Arizona State fell 27-20 to No. 8 BYU in Provo on Saturday, October 31, after a second-half surge fell short of completing a comeback. Freshman quarterback Jake Fette made his first career start, leading an offense that pushed the Cougars to the brink before Bear Bachmeier secured the win for BYU.
The Sun Devils trailed 17-3 at halftime following several missed opportunities and six sacks by the BYU defense. ASU shifted momentum in the second half, highlighted by a 13-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Fette's first career touchdown pass, a 20-yard connection to Omarion Miller on third-and-2. Fette finished the game 22 of 42 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, though he was sacked six times.
Freshman running back Cardae Mack also contributed significantly, recording 123 rushing yards on 23 carries. This marked Mack's second consecutive game with at least 100 rushing yards. The game also featured a historic milestone for ASU, as it was the first time the program started true freshmen at both the quarterback and running back positions.
BYU countered ASU's late pressure with several critical plays in the final minutes. On fourth-and-1, Bachmeier completed a two-yard keeper, followed by a 53-yard pass to move the Cougars downfield. A subsequent five-yard completion on fourth-and-4 helped set up a one-yard rushing touchdown that gave BYU a 27-17 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Bachmeier finished with 236 yards on 63% passing completion.
Despite the loss, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham stated that Fette will continue as the starter, noting the freshman's positive communication and ability to calm the offense in the second half. The Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3 in Big 12) were unable to complete the comeback, which would have been their first win after trailing by 14 or more points since 2018.
