“The crowds have been great,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said.

The 2023 campaign was a rough one; the Sun Devils finished 3-9 overall and 2-7 in the Pac-12, ending with that drumming against their in-state rivals.  

In 2024, however, the team defied the nation’s low expectations, winning the Big 12 championship and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.

ASU has accomplished this feat, thanks in no small part to its dominance at home. 

The Sun Devils went undefeated at Mountain America Stadium, knocking off No. 16 Utah and No. 14 BYU in front of their home crowd.

This season, ASU won its first four home games, including two against ranked opponents.

“I think we’re starting to create a demand,” Dillingham said after the Sun Devils beat No. 24 TCU at home.

However, a combination of turnovers, red zone struggles, sloppy special teams play and an inability to stop the run game of Houston junior quarterback Conner Weigman dampened the spirits of yet another sold-out crowd. ASU has sold out every home game this season.

“All across the board, we got to play better,” Dillingham said, emphasizing the responsibility the offense, defense and special teams all had in the inadequate effort Saturday night. 

The struggle to stop Weigman on the ground was especially evident. 

The quarterback led the Cougars in rushing with 111 yards on 21 carries, including an explosive 50-yard run. Weigman more than doubled the rushing yards of the rest of his team combined.

“They ran the ball too efficiently with their quarterback,” Dillingham said.

Senior linebacker Keyshaun Elliott felt the struggle to contain Weigman.

“It’s a tough run game,” Elliott said.  “They’re good at doing their job, and they run a stout offensive line.”

For a number of Sun Devils, this is the first-ever experience of a loss at Mountain America Stadium. 

Elliott is among this group, as well as senior wide receiver Malik McClain, who had a breakout game with 7 catches and 159 receiving yards to lead ASU’s aerial attack.

“It sucks,” McClain said.

Elliott elaborated on this sentiment.

“Any loss sucks, but especially at home,” Elliott said. “We don’t sell these crowds out to lose. We don’t want that as players.”

Dillingham had a positive outlook on what the heartbreak around this loss says about the state of his program. 

“You should have the expectation to win every home game,” Dillingham said. “You’re not going to, but that should be the expectation.”

The loss is a devastating one for the Sun Devils, stopping their momentum in its tracks after ASU’s biggest win of the season a week ago. 

Still, Dillingham and his squad are optimistic about what they can accomplish the rest of the season. 

The Sun Devils currently sit at 3-2 in Big 12 play, despite starting 3-2 in the conference last year, ASU went on to defeat Iowa State in the Big 12 championship.

“Listen, we’re in the same spot we were last year,” Dillingham said. “We just got to go get better.”

Despite the disappointment of losing in front of a home crowd that’s been so steadfast this season, Dillingham highlights the importance of keeping a level head in the locker room and staying resistant to outside noise.

“It’s funny, last year’s like, ‘there is no hope,’” Dillingham said about external perspectives of his team. “This year, there is hope.”

The Sun Devils will have to win out for any chance at another Big 12 championship appearance, with two of their final four games coming at home.

With that tall mountain to climb, Dillingham hopes to rekindle some of the magic that’s made Mountain America Stadium such a tough place for opponents to play over the last two years.

“It was a really good run of winning at home, and now we got to start another run the next time we go home,” Dillingham said.