Instant takeaways from No. 8 BYU’s close win over Arizona State
Oct 31, 2026, 7:34 PM
PROVO — BYU football defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils 27-20 to get their bounce-back win after a disappointing performance a week ago at UCF.
The victory improves BYU’s record to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play.
Here are some of the takeaways from BYU’s victory over the Sun Devils.
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BYU’s ground attack was nowhere to be found
BYU finished with 47 rushing yards in the game. It was the second-lowest rushing total in a win in the Kalani Sitake era. The other was a 46-yard rushing performance against Southern Utah in 2023.
Part of that final rushing total came from BYU running the ball backward to try to run out the clock. But at no point was BYU’s ground attack without LJ Martin, once again striking fear into the ASU defense.
BYU finished with 47 rushing yards today against Arizona State. Second-fewest rushing yards in a win in the Kalani Sitake era.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 31, 2026
An ASU defense that had given up 48 and 53 points in their last two games against top-10 opponents.
During his radio pregame interview, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said he wanted to see more Devaughn Eka and Journee Tonga in the game. That didn’t happen. Eka didn’t play a snap. Tonga only carried the ball twice.
Sione Moa was the leader among running backs with eight carries for 20 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns opened the game, and the TV broadcast debated whether it should have counted.
It was a tough day running the football.
LJ Martin was spotted in pregame without a boot and scooter in pregame warmups. Will he return next week? They desperately need him if they are going to upset the rival Utes.
Legend Glasker only adds to his star power
When BYU needs a big play, Legend Glasker is always ready to perform. The star freshman came up with a 53-yard reception on BYU’s final scoring drive of the game to put the game out of reach for the upset-minded Sun Devils.
It looked very similar to the 61-yard reception Glasker had late in the game against Arizona back in Week 2.
LEGEND pic.twitter.com/RY4HLJ1LxM
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 31, 2026
Defense put together an improved performance; still needs to clean up tackling
The sacks and tackles for loss were a great sight to see for this BYU team. The Cougars finished with six sacks in the first half and didn’t have any more in the second half. Plus, they had eight sacks.
This is the best pass rush defense BYU has assembled since Kalani Sitake took over. They looked every bit the part of that, putting freshman QB Jake Fette under pressure.
Still, there were moments where Fette was having success, and BYU’s defense couldn’t contain budding star Sun Devil running back Cardae Mack. Fette’s trucking play over Isaiah Glasker was a notable one, even though he looked to have stepped out of bounds before the contact.
Overall, it was a step in the right direction from how they performed a week ago in Orlando.
Strong showing from BYU secondary against ASU wide receivers
BYU’s defense without its top cornerback, Evan Johnson, had an excellent showing on Saturday. The Cougars limited ASU’s dynamic wide receiving duo of Reed Harris and Omarion Miller to a combined five catches for 41 yards and one touchdown.
Jayven Williams had a strong performance with seven tackles and three pass breakups. The Arizona State offensive staff was attacking Williams’ side of the field often and he was up for the task.
End of the first half turnovers have been costly for BYU
Back-to-back weeks BYU has had costly turnovers at the end of the first half. BYU was up 17-3 with the ball with 1:31 remaining in the half. They were also going to get the ball to start the second half.
There was an opportunity to turn this into a four-possession game. Instead, Bear Bachmeier throws a pick to Montana Warren, who made an athletic play.
Then BYU opened up the second half with a three-and-out. Those two drives opened the door for Arizona State to stay in this game throughout.
Strange game that had spooky vibes
It was overall a weird game.
A low-energy crowd that wasn’t filled up at kickoff, cloudy skies, it kind of had the feel of BYU’s upset loss to Boise State five years ago in 2021. When Bear Bachmeier’s brother, Hank, was the QB for the Broncos.
Despite the strange flow and unusual vibe, BYU still found the answers and came away with a victory.
Now it sets the stage for a potential top-10 matchup when BYU takes on rival Utah next Saturday at 10 a.m. in Salt Lake City.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
