From the Field to the Press Box: My Night Covering ASU Football

William Miller Jr. on the field for Bold World Media before ASU’s matchup with Baylor. Photo: Bold World Media.

Walking into ASU’s game against Baylor, I could already feel the excitement. Students were ready, the stadium was buzzing, and we were there to cover it.

“ASU is going to win,” one student told me.

“It will be a blowout,” another said.

The fans we interviewed had big expectations, and I was excited to see how it would play out.

Before we even reached the field, the staff made us feel welcome. Our credentials were waiting just like they said they would be. There were smiles everywhere and people willing to help us get where we needed to go. Everything felt professional from the moment we walked in.

Once I got onto the sideline, I felt like I belonged.

Players kept dapping me up as they walked by. Every few minutes, someone would tell me, “Your suit looks nice.” The cheerleaders took time to say hello and show love, too. As a young reporter, being accepted and respected meant a lot. I came to cover football, but those moments are going to stay with me.

Then the fireworks went off, and the Sun Devils came running out. The crowd was loud, and everybody was ready.

Baylor had other plans.

The Bears scored 14 points in the first quarter while ASU managed just a field goal. The big win students had predicted suddenly looked a lot harder to come by.

ASU added a touchdown and another field goal in the second quarter, going into halftime down 24 to 13. There was still an opportunity to get back into the game. But Baylor scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 38 to 13 with 9:29 remaining.

The third downs told a lot of the story. Baylor finished nine of 15 on third down, while ASU converted four of 15. Baylor kept its drives going, and the Sun Devils couldn’t get enough stops.

You can’t win with these types of plays. When your offense struggles to stay on the field and your defense keeps giving up third downs, the other team gets more chances to take control. Field goals matter, but you can’t keep trading three points for touchdowns and expect to keep up.

It was frustrating to watch after hearing so much confidence before kickoff. I wanted to see ASU give those students the game they were hoping for.

Moving from the sideline to the press box gave me another view of the action. On the field, everything feels loud and fast. From above, I could see more of how the plays developed. Getting to experience both was one of my favorite parts of the night.

Baylor finished with a 55 to 19 win. It wasn’t the result Sun Devil fans wanted, and it left plenty for ASU to work on.

What does the team need to do to turn things around? I’ll leave the adjustments to the coaches. But after watching those drives, finishing scoring opportunities and getting stops on third down looked like two places to start.

ASU hosts Hawai‘i on October 10, and Bold World Media plans to be there. I’m looking forward to seeing how the team responds.

Tonight was a blessing. I got to ask questions, meet people, and cover college football from the field and the press box. Thank you to everyone who took a moment to welcome us and help us along the way.

Bold World Media. Real Stories. Real Impact.

Game score and statistics: Official Big 12 box score.