No. 8 BYU Beat Arizona State 27-20 as Bachmeier Throws for 236 Yards

No. 8 BYU beat Arizona State 27-20 on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. The Cougars led 17-3 at halftime, gave up a 14-point rally that tied the game in the third quarter, then scored 10 straight points and held off a late Arizona State push.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 19 of 30 passes for 236 yards, with one touchdown pass and one interception. BYU improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12. Arizona State fell to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12.

Arizona State came back from 17-3 down

Arizona State trailed 17-3 at halftime. In the third quarter the Sun Devils rallied behind freshman quarterback Jake Fette and freshman running back Cardae Mack to tie the game 17-17.

The tie changed the game. BYU had controlled the first half and built a two-score lead, and then had to win the game a second time in the second half. The Cougars did that, scoring 10 points after the tie to lead 27-17, and the defense and special teams had to finish the job in the final minute.

The final minute

Arizona State kicker Carson Smith hit a 44-yard field goal with 57 seconds left to cut the BYU lead to 27-20. The Sun Devils then tried an onside kick to get the ball back with a chance to tie or win.

BYU recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. The recovery ended the game and kept BYU at 4-1 in the Big 12, one game into the second half of its conference schedule with a home date against Utah next.

Bachmeier's day

Bachmeier threw for 236 yards on 19 completions, with one touchdown and one interception. His line was enough on a day when BYU's early lead, not a late scoring burst, did most of the work.

Arizona State's rally came from two freshmen, Fette at quarterback and Mack at running back, and it turned a 17-3 halftime deficit into a 17-17 tie in one quarter. That the Sun Devils still lost says as much about the hole they dug in the first half as about the finish.

What comes next

BYU plays Utah at home on November 7, a matchup of the Big 12 leaders set up by Utah's 49-25 win at Cincinnati on the same day. Utah is 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12, and BYU is 7-1 and 4-1, so the winner takes clear control of the top of the conference.

Arizona State goes home at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Sun Devils showed they can score on a ranked team on the road, but a 17-3 halftime deficit on the road was too much to erase in full.