Redshirt senior defensive tackle Will Sutton celebrates with ASU fans and Sparky after the win over UCLA in Pasadena Calif., Saturday, Nov. 23. The win against UCLA marked an important moment for Sun Devil nation. (Photo by Dominic Valente.)Culture change.
It’s a slippery term that gets thrown around press conferences by sports executives whose teams are struggling and whose fans are suffering. Yet fans know that true top-down culture change is as rare as a championship season.
As sports fans, we have all seen culture change promises made and broken, sometimes twice in as many years. What most of us have not seen is a culture change promise manifest itself in a matter of less than two years.
ASU’s 38-33 Pac-12 South clinching victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl last night marked that isolated moment of evolution for Sun Devil coaches and players, but perhaps more importantly, for Sun Devil nation.
Sun Devil nation, which went all but dormant after a brutal loss on national television at Rose Bowl Stadium in 1996, was born again last night, ironically enough, on national television at Rose Bowl Stadium.
“One of the things I was most proud of was looking down there in that end zone when things were tough and to hear those fans chanting,” ASU coach Todd Graham said. “That was awesome. That’s what college football is all about. I’m very grateful for all of Sun Devil nation that was here today. Strong, loud and proud, and I think they got their money’s worth.”
They certainly got their money’s worth, and they reciprocated, as the Sun Devil section of Rose Bowl Stadium filled the chilly night air with ASU chants that shook Rose Bowl Stadium and inspired the Sun Devils on the field to victory.
The stage was set for a monumental meltdown and as UCLA drove down the field late in the fourth quarter, Sun Devil nation held its collective breath and awaited the familiar. But this team is a product of real culture change, and much like its head coach, remained composed when it mattered and stopped the Bruins in their tracks.
Frankly, it was awe-inspiring to see, hear and feel the energy from a fan base, Sun Devil nation, that has been written off as too apathetic, too uninterested and too halfhearted to care about a team, which most recently has been lackluster at best and downright terrible at worst.
But nothing was terrible or lackluster about ASU football last night, and the celebration that ensued on the field and in the stands after the game was a collective Sun Devil release of angst and anger that has been stewing for years, even decades, of dashed hopes and disappointments.
"They’re our 12th man," ASU redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Kelly said of Sun Devil nation. "For them to come out here and support, I’ll never forget that moment."
From the I-10 Freeway to the Santa Monica Pier, from Westwood all the way to South Pasadena, ASU fans wrapped in maroon and gold, sporting sparky and parading pitchforks invaded Los Angeles. That’s culture change.
Storming out to a 35-13 lead at halftime and holding on until the final whistle blows. That’s culture change.
Setting goals that seem unattainable at the outset of the season and celebrating achieving those goals near season's end. Now that's culture change, and it's certainly a special time to be a part of Sun Devil nation.
Reach the editor at npmendo@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @NPMendoza
