Triumph nearly became a tragedy after Arizona State’s astonishing upset over Texas Tech.
A raucous field rush sent a goalpost crashing to the ground after the Sun Devils defeated the No. 7 Red Raiders, 26-22, on Saturday evening, handing them their first loss of the season in roller-coaster fashion.
Video footage posted to social media captured a sea of maroon and gold flooding the field at Mountain American Stadium right after the game ended, swiftly engulfing the south uprights.
The goal post teetered briefly before smashing into the end zone — just narrowly missing some players and the storming herd of fans.
While nobody was injured amid the mayhem, Arizona State was fined $50,000 for the incident, the Big 12 announced Tuesday.
“The Big 12 prioritizes the safety of all players, coaches and officials,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “The conference will continue to work with all of its institutions on event management policies at all Big 12 venues.”
The Sun Devils blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead and found themselves trailing by three with two minutes to go.
Sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt, who completed 28 of his 47 attempts for 319 yards and one touchdown, led the Sun Devils downfield one more time — teeing up a one-yard, go-ahead touchdown rush for Raleek Brown with 34 seconds remaining.
Bedlam from the home crowd ensued after the final play — a failed Texas Tech Hail Mary.
The reigning Big 12 champions improved to 5-2, good for third in the conference, and secured their return to the AP top 25 (No. 24).
Arizona State next hosts Houston (6-1) on Oct. 25.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
