BYU Defeats Arizona State 27-20 at LaVell Edwards Stadium

The Cougars secured the win by running out the clock in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier ended the game on a 4th & 33 play by running backward with four seconds remaining and throwing the ball out of play, according to reporting from Azcentral.

BYU Recovers Onside Kicks to Stop ASU Rally

BYU established a commanding 27-17 lead with 2:09 left in the game following a 1-yard touchdown run by Sione Moa. Arizona State attempted a late rally in a game that ended with a 27-20 score in favor of BYU, following an onside kick by Carson Smith that was recovered by BYU.

The Sun Devils’ hopes for a comeback ended when BYU recovered a subsequent onside kick by Smith. With only 56 seconds left and ASU possessing just two timeouts, the Cougars maintained possession to seal the result.

Jake Fette’s First Career Start

Arizona State started freshman quarterback Jake Fette for the first time in his collegiate career. Fette, who had previously played in a win against Kansas State after injuries and benchings affected other quarterbacks, struggled early against the BYU defense. In that previous 28-17 victory over Kansas State, Fette completed 3 of 6 passes for 45 yards after Mikey Keene left with an injury and Cutter Boley was benched.

Dual-Threat Impact of Bear Bachmeier

The BYU offense continued to rely heavily on Bear Bachmeier. Entering the game, Bachmeier had recorded 1,5114 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air, while contributing 321 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, according to SI.

Here at LaVell Edwards Stadium covering Big 12 football for @AP_Sports today. Arizona State vs. BYU. Kickoff coming up at 1:30 MT. pic.twitter.com/AuFpI9I6Bz

— https://x.com/johncoonsports/status/2116589774559654155

Bachmeier showed early efficiency, completing 12 of 18 passes for 127 yards in the first half. While ASU’s run defense limited BYU to 35 yards on 13 carries in the first two quarters, the passing game became a primary weapon. In the second half, ASU’s defense continued to limit the ground game, holding BYU to 15 yards on eight carries.

While some analysts questioned if BYU’s efficiency was elite, the Cougars entered the matchup with a 6-1 record against the spread. The win helps the program stabilize after falling from No. 2 to No. 8 in the national rankings following their loss to UCF.

BYU Stays High in Big 12 Standings

The result keeps BYU in the upper echelon of the Big 12, where Utah remains the only undefeated team in the conference. For Arizona State, the loss maintains a 2-2 conference record and follows a pattern of inconsistency, having split their last four games with wins over Hawaii and Kansas State and losses to Baylor and Texas Tech.

The game was broadcast on FOX with play-by-play by Connor Onion and analysis from Robert Griffin III, as noted by USA Today. Betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook had BYU as a 16.5-point favorite with a -750 moneyline, while Arizona State was listed at +525 with a +16.5 spread.

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