Jaelen Strong, a key playmaker in ASU’s 2014 win over Notre Dame, recalls the atmosphere of that game and season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – In the first-ever College Football Playoff rankings in 2014, Arizona State found itself ranked 14th. A week later, the Sun Devils skyrocketed into the top 10 at No. 9 in the Week 11 rankings. Not only did this mark the highest CFP ranking in program history, but it also set the stage for ASU’s biggest opponent of the CFP era, the 10th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The game had major playoff implications for both teams, and the fan support backed the magnitude of the game. Despite temperatures reaching 85 degrees in November, a capacity crowd of 65,870 screaming Sun Devil fans made their way to Sun Devil Stadium.
Jaelen Strong, who currently serves as a coach at AZ Compass Prep, played wide receiver on the 2014 ASU team and later went on to spend three seasons in the National Football League with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Strong not only had a fond memory of the crowd for the Notre Dame game but for all Sun Devil home games that season.
“That whole year was different,” Strong said. “We had an intense student section in almost every game during my 2014 year. That Notre Dame game was our first daytime game and it was nice weather so it was highly anticipated. The fans had been camping out since Wednesday for a Saturday game, so it was really exciting to see it happen. It was a good time.”
As for the game itself, after Notre Dame scored the first points of the game thanks to a Kyle Brindza field goal, the Sun Devils rattled off 34 first-half points, highlighted by a pick-six from defensive back Damarious Randall. After leading 34-10 at halftime, the Sun Devils held off a second-half comeback by the Irish to win the game 55-31.
Saturday’s matchup, which pits the 21st-ranked Sun Devils against the 14th-ranked Brigham Young University Cougars, is being billed by some as the biggest home game for ASU football since defeating Notre Dame.
This season marks the first time that ASU has cracked the CFP Top 25 since 2014, taking players on the team from a decade ago down memory lane.
“I just think about all the memories with all the friends and teammates,” said Zane Gonzalez, who kicked for ASU in 2014 and now serves in the same role for the Washington Commanders. “The accolades are the accolades and they’ll be there and they’re cool to talk about, but it’s more so the memories with my roommates and teammates and all the fun times we had and all the hard work we put in.”
After starting his first season at the helm of the Sun Devil program 3-9, coach Kenny Dillingham has quickly turned ASU into one of the most exciting teams in college football, currently posting an 8-2 record and an appearance in the CFP Top 25. While the buzz across campus has been alive with hype leading up to the contest this weekend, Gonzalez and other Sun Devil alumni are excited about the current state of the program and the bright future ahead.
“I think it’s (the program) in great hands,” Gonzalez said. “Kenny is one of those guys that’s here to stay. He’s an Arizona guy through and through. When I got to Arizona State, we had just signed him out of Chaparral High School, so he’s a local kid, he loves the city and he’s there to stay for the long haul, which when you’re recruiting people, that’s what you want to see instead of a coach just getting up and going.
“I’ve always said ASU has the facilities, the atmosphere, and the beautiful scenery. It’s hard not to fall in love with Arizona as a whole and they have the recruiting ability to get anyone they want to. I think Kenny’s really embraced that and he’s done really well getting the proper guys in there and also just building a proper culture.”
The Devils look to deliver a result similar to the 2014 showdown against Notre Dame in front of a sold-out crowd at Mountain America Stadium. With a win, ASU is in the heart of the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, which takes place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 7.