First Quarter
BYU opened the game on offense and looked to sustain the drive with Retzlaff finding Roberts for an 18-yard completion to move the sticks on 3rd-and-4 from the Cougar 31. Four plays later, BYU was faced with 4th-and-5 and the Arizona State 46 but was unable to convert as Retzlaff was flushed from the pocket and into an incomplete pass.
The Sun Devils took advantage of the field position following the 4th down stop and assembled a 10-play, 54-yard touchdown drive capped by a 3-yard rushing score. Arizona State led 7-0 with 6:41 to play in the first.
The Cougars had another promising start to a drive with a pair of 5-yard carries from Martin and Keelan Marion, along with a 3rd-and-2 conversion on a swing pass to Parker Kingston. A roughing the passer call against the Sun Devils helped BYU to the Arizona State 38 yard line, but a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage led to a drive-ending interception for the Cougar offense.
Second Quarter
The BYU defense quickly responded with an interception of its own. On 1st-and-10 from the Arizona State 46, Cougar defensive tackle John Nelson broke up a pass at the line of scrimmage and Tanner Wall flew in to collect the interception.
BYU’s offense got behind the sticks early in its ensuing drive, but Retzlaff found Roberts for a completion of 15 yards to the Sun Devil 40 on 3rd-and-12. A pair of incompletions and an illegal substation put the Cougars into 3rd-and-16, then brought on the punt team moments later.
While the Sam Vander Haar punt pinned Arizona State at its five, the Sun Devils used a 54-yard pass play to move deep into BYU territory and set up a score that capped a 12-play, 95-yard drive of nearly seven minutes. Arizona State then led 14-0 with 4:34 remaining in the half.
A Sun Devil onside kick quickly returned the ball to the home team’s possession at midfield. Five plays later, Arizona State was back in the end zone with a 4-yard rushing touchdown and led 21-0 with 1:53 before the break.
BYU began to find some rhythm on offense to end the half with a 3rd-and-5 conversion from Retzlaff to Darius Lassiter and a 24-yard reception from Hinckley Ropati. Retzlaff used a rush of seven yards to the Sun Devil 31 to set the Cougars up in field goal position. Will Ferrin booted a 49-yard field goal and BYU went to the half down 21-3.
Third Quarter
Arizona State opened the half with a 13-play drive deep into BYU territory before the Cougar defense bowed up and forced a turnover on downs. With the Sun Devils poised to score from the BYU 4-yard-line, the Cougar defense forced incompletions on 3rd and 4th downs, returning the ball to its offense with 8:18 to play in the quarter.
BYU’s offense took the field and turned the turnover on downs into points as it engineered a 12-play, 96-yard touchdown drive.
Martin got the drive off to a good start with a 12-yard carry on 1st down that got the Cougars out of the shadow of their own goal posts. Two plays later, BYU sustained the drive with Retzlaff finding Marion for a completion of six yards on 3rd-and-3.
Retzlaff then connected with Lassiter for a gain of 21 yards to midfield before BYU went deeper into Sun Devil territory on a 7-yard Martin carry and 13-yard completion to Marion. Carries from Retzlaff and Marion of seven and nine yards, respectively, set up BYU at the Arizona State 10-yard-line. Marion then fittingly finished the drive with a 10-yard carry around the edge, down the sideline and into the end zone.
Following a failed two-point attempt, BYU trailed 21-9 with 2:53 left in the quarter.
Arizona State used two plays to respond with a rush of 14 yards on 1st-and-10 and then took advantage of a breakdown in the BYU secondary to land a 61-yard scoring strike. The Sun Devils led 28-9 with 2:06 to play in the third.
The Cougars struck back quickly as well, using just four plays to move downfield and find the end zone again. Retzlaff started the drive with a 16-yard completion to Phillips, followed by a 36-yard strike to Lassiter. After an incompletion, Retzlaff found Phillips darting down the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown completion. BYU then converted its 2-point attempt with Lassiter reeling in the completion from Retzlaff.
BYU then trailed 28-17 headed into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
The Cougar defense got another big stop at the top of the fourth quarter with stops at the line of scrimmage for no gain on consecutive plays followed by a forced incompletion on 3rd down.
Following an Arizona State punt, BYU’s offense retook the field and put together another touchdown drive to draw closer.
The Cougars used chunk plays to break into plus territory with a 13-yard carry from Martin, 24-yard reception by Lassiter and 18-yard completion from Retzlaff to Kingston.
A pass interference call against Arizona State gave the Cougars a 1st down at the Sun Devil 12. BYU then punched it in three plays later with Marion following blockers on a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
The Cougars were unable to convert the 2-point play but were within five at 28-23 with 8:44 to play.
Despite tackles for loss on two of the first four plays on the ensuing drive, Arizona State used a 30-yard completion to begin threatening BYU again. With less than three minutes to play, the Cougars faced 3rd and 1 at their own 11 but pushed the Sun Devils to 4th down with a stop at the line of scrimmage from linebacker Miles Hall. On 4th-and-1 with 2:34 remaining, Isaiah Glasker strung out the attempted quarterback keeper and brought the Arizona State signal-caller down short of the line to gain.
BYU’s offense returned to the field for a shot at a go-ahead score.
The drive began with Retzlaff scampering 10 yards on 1st down then hitting Lassiter for a gain of 16 to the BYU 37. A 7-yard completion to Roberts followed by a defensive holding call against the Sun Devils, moved the Cougars closer to paydirt at the 39 of Arizona State.
An errant pass-turned-interception brought the drive to an abrupt halt though Retzlaff ran down the intercepting Sun Devil short of the goal line at the BYU 7-yard-line.
While the Cougars appeared to be out of chances, Arizona State took a 26-yard loss on a sack from Glasker and through incomplete to turn the ball over on downs with one second to play.
After a lengthy stoppage of play, BYU had one final shot of the end zone. Roberts reeled in the deep pass at the Sun Devil 3-yard-line but was wrapped up short of the game-winning score.
BYU returns home for senior day as it faces Houston on Nov. 30 in the regular season finale. Kickoff and television broadcast details will be announced in the coming days.
