No. 8 BYU held off a late surge from Arizona State to secure a 27-20 victory on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2026, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. The Cougars, moving to 7-1 (4-1 Big 12), overcame a struggling offensive performance to defeat the Sun Devils, who fell to 4-4 (2-3 Big 12) despite a historic first-time start for true freshmen at both quarterback and running back.
The Sun Devils' offense was headlined by true freshman quarterback Jake Fette and running back Cardae Mack, marking the first time in program history that both positions were filled by true freshmen at the start of a game. Fette, making his first career start, completed 22 of 42 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Mack recorded 170 total yards of offense, including 123 rushing yards, marking his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Despite the individual performances, Arizona State struggled significantly in the first half, managing only 14 total yards on 14 plays during its final four drives of the half. The Sun Devils were held to a season-low 47 rushing yards, their lowest total since 2023, and finished the game with 283 total offensive yards.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier accounted for 236 yards, completing 19 of 30 passes for one touchdown. Bachmeier connected with Kyler Kasper for an 11-yard gain late in the second quarter to help build a 14-point lead. Legend Glasker, a true freshman, recorded 53 receiving yards on a late fourth-quarter catch that helped set up the Cougars' decisive touchdown.
Glasker's performance contributed to a season high for true freshman receiving yards, totaling 585 career yards. This surpasses the 520 yards recorded by Matt Bushman during the 2017 season. Other significant contributors to the BYU receiving corps included tight ends Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga II, who tallied 49 and 26 yards, respectively.
The BYU defense, led by Kelly Poppinga, utilized a season-high six sacks in the first half to pressure the Arizona State offense. This performance marked the most sacks for the Cougars in a single game since 2015. Key defensive contributors included Faletau Satuala, who recorded nine total tackles, including five solo stops and one tackle for loss, and Isaiah Glasker and Cade Uluave, who each recorded a sack.
Jayven Williams added seven tackles, including six solo stops and three pass breakups. The defense successfully limited the Sun Devils' ability to maintain momentum, despite a late touchdown pass from Fette to Anthony Miller that tied the game at 17-17 in the third quarter.
The game reached a critical turning point in the fourth quarter when BYU converted a fourth-and-one on its own 14-yard line while leading 20-17. This drive concluded with a 95-yard touchdown to make it a two-score game. Although Arizona State added a 44-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining in the game, they were unable to recover the subsequent onside kick, allowing BYU to run out the clock.
BYU's Sione Moa provided the scoring spark for the Cougars, recording two touchdowns and 20 rushing yards. An early BYU touchdown was set up by a fumble recovery by Isaiah Glasker at the Arizona State 29-yard line, following a fumble by quarterback Jake Fette caused by Nusi Taumoepeau.
Following the victory, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake noted that while the win was vital, the team has several areas to improve, specifically regarding third-down efficiency and the run game. "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," Sitake said.
Arizona State will look to rebound in their next game, which they will host against Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m. MST at Mountain America Stadium. The Sun Devils are currently in the midst of a nine-game stretch to close the regular season.
