(Photo: Jack Simon/WCSN)
LONDON – Over its 100-year history, the stands of Wembley Stadium’s two iterations have nearly seen it all.
England’s 1966 World Cup triumph, with Sir Bobby Moore captaining the side, earning him a statue outside the ground. The famed 1985 Live Aid concert starring musical legends Queen, David Bowie and Elton John. Five European Cup finals. One Olympics. A World Cup final.
The stadium’s history includes a 2002 demolition and a 2007 reconstruction that has helped it host almost any event in the entertainment world.
Except an American college football game.
The famed London Borough of Brent landmark has hosted countless NFL games since reopening 19 years ago, but never one at the collegiate level.
After a century of hosting events, the Union Jack Classic filled that hole in Wembley’s resume Saturday night, as the traditional customs of college football were unleashed for the first time at the fabled ground. The roar of the bands’ fight songs, the vibe of the pregame tailgates and the beloved video of Sparky stomping the bus all brought across the pond for this historic day.
Under the dimming night sky and gleaming stadium lights, the Arizona State football team (2-1, 1-0 Big 12) etched its name into the Wembley folklore by beating Kansas 24-17 (1-2, 0-1 Big 12) in the Union Jack Classic.
The game certainly doesn’t match the frequent glitz and glamor showcased on the Wembley Stadium grounds – rather, the opposite. ASU’s defense stifled Kansas’ offense by holding it to only 10 points, all of which came in the last seven minutes of the game.
“Our motto is a smart tough football team,” Dillingham said. “Toughness is a core value of what I always want our football teams to look like and I think our defense played with that.”
The defense may have allowed over 400 yards of offense, but frequently helped the Sun Devils’ offense win the field position battle by having a plus-3 turnover margin.
Third-year linebacker Owen Long led the defensive toughness, with a game-leading 12 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
“He led the country in tackles last year,” Dillingham said. “I’m probably going to go see him and be like, ‘Yeah, that’s just another day, right?
“People get so wrapped up in size and speed, and all that stuff is really important; you need it. But at the end of the day, when you get on the football field, some people have the instincts to make plays, and he has the instinct.”
Second-year defensive lineman Hyrum Vaeono recovered the fumble forced by Long and returned it 77 yards to the Kansas’ 2-yard-line.
“Everything had slowed down when I first seen the ball,” Vaeono said. “It was like I was in a literal dream. I couldn’t hear anything, I was just running as fast as I could.”
Ultimately, Vaeono was tripped up inches before crossing the goal line, which set up an easy touchdown for ASU, something it desperately needed as the offense stuttered.
“I thought offensively we played better last week than we did last week,” Dillingham said. “Credit to their staff, credit to their players. They did a really good job on defense by giving us light boxes and making us run it.”
The bulk of the Sun Devils’ points came in the middle two minutes of the game. After Kansas punted the ball to their own 25-yard-line, third-year quarterback Cutter Boley found fourth-year wide receiver Reed Harris wide open for the touchdown with seconds remaining in the first half.
On the opening kickoff of the second half, fourth-year wide receiver Jaren Hamilton took it 100 yards into the end zone for the score.
“Right before the play, I just had a feeling, deep in my soul,” Hamilton said. “I knew something was going to happen, and anytime I get the ball, I just have a feeling I can do great things with it.”
Excluding the drive to conclude the game, ASU punted on nine of 13 drives. Of those nine punts, five came on 3-and-outs.
Hamilton’s deep feeling provided the Sun Devils with a much-needed jolt to get them over the line of victory.
Ultimately, ASU’s trip to London ended in success both on and off the field. Players frequently spoke about how it offered a great bonding experience, with Vaeono mentioning it was similar to the team’s annual preseason trip to Camp Tontozona.
“They just got to do something they’ve never done, and maybe would have never done in their entire life,” Dillingham said. “We just gave 18- to 22-year-olds an experience, and it’s not just on the football field, but they now know what London is like. They may want to come move out here. They may want to come on vacation”
However, the Sun Devils still recognize some of the holes they need to patch in the team.
“I feel like we’re a pretty good football team,” Hamilton said. “When we’re firing on all cylinders, it’s not a lot of people that can hang with us. We know that, and when we stick to our keys, play our game and not let what our opponent does affect us, and we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, we’re amazing.”
