No. 8 BYU Holds On for 27-20 Win Over ASU

PROVO, Utah – The No. 8 Cougars defeated the Sun Devils 27-20 on Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

“Interesting game. Glad we got the victory," said Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach. "Obviously there’s a lot of things we need to improve on, but I think we have to give Arizona State a lot of credit. They made things difficult for us. They made it interesting, especially at the end. That third quarter was tough. A lot of plays for our defense… Third down was not good for our offense, and we could not run the ball for some reason. There’s things we need to improve on, but I am really proud of the way the guys played and the belief they have in each other. The perseverance and the relentless effort and the way they do things makes me proud of them. We’ll celebrate this and figure things out and try to get back on it and improve for next week, because we’ll need to be for that one.

Bear Bachmeier totaled 236 yards, going 19-of-30 through the air with one touchdown. Late in the second quarter, the sophomore hit Kyler Kasper through a narrow window to take a then 14-point lead.

Kasper and Legend Glasker led the receiving room, as the duo combined for 144 yards and one touchdown. Glasker caught a 53-yard pass late in the fourth quarter that helped set the Cougars up for the game-winning touchdown. Glasker now has 585 career receiving yards, which is the most for a true freshman since Matt Bushman’s 520 in the 2017 season. Tight ends Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga II tallied 49 and 26 receiving yards, respectively. 

BYU rushed for just 47 yards in the game, but Sione Moa led the way with 20 yards and two touchdowns.

Kelly Poppinga’s defense was anchored by Faletau Satuala, Isaiah Glasker, Cade Uluave and Jayven Williams. Satuala led the group with nine total tackles, including five solo stops and one tackle for loss. Isaiah Glasker and Uluave combined for 15 tackles and recorded a sack apiece. Williams added seven tackles, six solo, and three pass breakups.

On Arizona State’s first drive of the game, Nusi Taumoepeau notched his second forced fumble of his career, which led to Isaiah Glasker’s third-career fumble recovery. The sequence granted Bachmeier’s offense the ball at the Arizona State 29, and Moa helped the Cougars capitalize on that drive with a touchdown.

BYU had a season-high six sacks in the game, all coming in the first half. Six sacks in any half is the second-most by any FBS team this season. The six sacks were the most for the Cougars in a game since 2015.

First Quarter

BYU won the coin toss and elected to defer, giving Arizona State the ball to start the game. Starting at its own 25-yard line, the Sun Devils opened the drive with a nine-yard pickup by running back Cardae Mack. Arizona State moved the chains with a three-yard rush, but on the next play, quarterback Jake Fette was sacked by Taumoepeau, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Isaiah Glasker at the Sun Devil 29.

On second-and-10, Legend Glasker picked up seven yards on the ground before Bachmeier connected with Roger Saleapaga II for a four-yard gain and a first down. On first down from the Arizona State 18, Bachmeier and Saleapaga connected again for a 17-yard gain. The Cougars' first attempt to reach the end zone fell short, but on second-and-goal, Bachmeier attempted to leap into the end zone and fumbled. Moa recovered the ball and carried it across the goal line. Matthias Dunn converted the extra point to give BYU a 7-0 lead with 10:47 remaining in the quarter.

Dunn's kickoff resulted in a touchback, giving the Sun Devils possession at their own 25. On second-and-five, Mack rushed for 16 yards to the Arizona State 46. Three consecutive short gains moved the Sun Devils into Cougar territory and earned another first down. Fette connected with running back Kyson Brown on a screen pass, but Brown was immediately met by Satuala for a loss of four. On second-and-14, Miles Hall sacked Fette for another four-yard loss, setting up a long third down. Keanu Tanuvasa then broke up Fette's pass, forcing Arizona State to punt.

Nick McClarty’s punt was fair caught by Cannon DeVries at BYU’s own five. Two short gains from Moa set up third-and-five, where Bachmeier’s pass fell incomplete, resulting in a three-and-out. Fuller Shurtz’s punt went 48 yards to the Sun Devil 42, with 4:22 on the clock.

Through three downs, Mack totaled 33 yards, advancing to the BYU 26. Despite back-to-back stops, on third-and-nine Fette found tight end AJ Ia for a gain of 10. On first-and-10 from the BYU 15, Fette intended to hit a receiver in the end zone, but his pass was broken up by Therrian Alexander III. The Sun Devils then earned eight yards, but on third down, Braxton Lindsey stopped Mack for a loss of one, holding Arizona State to a 26-yard field goal attempt. Carson Smith’s kick was blocked, but a roughing the snapper penalty was enforced, resulting in an automatic first down. The quarter then came to a close, with BYU ahead, 7-0.

Second Quarter

On first-and-goal from the four yard line, Williams broke up Fette’s fade pass intended for the end zone. After another Fette fade incompletion, Uluave sacked the freshman quarterback for a loss of two, forcing the kicking unit out again. From 24 yards out, Smith’s kick was good, putting Arizona State on the board, down 7-3.

After a touchback, the Sun Devil defense continued to pressure BYU, resulting in another three-and-out. Shurtz’s punt was downed at the Arizona State 37-yard line.

Led by Ace Kaufusi and Bodie Schoonover, the Cougar defense responded with a strong series of its own. After allowing a three-yard completion, Kaufusi sacked Fette, who was flagged for intentional grounding, resulting in a 10-yard penalty and a loss of down. Schoonover followed with another sack, bringing Fette down for a five-yard loss and setting up fourth-and-22.

After DeVries set the offense up at its own 30-yard line, Bachmeier connected with Kasper for an 11-yard gain. Following a three-yard sack, Bachmeier found Reggie Frischknecht for nine yards down the sideline to set up third-and-four. The sophomore quarterback then hit Legend Glasker for an 18-yard completion, moving the chains and taking BYU into Arizona State territory. Bachmeier and Lyons combined for five yards before a roughing the passer penalty gave the Cougars an automatic first down. From the Arizona State 15, Bachmeier scrambled for seven yards on second-and-10 but was sacked on the next play, bringing out the field goal unit. Dunn connected on a 28-yard attempt to extend BYU's lead to 10-3 with 6:22 remaining in the half.

Again powered by Kaufusi, the BYU defense notched another three-and-out performance. Mack gained two on first down, tackled by Kaufusi. After a four-yard completion, on third-and-four, Kaufusi broke up Fette’s pass to end the drive. McClarty’s punt went 50 yards to the Cougar 19, where DeVries returned it back 33 yards to set the offense up in Sun Devil territory.

A trio of short runs from Moa and Bachmeier moved the chains, and two snaps later, Bachmeier hit Legend Glasker again for 14 yards. On the next play, Bachmeier stayed on the ground and gained 10 yards to the Arizona State 13. The Murrieta Valley, Calif. product then rifled it to Kasper through a small window. Kasper caught it at the three and powered into the end zone. With Dunn’s successful extra point, the Cougars would advance their lead to 17-3 with 1:55 on the clock.

The BYU defense returned to the field, where it posted another three-and-out as the Cougars held Fette to only five yards. McClarty’s punt landed at the BYU 25.

In 13 seconds, the Cougars moved the ball 30 yards as Bachmeier and Kasper combined for 19 and then Lyons added 11. On first down from the Cougar 45, Bachmeier attempted to hit Jojo Phillips, and a defensive pass interference penalty was called, moving the ball to the Sun Devil 32. On the next snap, Bachmeier's pass was picked off and returned 14 yards to the Arizona State 31. 

The Sun Devils quickly moved the chains again, reaching their own 48 through two snaps. Isaiah Glasker then came up with a sack nine yards behind the line, forcing Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham to call a timeout with 35 seconds left. On second-and-19, Taumoepeau hurried Fette to force third down. Mack gained seven yards, but it wouldn’t be enough, so the Sun Devil punting unit would return to the field.

Bachmeier would kneel out the half, keeping BYU ahead 17-3 going into the locker room.

Third Quarter

DeVries set BYU up at its own 23. Arizona State’s defense would not allow the Cougars to move the chains, inviting Shurtz and the punting crew back out on the field. His punt went 56 yards and was returned seven, pinning the Sun Devils at their own 19.

Mack continued his momentum in the second half, as he led a 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that spanned 6:16. A nine-yard Fette completion started the drive, and then Mack reached the line of gain with a five-yard rush up the middle. The running back then moved the chains again through two downs when he rushed one yard and then caught a 10-yard pass. On the next snap, Mack marched into BYU territory, getting to the Cougar 48. On third-and-two, Fette would stay on the ground and pick up nine yards. After another round of downs, the Fette-Mack duo combined for eight yards on the ground, setting up third-and-two on the Cougar 20. Fette found Omarion Miller in the end zone for a Sun Devil touchdown, and with the successful extra point, narrowed BYU’s lead to 17-10.

A touchback would pin BYU at its own 25. Back-to-back incompletions set up third down, where Kasper caught a 14 yard pass at the 39 but fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Arizona State’s Adrian Asu Wilson.

The Sun Devil offense returned to the field with 6:10 remaining in the quarter. Following two consecutive incomplete passes, Fette scrambled for seven yards, setting up fourth-and-three where the offense elected to go for it. Mack rushed four yards up the middle to convert. Another pair of incompletions would put Arizona State in another third-and-10 situation. Derek Eusebio caught an eight-yard pass on the snap, and once again, the offense would stay on the field on fourth down. The Sun Devils converted again on a four-yard catch by Eusebio, catching a deflected pass. Prior to the next snap, a false start penalty was enforced on Arizona State. On first-and-15, Uluave hurried Fette, forcing an incompletion. Keanu Tanuvasa held Mack to three yards, and on third-and-12, Fette intended to hit Reed Harris in the end zone but a defensive pass interference penalty was enforced on BYU’s Williams, moving the Sun Devils to the 3. On second-and-one, Fette found an open Anthony Miller Jr. in the end zone, and with Smith’s extra point, Arizona State knotted the score at 17 with 1:15 left in the quarter.

After DeVries returned the kickoff to the BYU 20, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on Sun Devil Isaiah Iosefa, which pushed the Cougars up to the 35. Journee Tonga and Legend Glasker combined for nine yards to force third-and-one. Moa was unable to advance the ball on the ensuing snap, bringing up fourth down, but the quarter would run out, remaining in a tie at 17.

Fourth Quarter

Bachmeier opened the final frame with a two-yard rush to convert on the fourth down attempt. The sophomore then found Lyons on a six-yard throw, and Lyons was able to add 14 yards after the catch for another first down. Through two plays, Moa totaled eight yards, but a third-down attempt came up fruitless, bringing out Dunn and the field goal unit. His 45-yard kick was good, regaining the lead 20-17 with 12:08 left in the game.

Pinned at their own 25, on second-and-10 Mack rushed to the left for a gain of 10. After Mack and Brown earned another first down, an incomplete pass and two short gains forced fourth down. McClarty’s punt went 44 yards and was downed at BYU’s own 4 with 8:09 to go.

Bachmeier would keep the ball on three-straight plays, totaling nine yards to the BYU 14, forcing fourth down. After a Cougar timeout, BYU would keep its offense on the field. Bachmeier rushed up the middle for a gain of two to convert. On the next snap, Bachmeier aired it out 53 yards to Legend Glasker, moving the ball to the Arizona State 31. After Bachmeier found Lyons for six yards, a roughing the passer penalty was enforced, advancing the ball to the Arizona State 12. On third-and-eight, Bachmeier scrambled for four yards. For the second time on the drive, BYU would go for it on fourth down, and it came up successful, as Saleapaga caught Bachmeier’s pass and stretched out of bounds at the one-yard line. Moa would then notch his second touchdown of the game in a one-yard carry. With Dunn’s extra point, BYU would go up 27-17 with just over two minutes to play.

A kickoff return that featured a backward pass in their own endzone and two Sun Devil fumbles eventually reached the 25-yard line just inside the two-minute warning. Through three plays, Fette and his offense earned 42 yards, reaching BYU’s 33. The defense wouldn’t allow the Sun Devils to move the chains again and forced a field goal attempt. Smith’s 44-yarder was good, narrowing the edge to 27-20 BYU. Smith would then attempt an onside kick with 57 seconds remaining, and his kick went eight yards before Satuala jumped on it. 

Bachmeier kneeled out the remainder of the game, sealing the Cougar win 27-20.

Up Next

BYU will travel north to Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City for a rivalry matchup against No. 6 Utah. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN or ABC. Greg Wrubell will also provide play-by-play on BYUradio.