We Speak College Football
No Margin Left: No. 8 BYU Tries to Bounce Back Against Arizona State in Provo
Two weeks ago, BYU took down then-No. 2 Notre Dame in Provo and climbed to No. 2 itself. One week ago, the Cougars were the hunted team — and UCF treated them the same way. No. 8 BYU’s stay at No. 2 lasted a single week, ended by a 39-31 double-overtime loss in Orlando, and now the Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) have zero margin for error when Arizona State visits LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
The loss at UCF was not about BYU’s offense. It was about a defense that suddenly could not tackle: the Cougars surrendered 463 total yards, allowed UCF to convert 9 of 16 third downs and missed a season-high 18 tackles. Kalani Sitake’s team still controls its own path — BYU trails league-leading Utah by one game and gets the Utes in Provo on Nov. 7 — but a second loss before then would put the Big 12 title game, and any playoff hopes, in serious jeopardy.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier remains the engine. The dual-threat passer has thrown for 1,514 yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions, and he is second on the team in rushing with 321 yards and seven more scores. His favorite target, Legend Glasker, has 28 catches for 498 yards and four touchdowns.
Arizona State (4-3, 2-2) arrives fresh off a 28-17 win over Kansas State that featured a changing of the guard. Sixth-year senior Mikey Keene made his first start of the season at quarterback, managing the game with 160 passing yards, while freshman running back Cardae Mack stole the show with 159 yards and four touchdowns. Mack has 400 rushing yards and six scores on the season. The Sun Devils’ most dangerous weapon, though, is wideout Reed Harris, whose 47 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns make him arguably the best receiver in the Big 12 — and a particular problem for a BYU secondary that may be without top cornerback Evan Johnson.
The matchup that decides it is Harris against that thinned-out BYU back end, and whether the Cougars’ tackling travels back home with them. BYU is the more talented team and a heavy favorite for a reason, but after last Saturday, nobody in Provo is taking a trap game lightly.
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We Speak College Football
Halloween Under the Lights in Ames: No. 24 Oklahoma State’s Air Show Meets a Desperate Iowa State
Iowa State gets its first night game of the season at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, and the opponent is the Big 12’s most entertaining surprise. No. 24 Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) visits the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, with Halloween in Ames as the backdrop.
Almost nobody saw Oklahoma State coming. The Cowboys lost their opener to Tulsa, and first-year head coach Eric Morris — who brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas — has gone 5-1 since, the only other loss a three-point game at Houston. Mestemaker has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country: 65.7 percent completions, 2,326 passing yards (second-most in the FBS), 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Oklahoma State averages 40.0 points and 529.1 yards per game, and just hung 598 yards on Colorado in a 57-24 win that put the Cowboys back in the AP Top 25 after a one-week absence.
Iowa State’s week has been about a decision. After playing two quarterbacks in a 39-3 loss to Arizona, head coach Jimmy Rogers announced Tuesday that Jaylen Raynor will start. Raynor has started every game this season, going 93-of-158 for 1,107 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, with 145 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. The Cyclones need three more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and their path runs through home: their only loss in Ames came against Utah, and their last home game was a 45-42 shootout win over West Virginia.
History gives Iowa State a real argument. The Cyclones won the last two meetings, 20-13 in Stillwater last season and 34-27 in Ames in 2023, though Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 34-22-3. The deciding matchup is Mestemaker against an Iowa State defense allowing 24.1 points per game: if the Cyclones can slow the Cowboys’ tempo and make this a fourth-quarter game, the crowd and the moment give them a shot. If Oklahoma State gets to 40 again, the ranking survives and the Big 12 race keeps its wildest story.
Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 7:00 p.m. ET. TV: FS1. Venue: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa.
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