BYU went from giant killer to being taken down by an underdog in the span of a week. Now, the No. 8 Cougars need to guard against another upset when they host Arizona State in Provo, Utah, on Saturday.
Fresh off taking down then-No. 2 Notre Dame, BYU’s own stay at No. 2 lasted just one week. UCF outlasted the Cougars 39-31 in double overtime last Saturday after taking advantage of a suddenly leaky BYU defense.
The Knights rolled up 463 total yards and 26 first downs. They were especially proficient at moving the chains on third down, going 9 of 16. Missed tackles by BYU defenders turned what should have been short-yardage plays into much bigger gains.
A season-high 18 missed tackles derailed the Cougars’ chances of staying unbeaten. Some defensive players bit off more than they could chew on multiple plays.
“When everyone’s trying to do more than their job, we get in trouble, and we even cut each other off, and then we find ourselves in duplication, which is not good when everybody has a role,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said.
Even with the loss, the Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) are still in a position to return to the Big 12 title game. They trail league leader Utah by one game and will face the Utes on Nov. 7.
With Bear Bachmeier and the offense playing at a high level, defensive improvements will go a long way in helping BYU play like a top-10 team again.
“We’re still in control of our own destiny, you know, we’re confident and we know what we can do,” defensive back Raider Damuni said. “We’ve seen it throughout the season, and we’ve just got to go out and execute.”
Revenge will be on BYU’s mind when Arizona State comes to town.
The Sun Devils (4-3, 2-2) beat the Cougars 28-23 in 2024 en route to claiming the Big 12 title during their first season in the league. Arizona State’s championship run is a distant memory amid the struggles of an up-and-down season.
Quarterback uncertainty is at the forefront of issues afflicting the Sun Devils.
Mikey Keene left with a leg injury late in the first half of Arizona State’s 28-17 victory over Kansas State. If he can’t go Saturday, third-string QB Jake Fette will get the start.
“We’ll see where Mikey’s at. Mikey is, like, honestly questionable,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Monday. “He’s not doubtful. He is questionable today. And he’ll go out there, we’ll see what he does in practice (Tuesday). But that’s a tough competitor and a fighter, and I know he’s going to want to be on the field.”
Fette got some snaps against the Wildcats and helped rally Arizona State from a three-point deficit. He was 3 of 6 for 45 yards over four drives. The Sun Devils accumulated 145 total yards on those drives.
This will be the 30th game between BYU and Arizona State. The Sun Devils hold a 21-8 lead in the all-time series but have not beaten the Cougars in Utah since 1994.