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Arizona State fans have become a punching bag for college football followers online. Videos surfaced on social media showing a less than stellar attendance outcome for the Sun Devils‘ most recent game against Fresno State.
Not only that, but what few fans remained in the stands during the blowout loss decided to watch the Colorado-Colorado State game instead.
ASU finds itself in a season of transition. Gone is last year’s head coach Herm Edwards as he was fired midseason amid controversy. In is new leader Kenny Dillingham.
Dillingham’s start has been rocky.
The roster was crushed by the transfer portal following Edwards’ departure, leaving the new staff to piece together a capable lineup. While they were able to see a few wins on the recruiting trail, most notably the signing of five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, it’s clear that the group is a ways away from being competitive.
After three weeks of the 2023 season, the Sun Devils sit at 1-2 with their only win being a three-point victory over Southern Utah. The last two games have resulted in losses to an Oklahoma State team that just paid $300K to get blown out by South Alabama, and Fresno State.
The most recent contest was the low point thus far in the ’23 campaign.
ASU was held scoreless against the Mountain West foe, and the Bulldogs ran away with a 29-0 smackdown. Not only did Fresno State crush a hopeless Sun Devils’ squad on the road, but they seemed to break the spirits of Arizona State fans.
Videos surfaced during the game showing a completely empty students’ section by the fourth quarter. Those young attendees would rather drown their sorrows at the bar instead of staying on to watch the on-field massacre.
Start of the fourth quarter with Fresno State leading ASU 26-0…and this is the Sun Devil student section. @ABC30 pic.twitter.com/TeS9j6fKxz
— Stephen Hicks (@StephenABC30) September 17, 2023
The students weren’t the only ones lacking interest in the product the Sun Devils were putting on the field. In fact, many opted to stream another PAC 12 rival’s game while sitting in the stands.
Clips showed the few Arizona State supporters remaining in Mountain America Stadium watching Deion Sanders and Colorado on their phones.
In their defense, that was a much more entertaining game, with the Buffs eventually winning in double overtime.
ASU fans have decided to watch Colorado/Colorado State instead… pic.twitter.com/9nOCjBtCXd
— David Suarez (@DavidSuarez) September 17, 2023
Dillingham and Co. clearly don’t have the backing of the ASU faithful to this point, but it’s still very early in the head coach’s tenure. Hopefully for Arizona State fans, the turnaround in Tempe moves more quickly than anticipated.