No. 14 BYU Offensive Production Among Questions Answered Against No. 21 Arizona State
Nov 23, 2024, 7:13 PM | Updated: 10:15 pm
BYU receiver Chase Roberts gets tackled against Arizona State (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 14 BYU football team came up a few yards short in a wild game against No. 21 Arizona State.
The Sun Devils held on to win 28-23 after the Cougars were unable to convert on a Hail Mary pass to Chase Roberts.
Let’s answer some questions from the desert.
Who was the MVP for BYU Football?
BYU’s offense struggled mightily in the first half. They only managed three points thanks to a long 49 yard field goal from Will Ferrin.
The second half was a different story. The touchdown flood gates opened up for the Cougar offense after the first Keelan Marion jet sweep score.
After scoring three consecutive touchdowns, Jake Retzlaff and the offense came up short on the final two drives of the game.
#BYU football caps off a 96-yard drive with a Keelan Marion TD run inside the red zone on a jet sweep.#BYUFootball
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 23, 2024
Defensively, there were a few noteworthy performances. Senior defensive end Tyler Batty was all over the place. He finished with 11 tackles. Several of them being the solo kind on Cam Skattebo.
Isaiah Glasker continues his outstanding season. He had 12 tackles to lead all players. His final tackle on Sam Leavitt was a thing of beauty.
Offensively, Retzlaff turned it up in the second half, but his final interception of the game proved to be a a costly one. He finished with 297 passing yards and two interceptions.
I thought Chase Roberts played an outstanding game. He’s my choice for MVP.
It’s ridiculous that the Arizona State stats people didn’t give him a catch on the final play of the game. It was clearly caught. Unfortunately, the throw was two yards short.
Roberts (officially) finished with five catches for 59 yards. He hauled in two huge receptions on the second to last drive of the game.
He’s the most reliable receiver on the team and deserves more targets. I think BYU football found something in the second half in the passing game when they went up-tempo.
What was the most impactful play of the game?
Arizona State attempted an onside-kick late in the first half that put a fork in BYU’s chances to control their destiny to the championship game.
It was 14-0 when Sun Devil head coach Kenny Dillingham opted to seize an opportunity.
Talan Alfrey got caught in an awkward position. He attempted to get out of the way, but instead the ball bounced off his football.
The Sun Devils recovered the ball, resulting in the third rushing TD for Cam Skattebo six plays later.
3 touchdowns and nearly 100 yards (96 to be exact) for Cam Skattebo in the first half. #BYU has no answer for this ASU rushing attack. #BYUFootball #Big12
— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) November 23, 2024
He was flagged for signing a football for a fan in the end zone after the play.
The deficit caused by this sequence proved to be too much to overcome.
Thanks to the Kansas Jayhawks upsetting the Colorado Buffalos, there is still hope for BYU to make the championship game.
What was the most interesting stat from the game?
Turnovers are often the difference in a football game.
BYU committed two turnovers, officially. I would add two more. The turnover on downs in the first quarter and the onside kick led to 14 Arizona State points.
The final turnover of the game was painful. BYU’s offense had momentum.
Forks all the way Up. #Big12FB | @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/ad0KSQQD6g
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 24, 2024
Unfortunately, Retzlaff missed two open receivers.
First, he had Jojo Phillips for a touchdown on a go route, but overthrew him down the sideline.
The ensuing play was a missed throw intended for Darius Lassiter on a slant route that was intercepted.
Too many turnovers cost BYU a chance to keep themselves in the drivers seat or a berth in the Big 12 championship game.
When was the game lost for BYU football?
This game appeared over. Until it wasn’t.
Credit this BYU for fighting back in the second half. There are some things to build upon after a strong showing in the second half.
The first half hole proved to be too much to overcome, but it was remarkable they were in a position to win the game on the final play.
Speaking of that final play, it left a lot to be desired by Big 12 officials.
It remains a mystery why there wasn’t an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Sun Devils for prematurely rushing the field.
Also, it seemed like a clear intentional grounding penalty on Sun Devil quarterback Sam Leavitt. He attempted to burn out the clock, but the pass was intended for nobody and he was still in the pocket.
The game was not lost in those final seconds, but it’s important for officials to be consistent amidst chaos like there was in Tempe.
You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter @baiamontematt here.
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