ASU's road to Holiday Bowl was paved at home
Arizona State's 2013 football season was one for the books. With head football coach Todd Graham at the helm, ASU went undefeated at home in the regular season. Graham was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Oft adorned in a sea of gold, Sun Devil Stadium helped launch a winning football team in the Pac-12 South – and became the host site for the Pac-12 Championship game.
As Arizona State gears up for the Holiday Bowl Dec. 30, here is a look back at a spectacular season at home.
The road to the Holiday Bowl began Sept. 5, when Arizona State opened the season against the Sacramento State Hornets. ASU's high-octane offense helped the team to a 55-0 victory. "I was really proud of our team and I was really proud of our guys," Coach Graham said of the win. "We wanted four takeaways and we wanted zero penalties. I think they did a real good job and obviously dominated a team we should dominate."
"This place is going to be rocking," said Coach Graham of the Sept. 14 annual Blackout Game in Sun Devil Stadium. He was right; ASU fans, clad in black, showed up in droves to watch as their team upset Big 10 school Wisconsin.
In what was a nail-biting final two minutes of the Blackout Game, ASU managed to hold onto a two-point lead over No. 10 Wisconsin, winning the game 32-30.
Next up was the Sept. 28 annual Maroon Monsoon game in Sun Devil Stadium – a matchup that pitted ASU against the USC Trojans.
Coming off a 42-28 loss at Stanford, the Sun Devils were ready for some redemption. What began as a close game against the Trojans quickly turned, as ASU's brilliantly played offense and defense resulted in a 62-41 victory. It was the first time in history the ASU football program scored more than 50 points against USC.
Running back Marion Grice ended the night with four touchdowns, upping his total to 12 in four games.
The Oct. 12 game promised Sun Devils a night of buffalo-hunting when Colorado came to town, and the ASU football program delivered on its promise. The team blew the Buffaloes away with a 54-13 victory.
"All that Glitters is Gold" was the theme of ASU's 2013 Homecoming – and Sun Devils received the message loud and clear, as they went up against nationally ranked Washington.
High-flying touchdowns and a golden defense led ASU to a 53-24 win over the 20th-ranked Washington Huskies.
The full moon shone over Sun Devil Stadium, Nov. 16, when Arizona State hosted Oregon State. The offense received the opening kickoff and scored on their first series. ASU's defense was notably strong.
Though the Beavers gained some ground in the second half, ASU's defense did not let up. The Sun Devils finished the game with a 30-17 win over Oregon State.
And, in Sun Devil Stadium, the crowd went wild. Arizona State had just one more home game of the regular season – Arizona's infamous football rivalry game.
The 2013 Duel in the Desert was not just a football game between two rivals; University of Arizona was looking to take back the Territorial Cup won by the Sun Devils in 2012, and ASU was looking to keep the cup, finish its season undefeated at home and host No. 8 Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship game.
On the last night of November, ASU wore black but their performance was pure gold. The Sun Devils went on to score more than 50 points for the sixth time that season, defeating the Wildcats with a final score of 58-21.
ASU finished the season with the best conference record in the Pac-12 at 8-1 and notched its first 10-win season since 2007, and the 12th 10-win season in school history.
ASU would go on to host Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship. Best of all, the Territorial Cup would stay in Tempe for another year.
Even after falling to Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship, Arizona State still will continue on to play in a bowl game. Watch as the Sun Devils take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Dec. 30, in the 36th National University Holiday Bowl. Read more