After a grueling game Saturday night against North Carolina in which the lead went back and forth nine times, there was nothing but disbelief.
Shaking heads were hung low in amazement and anger over a game ASU should have won, but didn't. And everyone knew why.
Penalties were abundant and chances that went by the wayside plagued the Sun Devils.
"We missed a lot of opportunities," ASU redshirt freshman tailback Hakim Hill said.
Most of ASU's scoring threats went for naught in the red-zone. On ASU's first drive, senior place-kicker Mike Barth pushed a 27-yard field goal wide right. Sun Devil sophomore Daryl Lightfoot then fumbled on a punt return that allowed the Tar Heels to retain possession.
"We missed the first field goal and fumbled the second time, and that just set the precedent," ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said.
The Sun Devils fumbled four more times throughout the evening. Their missed field goals, however, were a completely different story.
Barth converted five of five point-after attempts, but didn't connect on any of his four field goal tries. He missed one kick within 30 yards, a pair of 36-yarders and one from 49 yards out.
It marked the first time Barth had missed more than two field goal attempts. His final miss late in the fourth quarter would have tied the game.
But not all the blame should be placed on Barth.
"In a game that close, you're going to have a lot of emotion, and a lot of guys made some mistakes," Hill said.
ASU sophomore quarterback Andrew Walter was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter. He also was sacked twice for losses totaling 12 yards.
"We have to play well enough to finish drives," Walter said.
The Sun Devils shot themselves in the foot by being penalized nine times for 100 yards. In the second quarter alone, they were whistled for pass interference, a violation of the 2-yard halo on a punt, holding, offside and a personal foul.
The Tar Heels also had their fair share of miscues, as they were flagged 12 times for 76 yards. North Carolina sophomore quarterback Darian Durant threw two interceptions and was sacked six times, four of which came courtesy of junior defensive end Terrell Suggs.
"It hurts us right now because it is a big loss right here at home," ASU junior wide receiver Shaun McDonald said. "It just hit us hard, right here in the heart."
Reach the reporter at katie.crane@asu.edu.