On September 5th, the Sun Devils started off the season with a domination of the Sacramento State Hornets (55 – 0). It was the first ASU shutout since 1996. Coach Todd Graham told us that we were looking at a Bowl-worthy team this year and if their performance from the first game continues throughout the 2013-14 season, then ASU might surpass his expectations!
Football season is one of the best parts of being a student. The crowd, the cheers, the sense of solidarity between you and your classmates—wearing gold to games is a part of our identity as Sun Devils. But there comes a time during every year when our gold shirts are folded, put away, and the black shirts come out to play.
Blackout games are legendary at Arizona State.
The normal sense of camaraderie is tripled. You don those black t-shirts with the gold pitchforks emblazoned on the back and suddenly you have 12,000 new best friends. Cheering is louder, people are bolder, and the competition is guaranteed to be fierce.
I think the best part about football season at ASU is that you don’t have to like football to enjoy being in the stands. Let’s not kid ourselves—it’s hot. We live in the middle of the desert and when you put 12,000 young adults into one section of the football stadium; it’s obviously going to get a little heated. But when there are diehard football fans screaming and rejoicing, even those who don’t know what’s happening will end up on the edge of their seats.
The student section is infectious! The energy is flowing and there’s terrible singing and loud cheering, but that’s all a part of the experience. You’re only an undergraduate Sun Devil for four years of your life. Football may not be your thing, but having fun is for everyone.
The Blackout game is this Saturday, 9/14 (ASU vs. Wisconsin). Kickoff is at 7:30pm, but wrist-banding starts four hours before game time. Grab some black ASU gear! Herd some of your friends together and go to the game! If you only go to one football game during this season, you can still say that you tried something new. Go devils!
Photo Credit: Stephanie Tate, 2011