maroon center stripe, and a white facemask. While this is the first time the maroon pitchfork and center stripe decals have been used together, it is not the first time a pitchfork decal and center stripe decal combination has occurred. We have to go back to the 2014 Desert Fuel uniform worn against Notre Dame to find the first time pitchfork decals and center stripe were used together, however, the decals for that game were a beautiful copper combination.

The front bumpers on this week’s helmet will be both 2D and 3D with a white base and maroon font that reads PT*42, also honoring the legendary Sun Devil, Pat Tillman. The maroon decals on the back of the helmet include the Pac 12 shield, the outline of the state of Arizona with a small pitchfork over Tempe, and even the text in the Warning label. The decals on the back of the helmet are rounded out by small Sparky decals on either side of the helmet’s rear bumper.

Cleats & Socks

ASU will wear white cleats this week. The two sets of cleats pictured below feature the adidas Adi-Zero cleats on the top row and adidas Freaks on the bottom. The Adi-Zeroes are typically worn by speed position players (wide receivers and defensive backs), while the Freaks are typically worn by heavier players (linebackers and linemen).

Beginning with the top row, the Adi-Zero on the left features a white base and white sole, a white tongue with maroon accents, white laces, three maroon adidas stripes near the toe on the outside of the shoe, and a prominent maroon adidas logo on the instep near the arch. The Adi-Zero in the middle is a standard low-top Adi-Zero Primeknit with all the same features. The pair on the far right is a mid-top Adi-Zero Primeknit and has the same features as well, but the white opening rises higher up on the ankle.

The pairs of adidas Freaks on the left and in the middle also feature a white base and sole, with three maroon adidas stripes near the ankle on the outside of the shoes and three maroon adidas stripes near the arch on the instep. They both also have a white tongue and white laces. The Freak low-top is on the far left and Freak mid-top is in the middle, rising higher up the ankle. The Freak Torsion on the far right has a white base and sole. It also has three white adidas stripes on the outside of the shoe. There is a very large maroon adidas logo on the inside of the shoe. The tongue and large shoelaces are both white, and a small, maroon adidas “Freak” logo can be found on the white heel loop.

Along with the white cleats, the Sun Devils will also be wearing white socks.

Gloves

The Sun Devils will wear white gloves this week, and as with the cleats, there are different gloves for different positions. The gloves on the top are Adi-Zeros which are typically worn by speed position players like wide receivers and defensive backs. Each glove features a gold pitchfork with maroon trim overlaying a white and gray tonal state flag pattern on the palm of the glove. They also have a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand and maroon accents on the knuckles and the wrist-wrap.

The gloves in the middle are adidas Freaks, worn by larger skill position players such as linebackers and tight ends. The adidas Freak gloves have a pattern of small, repeating adidas logos that are gold in color on the white palm, along with a large maroon adidas logo that is completed when the palms are placed together. The adidas Freaks also have a maroon adidas logo on the back of the hand and a black wrist-wrap.

Finally, for linemen, the gloves on the bottom are white adidas Freak-Max, which boasts 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 a have gold accent on the wrist-wrap and knuckles.

Reaction

Just as the all-white/Whiteout/Storm Trooper uniforms have become a yearly tradition, it has also become almost as much of a tradition that they are my least favorite uniforms each season. I’m not sure that is the case this year. The uniforms are different, yes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean bad. There is a heavier maroon presence on this uniform than there has been on Whiteout uniforms of seasons past which makes it feel more complete as an ASU uniform, despite the lack of personality from the text.

I would like to see more gold on the uniform, but they’re sticking with a theme, and it seems to work. There are splashes of gold from the pitchfork on the pants, the Pac 12 shield on the shoulder, the “ASU” text on the back collar, and the Sparky decals on the rear helmet bumper. It might not be enough for some, but I’m at least glad that it’s there. Otherwise, the maroon center stripe looks fantastic with the maroon pitchforks on the helmet and the maroon stripes on the pants really give the uniform an identity. Add to that the maroon and white state flag on the shoulders and there’s the making of a solid uniform combination. How will it all come together on the field? We’ll have to watch this Saturday to find out.

What Color Traveling ASU Fans Should Wear: Gold