No. 8 BYU looks to bolster its defense ahead of a critical showdown against Arizona State

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Losing to an unranked team didn't inflict serious damage to BYU’s College Football Playoff resume, but it left the No. 8 Cougars with much less room for error going into Saturday’s showdown with Arizona State.

BYU is a game behind No. 6 Utah in the Big 12 standings. With a rivalry game against the unbeaten Utes coming up in two weeks, the Cougars can still determine their own fate.

“We still control our future, and everybody understands that,” defensive end Justin Kirkland said. “It’s just the leeway is a lot less now.”

Tightening a suddenly porous defense is a primary concern ahead of facing the Sun Devils.

Uncharacteristic defensive lapses doomed BYU in a 39-31 double overtime loss to UCF . The Cougars missed a season-high 18 tackles against the Knights. Many of those misses occurred in third down situations, allowing UCF to extend drives.

The Knights had three scoring drives lasting 11 plays or longer en route to rolling up 463 yards — the first time BYU has allowed 400-plus yards in a game this season.

“We need better technique,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “We need to reinforce that with our guys and make sure that everybody’s following the standard. I mean, that’s not our style of play, and I’m really disappointed that it showed up, but we’ve got to fix it.”

Arizona State beat the Cougars 28-23 when the two teams last met in 2024. It turned out to be a critical win for the Sun Devils in their successful Big 12 title run.

An upset win over BYU on Saturday could help Arizona State build momentum toward a strong finish after enduring a 3-3 start featuring three blowout losses. The Sun Devils took a step in the right direction with a 28-17 victory over Kansas State last Saturday.

But Arizona State faces uncertainty at quarterback heading into Provo. Mikey Keene left with a leg injury late in the first half against the Wildcats and is questionable heading into Saturday’s game.

If Keene isn’t available, Jake Fette will get the start. Fette led the Sun Devils on their final four drives against Kansas State and rallied them from a 17-14 deficit.

The two quarterbacks split reps in practice on Tuesday but that hasn’t changed Keene’s status.

“It’s easy to practice as a quarterback when you’re dinged up because you’re not going to get hit,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There’s no physicality and stuff like that. So he was out there (practicing) but he definitely is questionable from that perspective.”

BYU got a boost to its injury depleted backfield with Sione Moa’s return. Moa ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries against UCF after being sidelined since the season opener against Utah Tech.

“I knocked off a lot of rust on Saturday,” Moa said. “It’s been a minute since I actually played a full football game. … I feel good, I’ve got my confidence back.”

Injuries have plagued Moa in each of his three seasons with the Cougars. A foot injury against East Carolina a year ago nearly ended his playing career. He has been an explosive runner when fully healthy. Moa averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season and 5.0 yards per carry in 2024.

Arizona State receiver Reed Harris is one of six FBS players to have at least 800 receiving yards at this point in the season. Not only does Harris lead the Big 12 with 800 yards on 47 catches, but he is setting records along the way.

Harris set a school record for the most receiving yards through seven games, surpassing Jalen Strong, who racked up 744 yards through seven games in 2014. He has tallied four 100-yard games so far this season. The Sun Devils are 2-2 in those contests.

BYU has had tons of success keeping Bear Bachmeier on his feet in the pocket. The Cougars’ offensive line has allowed the fewest tackles for loss (13) among FBS teams through seven games. BYU has also allowed only four sacks so far this season, which is tied for fifth nationally.

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