ASU's sizzling first half of the 2014 college football season was appropriately sealed with a kiss.
After the Sun Devils' 26-10 victory against Stanford Saturday night, newcomer quarterback Mike Bercovici was seen lip-smacking a cheerleader in celebration.
The photo, perfectly captured by Arizona Republic photographer Rob Schumacher, reflects the euphoria surrounding a football program that is thriving and a replacement quarterback who is for the moment Big Man on Campus.
Bercovici threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against the nation's No. 1-rated defense. The redshirt junior has filled in exceptionally as a backup to preserve ASU's chances of a conference championship. If a cheerleader wasn't going to kiss the man, any number of giddy Sun Devil fans would have probably done it anyway.
It was also a kiss of revenge.
Last year, the team lost twice to the seemingly bigger, stronger Cardinal team by a combined 38 points. The Devils had not beaten Stanford since 2008.
In Hollywood terms, the Cardinal team was Biff, the bully. ASU was George Mcfly. The Devils were desperate to not look back, but to the future, so to speak. On Saturday night, ASU punched the bully in the mouth, and then promptly kissed the prettiest girl nearby.
The kiss was apparently also an expression of genuine affection.
I called the ASU media-relations department Monday to find out the backstory between the quarterback and cheerleader seemingly lost in a moment of, ahem, passionate celebration. The cheerleader is Jaylee Merrill, who is Bercovici's longtime girlfriend.
With six games remaining, including a home game against Notre Dame and the season finale in Tucson, let's hope there are plenty more hugs and kisses to come.
