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Fans gathered in the chilly night outside Mountain America Stadium to celebrate their Sun Devils once more.
The Peach Bowl scoreboard in Atlanta had marked the heartbreaking loss against the Texas Longhorns, but that wasn’t the focus of the 100 or so supporters present Wednesday night.
They were here to cheer the Arizona State team that had revived the Sun Devil football program.
The Sun Devils lost, 39-31, in a game that saw a furious comeback inspired by running back Cam Skattebo and a double overtime battle that ended with a Texas win.
The fans in the stadium parking lot wanted to celebrate the players, the coaching staff and the team’s Big 12 championship season.
‘They’re just a team that didn’t give up’
Maria Elena Coronado-Sutter was back again, on a night when the temperature in Tempe dropped to the high 40s. She had welcomed the team home from its last win in Texas in the Big 12 championship game. She said she had “so much pride despite the loss.”
This time she brought her mother and two young family members representing next-generation Sun Devil fans.
Mark Streeper, 66, a lifelong fan, wore his ASU ballcap that was adorned with autographs. A season ticketholder, he reflected on what made the 2024 team different.
“They’re just a team that didn’t give up, and as fan that’s fantastic, because you don’t give up on them. Being in the stands this year was a total different experience,” he said.
Fans, coaches react to tough Peach Bowl loss
Just before 11:30 p.m., the team buses exited Loop 202 and headed south toward the stadium, where excited fans cheered “ASU! ASU! ASU!”
They gathered at the exit of the fenced-off team locker room, greeting players, coaches and other team staff as they left the facility and headed toward their vehicles.
Dozens of players stopped to give autographs and take photos with eager…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/much-pride-despite-loss-sun-130543271.html
Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic
Publish date : 2025-01-02 13:05:00
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