Bear Bachmeier and No. 8 BYU host Arizona State

BYU's defense, Arizona State's margin problem

Against Power 4 opponents, BYU is +28 in point margin, 22nd nationally and sixth in its conference. Arizona State is -74 in the same games, 76th nationally and 15th in the conference.

BYU allows 325 yards a game, 14th nationally and second in the conference, and gains 364, 39th. Arizona State gains 356 and allows 403, ranking 44th and 48th.

The quieter categories are close. Arizona State is penalized 45 yards a game, 20th nationally and second in the conference, against 49 for BYU, 30th. The Sun Devils hold the ball 30:16 a game, 32nd nationally, to BYU's 29:41, 38th. Both are negative in turnover margin, Arizona State at -4, 79th, and BYU at -1, 45th.

Where it's decided

When BYU has the ball, it faces a defense that allows 38.0 points a game against Power 4 opponents, 73rd nationally and 16th in the conference. The Cougars score 25.6 points a game, 33rd nationally, and run for 143 yards a game, also 33rd, against an Arizona State run defense allowing 172, 56th.

BYU's offense keeps drives alive on third down. Against Power 4 opponents, the Cougars convert 51.5%, fifth nationally and second in the conference, while Arizona State's defense allows 37.7%, 29th nationally and fourth.

Legend Glasker leads BYU in receiving yards with 498 and in catches with 28, with 4 touchdowns. Kyler Kasper, an Oregon transfer, is second with 373 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he has raised his receiving yards in 3 straight games, from 22 to 40, 66 and 129. The 129 came at UCF last week, his first career 100-yard game, topping the 66 he had against Notre Dame. The rest of the offense is largely intact: BYU returns 98% of its 2025 passing yards and 84% of its rushing yards.

When Arizona State has the ball, it throws for 250 yards a game against Power 4 opponents, 26th nationally, into a BYU pass defense allowing 214, also 26th. The run game has less room. Arizona State gains 106 rushing yards a game, 56th, and BYU allows 111, 21st nationally and fourth in the conference. The Sun Devils convert 27.4% of third downs, 75th nationally and 15th in the conference, against a BYU defense allowing 38.4%, 32nd.

Quarterback Cutter Boley, a Kentucky transfer, leads Arizona State with 1,360 passing yards, with 13 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and a 60.7 completion percentage. He arrived in a rebuild: Arizona State returns 1% of its 2025 passing yards and 13% of its rushing yards. Cardae Mack leads the Sun Devils in rushing yards with 400 on 55 carries, with 6 touchdowns, and Kyson Brown adds 335. Omarion Miller, a Colorado transfer, is second in receiving yards with 390 on 37 catches.

BYU at night and with a halftime lead

BYU has won 16 straight night games and 22 of its last 23, dating to 2024. The Cougars have also won their last 20 games when leading at halftime, a run that also dates to 2024.

Arizona State's road drought against the top 10

Arizona State's last road win over a top-10 team came in 2015, against No. 7 UCLA, and it is 0-7 in those games since. Two of those losses came this season, 48-20 at No. 10 Texas A&M and 53-25 at No. 10 Texas Tech.

Reed Harris leads the Big 12

Reed Harris, a Boston College transfer, leads the Big 12 with 800 receiving yards and 8 touchdown catches. He leads Arizona State in both yards and catches, and his 47 catches are second in the conference. He is one of 10 FBS players this season with two or more touchdown catches in three games.

What the UCF loss ended

Last week's loss at UCF ended BYU's 7-game win streak, which dated to 2025, and its 16-game win streak against unranked teams, which dated to 2024. BYU is 4-1 against Power 4 opponents, with UCF the only loss, and 2-1 in one-score games.

Transfers on defense, draft losses in Tempe

Linebacker Owen Long came to Arizona State from Colorado State and leads the Sun Devils in tackles with 62, tied for third in the Big 12. Defensive lineman Julian Hugo leads them in sacks with 4, and edge rusher Jalen Thompson arrived from Michigan State with 2.5 sacks from 2025. Arizona State returns 18% of its 2025 sacks, 6 of 34.

Linebacker Cade Uluave transferred to BYU from California and leads the Cougars in tackles with 45, and defensive end Tausili Akana leads them in sacks with 3.5. BYU's defense returns 64% of its 2025 tackles and 58% of its sacks. The Cougars also added tight ends Roger Saleapaga II from Oregon and Walker Lyons from USC and interior lineman Paki Finau from Washington.

Arizona State had 4 players drafted, a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, a cornerback and a linebacker, with 2 in the first two rounds. Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson went eighth overall to New Orleans and offensive tackle Max Iheanachor went 21st to Pittsburgh. Cornerback Keith Abney II went to Detroit and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott to Chicago, both in the fifth round. BYU had 2 players drafted, linebacker Jack Kelly in the sixth round to New York and tight end Carsen Ryan in the seventh to Cleveland.

BYU likely without LJ Martin

Update, Sat, Oct 31, 1:00 PM CT: Since Friday's report, BYU upgraded Preston Rex (probable to available) and Joseph Douglas (probable to available). Since Friday's report, Arizona State upgraded Albert Smith III (probable to available), Filiva'a Lokotui (probable to available) and Luke Baklenko (probable to available); downgraded Marques Uini (doubtful to out), Wade Helton (questionable to out) and Xander Ruggeroli (doubtful to out). On the latest report, BYU lists LJ Martin, Evan Johnson, Kendal Wall and 3 others as out or doubtful. Arizona State lists Harry Hassmann, Marques Uini, Tana Alo-Tupuola and 2 others as out or doubtful, and Lyrik Rawls and Mikey Keene as game-time decisions.

Sitake said Oct. 26 that running back LJ Martin is "getting really close" to returning but is unlikely to play against Arizona State, according to the Deseret News. Martin leads BYU in rushing yards with 344 on 44 carries, with 3 touchdowns, and he was listed Out on the Big 12 availability report for BYU's last 2 games.

Sitake also said Oct. 26 that offensive lineman Trevin Ostler would be ruled out and that Ostler would announce the severity of his injury himself, according to the Deseret News. After the UCF loss, Sitake said he expects starting right guard Kyle Sfarcioc to be available, according to the Deseret News via Yahoo Sports. Sfarcioc was on the sideline at UCF but did not play.

Arizona State owns the series, but not in Provo

Arizona State leads the series 21-8 in 29 meetings since 1935. The Sun Devils won the last meeting 28-23 at home in 2024, when Cameron Skattebo ran for 147 yards. That Arizona State team went 11-3, and BYU finished 11-2.

The home team has won the last 3 meetings, dating to 1998, a season Arizona State finished 5-6 and BYU 9-5. BYU is 4-8 at home against Arizona State, and the Sun Devils last won in Provo in 1994, when they went 3-8 and BYU went 10-3.

Three things to watch

Bachmeier as a runner: his 321 rushing yards are second at BYU, and Martin is unlikely to play.

Arizona State's kick returns: against Power 4 opponents, the Sun Devils average 24.4 yards on 8 kick returns, 10th nationally, against a BYU defense that keeps 65.4% of drives off the scoreboard.

The red zone: BYU scores on 77.8% of its trips against Power 4 opponents, 55th nationally, and Arizona State allows scores on 83.3%, 42nd.