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The last 20 minutes of Saturday's showdown in Mountain America Stadium encapsulated what is transpiring in the Big 12 Conference– complete chaos. Arizona State football (9-2) continued its watershed 2024 campaign with a 28-23 victory versus No. 14 BYU (9-2) on Saturday, but a momentous feat could have possibly turned into an absolute nightmare.
Following what should have been an outcome-sealing Javan Robinson interception with just over one minute remaining in the game, the Sun Devils took a risky approach to their final offensive drive of the day. Freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt ran for a loss of 36 yards on two plays with the intention of draining the clock. He then threw an incomplete pass as time expired (many argue it was intentional grounding).
Or so Arizona State fans thought. The officials put one second back on the clock, but by then, the damage was done. A frenzied home crowd in Tempe stormed the field with haste and unbridled enthusiasm, pulling down the goal post. It took about 15 minutes to clear the pandemonium and set the stage for one last BYU play on its own 49-yard line.
Fans retreated the field and the post was placed upright once more, as a brutally embarrassing scenario started to take shape in the minds of those watching from their living rooms.
ASU fans stormed the field with one second left on the clock and now they’re trying to put the goal posts back up pic.twitter.com/unQOI45tan
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) November 24, 2024
People react to the early mayhem unleashed by Arizona State football fans
“BYU has a chance to do the funniest thing,” one fan posted on X, fantasizing about a mind-boggling reversal of fortune that the Cougars could have inflicted on the Sun Devils and their supporters.
The Hail Mary attempt failed, however, giving No. 21 Arizona State possession of first place in the unpredictable Big 12 with just one week remaining in the regular season. Even so, the program's fans were mocked and chastised for the premature and excessive celebration.
“How does ASU not get penalized for this?” another person said. “What a mess.” Will the NCAA consider bringing down the hammer one day in the future in an effort to deter the bedlam? There are those who certainly want strong action to be taken. “Storming the field should be a disqualification,” someone else declared. “That would stop the nonsense.”
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Punishing Arizona State football for the actions of their fans would have undoubtedly sparked a raging debate among the public and pundits. The university can be subjected to fines for the display, but crowd excitement is unlikely to be tempered. Other measures might have to be taken to prevent such invasions from taking place.
“Fines aren’t obviously working,” another football fan posted. “Going to have to come up with something different, something like a retractable barrier. Really getting stupid with the field storming.” Although the delay overshadowed a lively fourth quarter, the Sun Devils deserve their due for sitting atop their conference.
Arizona State trusts its star RB in huge win
Impulsive fan participation aside, the home team sent a strong message to the rest of the conference. Senior running back Cam Skattebo totaled 28 carries for 147 yards and scored Arizona State's first three touchdowns of the game to build a 21-0 lead. He now has a whopping 16 scores in 2024, doing his part and then some to galvanize a big turnaround.
The Sun Devils were a combined 4-23 during the last three years but are now competing for a league championship and automatic College Football Playoff bid in their first season in the Big 12. Head coach Kenny Dillingham created a blueprint after returning to his Alma mater in November of 2022, and his players are implementing it on the gridiron.
Arizona State football can clinch a spot in the conference title game by defeating Arizona next Saturday. They will have to worry about the opposing crowd this time, though, as the Desert figures to be extremely raucous for this rivalry clash.
