Pac 12 football is known to get wild after dark, and that rang true in the most literal sense during the USC-Arizona State game Saturday. A fox scurried onto the Sun Devil Stadium turf only 2:37 into the first quarter before jumping into the stands to join the fans.
The fox’s appearance stunned the announcers, with one saying “This fox is a wild child” and another mistaking it for a cat. Play stopped as ASU security attempted to corral the animal.
Security eventually guided the fox into the tunnel. Or, as one announcer put it, “off into the desert.” How very Pac 12.
Like the spread offense or run-pass options, foxes have begun to percolate around college football. Another fox sprinted onto the Texas Longhorns‘ field during its Oct. 9 Red River Showdown against Oklahoma. The Sooners eventually won that game thanks to a two-touchdown performance from then-backup quarterback Caleb Williams.
ASU (5-3) scored first after the fox left the field via a 14-yard touchdown run from DeaMonte Trayanum, but USC (4-4) has three quarters to come back from its 7-0 deficit. Perhaps the fox returning punts can help the Trojans get back into it, because in the Pac 12 even something as crazy as that could happen.
