In a season full of surprises in college football, the No. 21 Arizona State Sun Devils authored another thrilling chapter on Saturday night. ASU hung on for a dramatic 28-23 victory over the No. 14 BYU Cougars in Tempe, keeping their improbable College Football Playoff hopes alive in a game that featured a bizarre and premature ending.
The Sun Devils rode a monster performance from running back Cam Skattebo, who rumbled for 147 yards and three first-half touchdowns to stake ASU to an early lead. Skattebo set the tone with a bruising 54-yard opening drive, capping it off with a 3-yard plunge to make it 7-0.
ASU stayed aggressive, recovering an onside kick that set up another punishing 12-play, 95-yard march – their longest TD drive of the year. Skattebo once again did the honors from 4 yards out for a 14-0 advantage. The 215-pound battering ram wasn’t done, bolting 23 yards for his third score of the half as the Sun Devils took a shocking 21-3 lead into the locker room.
BYU Mounts Second Half Comeback
Facing a three-score deficit, the Cougars finally showed signs of life in the third quarter. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who threw for 297 yards on the night, found Jojo Phillips for a 21-yard TD strike to trim the margin to 28-17 late in the period.
The Cougars inched closer early in the fourth on Keelan Marion’s 1-yard touchdown run. However, a failed 2-point conversion left BYU still trailing 28-23 with 8:44 remaining.
Sun Devils Seal the Deal After Bizarre Finish
BYU got the ball back with a chance to win it, but the Sun Devils defense came up with the play of the game. Defensive back Javan Robinson picked off Retzlaff with just 1:04 on the clock, seemingly sealing the upset win.
That’s when things got truly weird. With Arizona State fans thinking the game was over, thousands stormed the field in celebration. The only problem? There was still 1 second left, and by rule, BYU had one final chance at a Hail Mary from midfield.
The officials cleared the field and restored order for the final play. With the game in the balance, Retzlaff’s last gasp fell short, cementing a signature victory for the upstart Sun Devils.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. The premature field storming, clearing the fans off, that final Hail Mary…what a finish. Hats off to Coach Aguano and the Sun Devils, they earned this one.”
– Tim Brando, Fox Sports analyst
ASU Now a Fringe CFP Contender
At 9-2 overall and 6-2 in their first season in the Big 12 Conference, Arizona State has forced its way into the College Football Playoff discussion. Though still a long shot, the Sun Devils have an attractive closing resume with wins over ranked foes BYU and UCLA.
Meanwhile, it’s back-to-back deflating losses for BYU, who tumbles to 9-2 and likely out of contention for a CFP bid that felt within reach just two weeks ago.
“This one is going to sting for a while. I’m proud of our fight in the second half but you can’t spot a good team three touchdowns, especially on the road. We made it interesting but just couldn’t finish.”
– BYU head coach Kalani Sitake
Looking Ahead
The tests keep coming for ASU, who travels to rival Arizona next Saturday in the Territorial Cup game. A win there, and Herm Edwards’ rebuilt program might just find itself in the thick of the playoff race.
As for BYU, they return home to host Houston, hoping to regroup, finish strong and secure a top-tier bowl bid in their final season as a football independent before joining the Big 12 in 2024.
One thing is for sure after Week 12: the college football landscape continues to shift in unexpected and captivating ways. The Sun Devils’ thrilling triumph is just the latest reminder that on any given Saturday, anything is possible in this sport.
