Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 19:46




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Arizona State Holds On For Thrilling 28-21 Big XII Championship Victory
21 #17 Baylor (10-3) @ #2 Arizona State (13-0) 28 | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX.
By Emilio Suarez Image December 11th, 2027
The Arizona State Sun Devils managed to hold the Baylor Bears' #1 rushing offense to 103 yards, but it was the arm of DJ Lagway that had the Sun Devils on the ropes going into the fourth quarter.

Lagway connected on two touchdown passes in the first half, including an absolute Howitzer of a throw on the final play of the first half that London Smith hauled in for a 53-yard touchdown to give Baylor the 14-7 halftime lead.

The two teams exchanged physical drives in the third quarter until Austin Mack finally got the Sun Devils some traction, pushing them into the end zone before finding Mason Mini to kick off the fourth quarter and tie the Big XII Championship Game with under ten minutes to go.

DJ Lagway had the Bears driving once again until FS Adrian Wilson leveled Chase Collier, forcing a fumble that would turn into a Cardae Mack three yard touchdown, giving Arizona State a brief lead.

Lagway would respond by launching a ballistic missile of a pass, connecting with Smith again to re-tie the game at 21.

With the Big XII Championship Game on the line, an unlikely source hauled in two catches on what would be the final drive.

Jerome Bettis Jr.

"I told everyone earlier this year, his impact wasn't over. Credit to Jerome, he stayed locked in and ready so when his time came, he didn't shy away from it," praised Ra'Shaad Samples when asked about Bettis Jr. staying ready after seeing his role reduced earlier this year.

Bettis Jr. had collected a touchdown pass earlier in the championship game, but on the final drive converted two third downs, one with a 12-yard reception, and the other with a 23-yard catch and run that set up Demarius Robinson's go-ahead touchdown with just 45 seconds remaining.

Lagway would drive the Bears to midfield with a pair of crisp throws, but with time winding down and no timeouts remaining, the senior QB was forced to look deep. Four straight incompletions would end the Bears hopes of sneaking into the College Football Playoff.

"This was one goal. There is still more we have to achieve," said a measured Charlie Weis Jr. after winning the Big XII Championship in his first season in Tempe.

The Sun Devils celebrate for now as they await the final seeding from the College Football Playoff committee. But one thing is certain:

They're going to the playoffs.


WR Jerome Bettis Jr.
4 Rec, 70 Yds, TD


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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 20:20



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Eight Collegiate Head Coaches Served Walking Papers
Both Josh Aldridge, Ra'Shaad Samples among candidates for promotion
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Coaching Carousel Update Image By Diego Alfaro
Published: December 12th, 2027
In college football, stagnation is often a death sentence. This year was no different.

Eight head coaches received their walking papers following Conference Championship weekend, including a pair of Big Ten coaches who had been on the hot seat for much of the season.

Bret Bielema and Luke Fickell were both dismissed after sub-.500 campaigns at Illinois and Wisconsin, respectively, moves that had been widely anticipated for weeks.

The other coaches relieved of their duties were Navy's Brian Newberry, Fresno State's Matthew Entz, Stanford's Tavita Pritchard, Troy's Gerad Parker, Northern Illinois' Rob Harley and Central Michigan's Matt Drinkall.

The coaching carousel has already begun to impact Arizona State.

Sources confirmed Saturday that Navy and Fresno State have both requested permission to interview Sun Devils coordinators Josh Aldridge and Ra'Shaad Samples for their respective head coaching vacancies. Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini and head coach Charlie Weis Jr. have both granted permission for the interviews.

"So long as I'm the head coach at Arizona State University, a coordinator will never not be allowed the opportunity to continue his career," Weis Jr. said when asked about the possibility of losing both coordinators after just one season.

Weis Jr. emphasized that he would prefer to retain his staff, but said he would not stand in the way of assistants receiving legitimate head coaching opportunities.

Arizona State has also already seen interest in its head coach. According to Weis Jr., both Wisconsin and Illinois reached out to his representatives regarding their vacancies.

Those inquiries, however, were "swiftly declined."

With the first wave of coaching vacancies now open, Arizona State appears prepared to navigate the carousel from both sides — protecting its staff while continuing to build around a head coach who has quickly become one of the most sought-after young offensive minds in the country.
Last edited by redsox907 on 22 Aug 2026, 20:54, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 20:53



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The Road to New Orleans
Sun Devils Earn #1 overall seed as last undefeated team
The Devil's Due Mailbag — CFP Annoucnement Image By Diego Alfaro
Published: December 12th, 2027
With the dust having settled on Championship Weekend, all eyes turned to the College Football Playoff committee to see how the results would shape the first round.

If you're a Demon Deacons fan, we're sorry.

After Wake Forest stunned the Miami Hurricanes with a 38-30 ACC Championship victory they were rewarded with the final berth in the 2027 College Football Playoff. Their reward for making their first CFP bracket?

A rematch with the Miami Hurricanes.

"It's hard enough to be a team twice in one season," analyzed Nick Saban on ESPN's coverage of the announcement, "But it's even harder to do it in back-to-back games. I don't envy them. You have to wonder if the committee was trying to make a point with this seeding."

"You can make the playoff, but you sure as heck aren't going to advance."

It felt like a similar punishment was levied on North Texas, who won the American conference championship to earn an automatic berth into the Quarterfinals as one of the top seeds in the playoff. They'll await the winner between SEC Champion Texas A&M and the Tennessee Volunteers, a nightmare matchup for the squad.

"Again, you have to wonder the intent behind the seeding," theorized Saban.

Wake Forest's win didn't just change the playoff for their program, with the ACC winner being guaranteed a playoff spot, but it meant that the Pac-12's Boise State Broncos were left out in the cold.

The Big Ten, Big XII, SEC, and ACC are all guaranteed spots for their respective conference champions. The final at-large bid goes to whichever conference champion ranks the highest. Since North Texas was the third seed, that meant they pushed out the Boise State Broncos from the playoff picture.

"If we don't lose two games this season, we're high enough it doesn't matter. So we can't boo-hoo about it, that won't get us anywhere," rationalized Broncos' head coach Spencer Danielson.

Despite concerns about the integrity of the seeding process, the bracket is set.

Wake Forest will head to Coral Gables and hope to pull off an improbable upset of the Miami Hurricanes for the second straight week as the 12th and 5th seeds clash. Big Ten Champion Iowa will host the winner in the Rose Bowl.

The ninth-seeded Maryland Terrapins will head south to Oxford to face the eighth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels in the second first-round matchup. A showdown with number-one overall seed and Big XII champion Arizona State and the Sugar Bowl will be the prize for the winner.

As mentioned previously, SEC Champion Texas A&M will head to Knoxville to face the Volunteers. North Texas will hope to keep their cinderella season alive in the Fiesta Bowl.

Lastly, tenth-seeded North Carolina heads to the Great Plains of Lincoln, Nebraska to face the seventh-seeded Cornhuskers. LSU and Heisman hopeful Bryce Underwood will meet the winner in the Peach Bowl.
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Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 21:01


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Bryce Underwood Makes It Back-To-Back Heismans For LSU


For the second straight season a transfer quarterback for the LSU Tigers has captured the Heisman Memorial Trophy.

Last year former Sun Devil Sam Leavitt secured the award for the Tigers. This year, former Michigan Wolverine Bryce Underwood ensured the trophy stayed in Baton Rouge for one more season.

"This was the goal from the jump. Stack trophies, stack wins, and make sure we finish with the ultimate trophy," declared Underwood at the podium during his acceptance speech.

Kyson Brown, the dynamic offensive threat from Arizona State, came in a distant second place to Underwood while the Hurricanes duo of Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney rounded out the voting.

Underwood, who was the pre-season favorite to win the Heisman, never faltered in 2027 as he led the Tigers to a 10-2 regular season and the second-overall seed in the College Football Playoff.

Underwood threw for a dazzling 3,026 yards with 37 touchdowns, only tossing three interceptions throughout the season showcasing the superb decision-making scouts love from the former Wolverine QB. He didn't just execute through the air, however, as the mobile QB added 558 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns to his stat line, highlighting his true dual threat capability.

Underwood also won the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien, and Paul Hornung awards.
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 21:25



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Sun Devils Collect Seven National Awards
Ferrelli, Brown, Carlisle, Hamilton, and Keeley all collect individual honors
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Season Preview Image By Diego Alfaro
Kyson Brown may have come up short in the Heisman race, losing handily to LSU's Bryce Underwood, but in the words of the great Denzel Washington: "We're leaving here with something!"

The Sun Devils are bringing seven overall awards back to Tempe including a clean sweep of the major defensive awards by former Ole Miss linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who collected the Bednarik, Nagurski and Dick Butkus awards.

Kyson Brown earned the Doak Walker as the nation's best running back behind his 1,606 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns while Austin Carlisle won the Shaun Alexander award as the most outstanding freshman for his 1,536 yards and 14 touchdowns. Keon Keeley collected the Edge Rusher of the Year award behind his 11 sacks and Jaren Hamilton took home his second straight Jet Award with two touchdown returns and over 1,000 return yards.

The All-American teams were also announced over the weekend with Arizona State featured prominently on both the first and second team lists.

Kyson Brown, Austin Carlisle, Keon Keeley, Luke Ferrelli, Myles Graham, and Adrian Wilson all made the first team, while Ethan Mackenny, Zashon Rich, and Jessiah McGrew earned second team honors.

2027 College Football Awards
National Awards
AwardPlayerPosTeam
Heisman TrophyBryce UnderwoodQBLSU
Maxwell AwardBryce UnderwoodQBLSU
Doak Walker AwardKyson BrownHBArizona State
Biletnikoff AwardMalachi ToneyWRMiami
Davey O'Brien AwardBryce UnderwoodQBLSU
Jim Thorpe AwardJosh FussellCBPenn State
Outland TrophyEzomo OratokhaiCMiami
Dick Butkus AwardLuke FerrelliMLBArizona State
Walter Camp AwardBryce UnderwoodQBLSU
Bear Bryant Coach of the YearKirby SmartHCGeorgia (9-3)
Chuck Bednarik AwardLuke FerrelliMLBArizona State
Bronko Nagurski AwardLuke FerrelliMLBArizona State
Lombardi AwardLamar BrownDTLSU
Unitas Golden Arm AwardDarian MensahQBMiami
Edge Rusher of the YearKeon KeeleyDEArizona State
John Mackey AwardDorian FlemingTEMaryland
Broyles AwardJosh AldridgeDCArizona State
Rimington TrophyEzomo OratokhaiCMiami
Lou Groza AwardNick ReedKSMU
Ray Guy AwardGordon EllingtonPArmy
Jet AwardJaren HamiltonWRArizona State
Shaun Alexander AwardAustin CarlisleHBArizona State
Paul Hornung AwardBryce UnderwoodQBLSU
All-American First Team
PosPlayerTeam
QBBryce UnderwoodLSU
RBKyson BrownArizona State
HBAustin CarlisleArizona State
WRMalachi ToneyMiami
WRAndy JeanGeorgia State
WRBryce CainAuburn
OTTrevor LauckIowa
OGSamson OkunlolaMiami
CEzomo OratokhaiMiami
OGTJ Shanahan Jr.Florida
OTJr SiaBYU
DEKeon KeeleyArizona State
DEJoshua MickensToledo
DTLamar BrownLSU
DTElijah GriffinGeorgia
LBRylan BarnesIowa State
MLBLuke FerrelliArizona State
LBMyles GrahamArizona State
CBJosh FussellPenn State
CBKaleb CostNotre Dame
FSAdrian WilsonArizona State
SSKaleb HarrisTennessee
KNick ReedSMU
PGordon EllingtonArmy
All-American Second Team
PosPlayerTeam
QBBryce UnderwoodLSU
RBKyson BrownArizona State
HBAustin CarlisleArizona State
WRMalachi ToneyMiami
WRAndy JeanGeorgia State
WRBryce CainAuburn
OTTrevor LauckIowa
OGSamson OkunlolaMiami
CEzomo OratokhaiMiami
OGTJ Shanahan Jr.Florida
OTJr SiaBYU
DEKeon KeeleyArizona State
DEJoshua MickensToledo
DTLamar BrownLSU
DTElijah GriffinGeorgia
LBRylan BarnesIowa State
MLBLuke FerrelliArizona State
LBMyles GrahamArizona State
CBJosh FussellPenn State
CBKaleb CostNotre Dame
FSAdrian WilsonArizona State
SSKaleb HarrisTennessee
KNick ReedSMU
PGordon EllingtonArmy
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Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 21:40

2027 College Football Playoff First Round Results
14 #22 Wake Forest (9-5) @ #5 Miami (12-2) 42
34 #9 Maryland (9-4) @ #8 Ole Miss (10-3) 52
19 #11 Texas A&M (10-4) @ #6 Tennessee (10-3) 27
35 #10 North Carolina (10-3) @ #7 Nebraska (11-3) 40
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

Post by redsox907 » 22 Aug 2026, 23:30



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Josh Aldridge Named the 38th Head Coach of the Navy Midshipmen
Antonio Pierce to be interim defensive coordinator for Playoff run
The Devil's Due Mailbag — Coaching Carousel Updates Image By Diego Alfaro
Josh Aldridge may end up only spending one season in Tempe, but his effect on the program is undeniable.

The Sun Devils ranked 2nd in defensive points per game, 1st in overall yardage allowed, 1st in sacks, and ranked 14th in total takeaways this season as the Sun Devils rolled to a 13-0 record and the #1 overall seed in this year's college football playoff.

Aldridge was awarded the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country after the Sun Devils' suffocating defensive effort and now all of his hard work is paying off after being announced as the next head coach for the Navy Midshipmen.

"To join a storied program like Navy? It's just special," said Aldridge at his introductory press conference. "I know some people think of Navy and don't think about football, but we're going to change that."

Charlie Weis Jr. posted on X congratulating his former coordinator of one year and wishing him the best.

The Sun Devils have yet to announce their plans for a defensive coordinator as they prepare to face the Ole Miss Rebels in the Quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, but many expect Antonio Pierce to be named the interim defensive coordinator.

Sun Devils offensive coordinator Ra'Shaad Samples was also interviewed for the Navy job, but posted his own congratulations for Aldridge on his personal X account.

While Samples missed out on the Navy opportunity, his chances of becoming an college head coach aren't over yet. With Dave Doeren accepting the open position at Illinois, the NC State Wolfpack are in search of a new head coach and have reportedly reached out to the Sun Devils requesting an interview with Samples.

Additionally, the Los Angeles Rams have reached out to Samples as well regarding their vacant offensive coordinator position after Nathan Scheelhaase agreed to be the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Samples previously spent one season on Sean McVay's staff, in 2022, as the running backs coach.


Head Coaching Hires
Fresno State - Florida State DC Tony White
Illinois - NC State HC Dave Doeren
Navy - Arizona State DC Josh Aldridge
Stanford - Former Illinois HC Bret Bielema
Wisconsin - Northwestern HC David Braun
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Post by redsox907 » 23 Aug 2026, 00:37



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2027 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Preview
#8 Ole Miss (10-3) vs #1 Arizona State (13-0)
By: Emilio Suarez Image Published: December 31st, 2027
Arizona State is set to defend its number-one overall seed and undefeated record against the eight-ranked Ole Miss Rebels as the first of the four quarterfinal matchups over the New Years weekend.

Two of Lane Kiffin's former coordinators while at Ole Miss—Pete Golding and Charlie Weis Jr.—square off in this one, bringing a journey that started four years ago full circle. Weis Jr. famously agreed to stay on Golding's staff for the 2025 College Football Playoff, despite Kiffin leaving for LSU already. Those Rebels nearly made the National Championship Game and now one of those two coaches will have to be sacrificed for the other to advance.

"Bittersweet," remarked Charlie Weis Jr. when asked about having to face his old program and old cohort Golding in his first College Football Playoff Game. "We had a lot of good times in Oxford. I consider him a good friend. But he knows, once we cross those lines at the Caesar's Superdome, all bets are off."


Pitchfork Points

Image Score all the points.

This may seem like an obvious statistic, but the Ole Miss Rebels are 0-3 when they surrender more than 40 points this season. I would rather not need to score 40 points to win a shootout, but if that's the magic number, then it's the magic number. Let's just hope its more like Texas A&M's 45-24 blowout earlier this season and not a 48-47 nail-biter like their loss to Texas in Week 2.

Image Take the same game plan from Baylor, but do it better.

The game plan against Baylor was undoubtedly to stop the run. We did that, mostly. But we also allowed DJ Lagway to launch long-range missiles for 300+ yards and three touchdowns. We can't do that with Deuce Knight running the show. He's thrown for 32 touchdowns and ran in 15 more, but has also thrown double-digit interceptions. Let's add a few more to his total to keep the momentum firmly on our side.

Image Don't play not to lose.

I get it. After such a great season, losing in our first Playoff game would feel like a letdown to plenty of fans, myself included. But that wouldn't take away how great of a regular season we enjoyed. If the Sun Devils take the field trying to be conservative to not give the game away, the goose is already cooked, folks. We won 13 games by being the aggressor. If we don't do that in the biggest game of the season, then why did we do it at all?


College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Matchups
Rose Bowl - #5 Miami (12-2) vs #4 Iowa (11-2)
Fiesta Bowl - #6 Tennessee (10-3) vs #3 North Texas (12-1)
Peach Bowl - #7 Nebraska (11-3) vs #2 LSU (10-2)

By the Numbers

Arizona State Sun Devils                                                 Ole Miss Rebels
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86 Overall // 86 Offense // 86 Defense | Team Rating                   | 86 Overall // 86 Offense // 86 Defense
Charlie Weis Jr (13-0)                 | Head Coach                    | Pete Golding (25-7)
Ra'Shaad Samples                       | Offensive Coordinator         | John David Baker
Spread                                 | Offensive Scheme              | Veer and Shoot
Antonio Pierce                         | Defensive Coordinator         | Bryan Brown
3-3-5                                  | Defensive Scheme              | 4-2-5
42.2 (3rd)                             | Offensive Points Per Game     | 39.8 (4th)
14.9 (2nd)                             | Defensive Points Per Game     | 26.0 (71st)
442.5 (12th)                           | Offensive Yards Per Game      | 483.3 (4th)
282.8 (1st)                            | Defensive Yards Per Game      | 390.8 (66th)


Arizona State Sun Devils                               Ole Miss Rebels
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
89-77                              | Combined Record | 89-75
BYU (9-4) W 41-31                  | Week One        | Charlotte (5-7) W 31-7
FCS W 64-7                         | Week Two        | Texas (9-4) L 48-47
@ UNLV (10-4) W 42-7               | Week Three      | FCS W 63-13
@ West Virginia (5-7) W 66-7       | Week Four       | BYE
Utah (8-5) W 26-12                 | Week Five       | Oregon State (5-7) W 41-17
Iowa State (5-7) W 49-17           | Week Six        | Northern Illinois (2-10) W 42-17
@ TCU (7-8) W 35-28                | Week Seven      | Tennessee (10-3) L 56-42
BYE                                | Week Eight      | Missouri (6-7) W 29-19
Texas A&M (10-4) W 42-34           | Week Nine       | Auburn (7-5) W 32-27
@ Houston (5-7) W 42-13            | Week Ten        | @ Vanderbilt (4-8) W 42-21
@ Colorado (4-9) W 38-7            | Week Eleven     | @ Texas A&M (10-4) L 45-24
Cincinnati (1-11) W 52-0           | Week Twelve     | @ Alabama (7-6) W 32-24
Arizona (4-8) W 24-10              | Week Thirteen   | @ Mississippi State (2-1) W 41-10
Baylor (11-3) W 28-21              | Conference Champ| BYE
BYE                                | CFP First Round | Maryland (9-4) W 52-34


Arizona State Sun Devils                                            Ole Miss Rebels
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WR Cory Butler Jr. - MCL Sprain (1 Weeks)         | Injuries      | RT Tommy Kinsler IV - Broken Wrist (6 Weeks)
DE Albert Smith III - Ankle Sprain (2 Weeks)      | Injuries      | LT Terez Davis - Dislocated Hip (3 Weeks)
LB Barry Seitz - Team Suspension (1 Week)         | Injuries      | TE Michael Smith - Dislocated Hip (1 Week)


Arizona State Sun Devils                                             Ole Miss Rebels
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SR(RS) Austin Mack 319/416 (68%), 3,735 Yds, 38 TD, 9 INT    | QB  | FR(RS) Deuce Knight 325/473 (68%), 3,958 Yds, 32 TD, 11 INT; 596 Yds, 15 TD
SR Kyson Brown 144 Att, 893 Yds, 8 TD                        | HB  | JR(RS) Mitch Sanderson 209 Att, 1,163 Yds, 9 TD
FR(RS) Austin Carlisle  75 Rec, 982 Yds, 10 TD               | WR  | SR Johntay Cook II 87 Rec, 1,170 Yds, 12 TD
SO Raiden Vines-Bright 52 Rec, 727 Yds, 7 TD                 | WR  | SO Caleb Cunningham 70 Rec, 989 Yds, 10 TD
JR(RS) MLB Luke Ferrelli 88 Tkl, 25 TFL, 4 Sacks, INT        | DEF | SO(RS) SS LaDarian Clardy 95 Tkl, TFL, 2 INT
SR LB Myles Graham 82 Tkl, 23 TFL, 6.5 Sacks, INT            | DEF | SR DE Kam Franklin 28 Tkl, 9 TFL, 2.5 Sacks
SR(RS) DE Keon Keeley 36 Tkl, 20 TFL, 11 Sacks               | DEF | SR(RS) DT Jamarious Brown 27 Tkl, 9 TFL, 4.5 Sacks
SR(RS) CB JaBril Rawls 51 Tkl, 4 TFL, Sack, 2 INT            | DEF | SR(RS) SS Edwin Joseph 67 Tkl, 3 TFL, 4 INT
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Diablos del Sol | Arizona State Sun Devils

Post by redsox907 » 23 Aug 2026, 03:14

:goggins:
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Post by redsox907 » 23 Aug 2026, 03:14

:bump:
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