PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 8 BYU to a 27-20 victory over Arizona State on Saturday.
The Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) shut out the Sun Devils in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win. After Matthias Dunn put BYU ahead for good on a 45-yard field goal, Sione Moa punched it in from a yard out to seal the victory with 2:09 left.
Bachmeier converted two fourth downs before Moa’s second TD to keep the drive alive.
Cardae Mack totaled 170 all-purpose yards to lead Arizona State. Jake Fette threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns. The Sun Devils (4-4, 2-3) lost to a Top-10 opponent on the road for the third time this season.
Fette threw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes to help Arizona State erase a 14-point deficit. The Sun Devils converted three third downs on the first scoring drive, culminating in Omarion Miller’s 20-yard TD catch. Then they converted two fourth downs on the next drive before Anthony Miller Jr.’s 1-yard scoring catch made it 17-17.
Adrian Wilson recovered a fumble by Kyler Kasper at the BYU 39 to set up Arizona State’s second touchdown drive.
Fette got off to a turbulent start in his first career start.
He fumbled on the third play of Arizona State’s opening drive. Isaiah Glasker pounced on the ball at the Sun Devil 29, setting up BYU’s first touchdown.
Ironically, the Cougars scored following another fumble. Moa scooped up the ball after Bachmeier coughed it up inside the ASU 1 and scampered over the goal line to put BYU up 7-0.
Bachmeier threaded a ball through traffic to Kyler Kaspar on a 13-yard touchdown pass to extend the Cougars’ lead to 17-3 before halftime.
A lack of a consistent passing game made Arizona State’s offense one-dimensional and kept the Sun Devils from completing a second-half comeback.
BYU clamped down on defense early, registering six sacks and forcing a turnover before halftime. It helped the Cougars weather an inconsistent offense in the second half.
Arizona State hosts Colorado next Saturday.
BYU is at Utah next Saturday.
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