“Arizona State vs. Southern Utah Game Delayed by Dust Storm at Mountain America Stadium”
Tempe, AZ – A dust storm swept through Mountain America Stadium on Thursday, causing a significant delay during the Arizona State-Southern Utah game. The haboob, which started late in the second quarter, created visibility problems and prompted officials to take precautionary measures.
By halftime, the Sun Devil marching band had canceled its performance, and university officials called for the stands to be evacuated. The stadium scoreboards displayed a message stating, “The game is temporarily delayed. Follow the directions of our event attendants and exit the stadium.”
The initial disturbance began with strong winds and blowing dust, followed by rain and lightning. As a result of the lightning strikes, there was an initial 30-minute delay around 8:45 p.m. To ensure the safety of players and spectators, the postponement clock reset each time a lightning strike occurred within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.
The haboob had already started impacting the game before it posed a safety hazard. Southern Utah’s defense found themselves staring directly into the blowing dust as Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada threw a short touchdown pass to Troy Omeire, giving the Sun Devils a 21-7 lead.
After a few minutes of reduced visibility, the National Weather Service issued an alert, warning of the potential severity of the storm. The alert read, “Dust storm warning for Maricopa County in south-central Arizona… until 10:30 p.m.”
Experts explained that the wall of dust originated from the Superstition Mountains in the east, causing visibility to decrease to a mere quarter of a mile. With winds blowing at speeds of 50 mph or faster, the National Weather Service declared travel dangerous, even life-threatening.
Interestingly, the last time a haboob disrupted an Arizona State football game was back in 2011 during a match against the USC Trojans. Despite the disturbance, the Sun Devils emerged victorious with a score of 43-22.
Sports enthusiasts and concerned spectators, stay tuned for more updates on the Arizona State vs. Southern Utah game as the situation unfolds.
(Source: Arizona State football vs. So. Utah: Video, photos of haboob, dust storm in Tempe)
(More: Arizona State football vs. Southern Utah live game updates, analysis, score)