Arizona State football gave BYU football a scare. Here's how
· Yahoo Sports
PROVO, UTAH — It was a tough start for the Jake Fette era.
Visit mchezo.co.za for more information.
The true Arizona State freshman got his first career start against No. 9 BYU and had his ups and downs before the Cougars prevailed 27-17 in Big 12 play at LaVelle Edwards Stadium.
Fette threw for just 166 yards, going 22-for-42 with two touchdowns, but he was under duress for much of the game. He was sacked six times. Fette got the start because Mikey Keene, who relieved starter Cutter Bloey last week, was injured in the first half last week. He was listed as questionable going into the contest.
Fette threw the first two touchdown passes of his career. The first was a 20-yard pass to Omarion Miller that cut the deficit to 17-10, while the second was a 1-yard pass on fourth down to Anthony Miller that tied the game at 17-17.
This marked the seventh season in which ASU has started three different players at quarterback. The last time was in 2023, when Jaden Rashada, Drew Pyne, and Trenton Bourguet each started at least one game.
Here are some quick takeaways from the loss.
Squandered opportunities: ASU got down to BYU 7 before a drive stalled. The Sun Devils went for a field goal, which was blocked, but a penalty on BYU gave ASU new life. They got no closer than the 4 and settled for a 24-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 7-3.
Continued offensive line issues: BYU finished with six sacks, all in the first half. Fette was under siege all day. The tackle positions have been the biggest issues.
Crucial mistake early: ASU got the ball to start the game. On the third play, Fette was blindsided after right tackle Jalen Klemm failed to block anyone. Fette fumbled, and BYU recovered at the ASU 31 and scored six plays later to take an early lead.
Mack was impressive again: The true freshman had 23 carries for 123 yards and five catches for 47 yards. He had 70 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter alone. Then he touched the ball just once in the next 12 plays. With the passing game struggling, it's a bit mind-boggling that the Sun Devils went away from the run when it was working so well. It marked the third straight game Mack has rushed for more than 100 yards.
Got two takeaways: There was an interception by Montana Warren and a fumble recovery by Adrian "Boogie" Wilson (forced by Owen Long). This marked just the second game ASU has had more takeaways than its opponent. The other two were games against Kansas and Hawaii, both wins. Wilson's led to an ASU touchdown, while Warren's thwarted a BYU scoring threat in the last minute of the first half.
Defense was stellar: BYU was held to 306 yards, despite coming in averaging 414 yards per game. The first touchdown came after a turnover by the offense on the ASU end of the field, and BYU's second came after it was set up nicely by a good punt return.
Personnel notes
- Fette, a true freshman, made his first career start and became the third quarterback to start for the Sun Devils this season.
- ASU had a different starting five on the offensive line for the seventh straight week. The group included RT Jalen Klenn, RG Rob Lapuaho, C Makua Pule, left guard Maki Stewart, and LT Champ Westbrooks. That was necessitated this week because center Tana Ala-Tupuola and guard Wade Helton were among those out with injuries.
- Safety Lyrik Rawls was a game-time decision but did not play. He was replaced in the lineup by Kyan McDonald. He has missed three games with a lower leg injury, but began practicing last week.
Up next
The Sun Devils return home for a 5:30 p.m. MST showdown against Colorado (3-5, 1-4). The teams played in 2025, with ASU prevailing 42-17 at Folsom Field in Boulder. Colorado defeated Kansas State 27-24 in overtime on Saturday.
Arizona State leads the all-time series 10-4.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football gave BYU football a scare. Here's how