TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State football is having lots of fun with its best season in a decade.
After being picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason polls No. 21 ASU has a chance to finish on top of the conference.
Their biggest game in years comes to Mountain America Stadium Saturday as the Devils host No. 14 BYU.
With eight wins in their first 10 games, the Devils are ranked in the top 25 for the first time in three years. The energy on campus is electric.
“This year has been exceeding everyone’s expectations,” ASU Senior Gus Fonseca said. “It’s been awesome for the city of Tempe and the whole state.”
“I like this,” Preston Quijano, 942 Crew member and ASU senior said. “It’s fun to be here.”
But now comes their toughest test this season, and arguably biggest game in ten years.
“Vegas said it, we’re the favorite to win the game,” Quijano said. “We might be ranked a little lower, but we’re at home.”
The Cougars come to Tempe with a (9-1) record atop the Big 12 standings. However, ASU has yet to lose at home and are trying to go undefeated on their home turf for the first time in over 20 years.
“It sold out in the first two days,” Quijano said. “Everyone projected us to be last. Just proving everyone wrong is the best thing we can do.”
“Maybe another upset? Maybe another storming of the field?” Fonseca questioned.
ASU seniors have endured a tough last three years with the program, but now this game and season mean that much more.
“The homecoming parade, the homecoming block party, then the tailgate,” ASU sophomore Vaishnavi Rayaprolu said. “There are so many things happening on gameday that the hype is doubled. Tripled.”
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. MST on Saturday, but people plan on tailgating starting at 6:30 a.m.