TEMPE – D.J. Foster remembers the mood of the 2015 Arizona State football team as it entered a road matchup against No. 7 UCLA.
“We knew the pride of going into the Rose Bowl and trying to get that win,” said Foster, a running back on that team and the Sun Devils’ current assistant athletic director for player development. “That was a game, I think, we were just clicking on all cylinders, we had a passion.”
Nearly 11 years ago on Oct. 3, the Sun Devils defeated the No. 7 ranked Bruins, 38-23, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Since then, ASU is 0-5 against top 10 teams on the road.
ASU (1-0) hopes to break that string Saturday when the Sun Devils face No.10 Texas A&M (1-0) at one of the loudest college football venues in the country, Kyle Field in College Station.
“This is why you play college football,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “You want to play in environments that are fun.”
Former ASU safety Jordan Simone said the UCLA game in 2015 was an important win for the Sun Devils after struggling to win consistently, even though the players believed they could beat any team they faced.
“I think that was one of the games where our offense finally started hitting and these good things kept happening,” Simone said. “That was like a product of us just playing a good game.”
The Sun Devils’ five road games against AP top 10 teams since ASU’s 2015 victory against No. 7 UCLA:
| Year | Opponent | Opponent Rank | Result |
| Oct. 17, 2015 | Utah | No. 4 | Lost 34–18 |
| Nov. 19, 2016 | Washington | No. 7 | Lost 44–18 |
| Sept. 22, 2018 | Washington | No. 10 | Lost 27–20 |
| Oct. 1, 2022 | USC | No. 6 | Lost 42–25 |
| Oct. 21, 2023 | Washington | No. 5 | Lost 15-7 |
Earlier that season, the team traveled to Houston to face Texas A&M in the Advocare Texas Kickoff game played at NRG Stadium. Two Arizona natives playing for Texas A&M, quarterback Kyle Allen and wide receiver Christian Kirk, showcased their talents, helping the Aggies beat the Sun Devils, 38-17.
“I remember it being a crazy atmosphere,” Simone said. “Those fans, they’re loud, the 12th man is really there.”
Foster fondly recalls details of the game as he played against Kirk, a former Saguaro High School teammate, and future Arizona Cardinals teammate Kyler Murray, a true freshman on that team who later transferred to Oklahoma.
“A lot of different storylines,” Foster said. “A lot of talent on that team, but also the exposure to a big game like that, with a big time opponent, it was good for us to be on that stage to see ASU be able to play in that spotlight.”
Simone believes visiting teams are affected on the road against a loud crowd, much like what he faced against the Aggies and the Bruins.
“You’re going off hand signals a lot so that makes it tough,” Simone said. “Normal communication is much more difficult and then it just gets in your head.”
The Aggies are coming off a strong defensive performance in their season opener, limiting the Missouri State Bears to 67 yards on Sept. 5 at home. After a slow start offensively, quarterback Marcel Reed and the offense gained control for a 50-0 victory.
Even though Texas A&M opens as a 14 ½-point favorite for the 9 a.m. MST kickoff, Aggies coach Mike Elko is not overlooking the Sun Devils. He expressed his respect for the ASU program and the Sun Devils’ recent accomplishments.
“I know a lot of people like to look at logos and think logos mean things, they really don’t,” Elko said. “This is a really talented team that’s been producing a lot of NFL players, has a bunch of them on the field this weekend and this will be a really big challenge for us.”
Last week in ASU’s opener at Mountain America Stadium, the Sun Devils beat the Morgan State Bears 70-7, led by the Big 12 co-offensive player of the week, quarterback Cutter Boley, who threw for six touchdowns and 387 yards.
ASU has never beaten an SEC team on the road. The Sun Devils only SEC win came at home against Mississippi State in 2024, with ASU going on to win the Big 12 Championship that season.
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