BYU Preview

For the last two years, BYU has been trying to get over the hump and win the Big 12 championship, and this season has put it in the same position. Even after their first loss of the season, the Cougars figure to be a tall task for the Sun Devils seeking their first true road win of the year. Here’s our examination of BYU.

2026 So Far: 6-1 (3-1)

Tied with USC as the No. 14 team in the preseason Associated Press poll, BYU began the season with six straight wins over Utah Tech, Arizona, Colorado State, TCU, Iowa State and Notre Dame, ultimately climbing to No. 2 in the country after six games.

Last week at UCF, the Cougars suffered their first loss of the season, a 39-31, double overtime defeat. Despite the loss, BYU remains inside the nation’s top 10 with a No. 8 Associated Press poll ranking this week.  

Series History: ASU leads, 21-8

Arizona State and Brigham Young first met on the gridiron in 1935, then had another half dozen clashes within the first decade after World War II.

From 1962-77, ASU and BYU both resided in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and played 13 games in that span, with ASU winning 10 of those 13.

The Sun Devils and Cougars didn’t face one another for a decade-and-a-half as the series hit the pause button from 1978 to 1994, but ASU and BYU met four times over a five season span from 1994-98.

ASU held a 20-5 edge over the first 25 meetings in the series before BYU claimed a trio of consecutive victories in 1997 and ‘98 before more than a 20-year hiatus and then another Cougar victory in 2021.

In the only meeting to date between the two programs as members of the Big 12 Conference, ASU downed BYU by a score of 28-23 on Nov. 23, 2024, in a critical win in ASU’s march toward the Big 12 championship – a game with a controversial finish that ultimately favored the Sun Devils.

Head Coach: Kilani Sitake (11^th season at BYU, 90-46 overall record)

A former BYU fullback, Sitake returned to his alma mater as head coach in 2016. In 2023, the Cougars joined the Big 12 Conference after having spent 2011-22 as an independent program.

In recent years, Sitake has proven to be one of the most capable and consistent coaches at the FBS level, as the 2025 Big 12 Coach of the Year has won at least 11 games in each of the past two seasons and has won at least 10 games in four of the last seven. For reference, from 1997 through the present day, ASU has compiled a total of four double-digit win seasons.

BYU has been ranked inside the top 20 at the end of the season in four of the past six seasons, four of which were rankings of No. 13 or better.

The 2026 season is trending toward yet another double-digit win total and high national ranking as the Cougars stand at 6-1 and No. 8 in the country after seven games.

BYU Offense Preview

It truly is interesting to consider the dominoes that fell prior to the 2025 season that largely shifted the future fate and stability of BYU’s quarterback position.   

Entering 2025, Jake Retzlaff was slated to return as starting quarterback for the Cougars after guiding BYU to an 11-2 finish in 2024. However, an off-field matter related to BYU’s honor code prompted Retzlaff to transfer to Tulane in July of 2025.

Bear Bachmeier, who initially enrolled at Stanford in 2025 but parted ways with the program after the firing of head coach Troy Taylor that April, transferred to BYU that May and ultimately claimed the starting quarterback job to replace Retzlaff.

Bachmeier exploded as a true freshman starter for BYU last year and proved to be a crucial catalyst to the team’s 12-win season that included a berth in the Big 12 championship game and earned Bachmeier the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award.

In total last season, Bachmeier threw for 3,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 527 yards and 11 scores.

An atypical tank of a quarterback who clocks in at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and wears jersey number 47, this season Bachmeier is trending toward improved year-over-year numbers as he has thrown for 1,514 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions with 321 rushing yards and seven scores.

Not all of his statistics jump off the page – this season, he only has two games with more than 227 passing yards – but Bachmeier is a leader and a winner and overall, BYU has a combined record of 18-3 since he joined the program.

Should BYU bring its second-string quarterback at any point, it would be a very familiar last name for Sun Devil fans, as Treyson Bourguet, the younger brother of former ASU wide receiver Coben Bourguet and former ASU quarterback and current assistant wide receivers coach Trenton Bourguet, occupies the role.

Formerly a Western Michigan transfer, Bourguet has appeared in three games this season, completing one of his three pass attempts for 15 yards with an interception along with a 17-yard rush.

An early October injury suffered by reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year L.J. Martin figures to sideline the elite rusher for a bit longer, so he is not listed on this week’s depth chart for BYU. At press time he was listed as OUT for Saturday.

In Martin’s absence, Preston Rex and Sione Moa are listed as the top options at running back for the Cougars.

On the season, Rex has 223 rushing yards on 39 carries (5.7 avg.) with two touchdowns, along with eight receptions for 47 yards. Moa has only appeared in two games but has 19 carries for 58 yards (3.1 avg.) with a touchdown.

At wide receiver, the trio of Legend Glasker, Kyler Kasper and Jojo Phillips are slated as the starting group for BYU.

A high-impact true freshman, Glasker leads the team with 28 receptions for 498 yards and a team-best 17.8 yards per reception, while tying for the team lead with four touchdown catches and also adding 95 net rushing yards with two touchdowns.

Glasker had his best day of the year so far with a five-catch, 131-yard effort that also included a rushing touchdown against Colorado State. He narrowly missed a second 100-yard receiving day when he caught five passes for 99 yards with a touchdown against Iowa State.

In all, Glasker has had at least three receptions in all seven games and has had five catches on three occasions.

Kasper, a graduate of Gilbert’s Williams Field High School, spent the 2022-25 seasons at Oregon, appearing in 23 games while catching six passes for 77 yards. Through seven games for BYU, he has enjoyed exponentially greater success, as the 6-foot-6 receiver has caught 26 passes for 373 yards (14.3 avg.) with a share of the team lead with four touchdown receptions.

Kasper enters this weekend on the heels of his first career collegiate 100-yard receiving outing as he caught six passes for 129 yards with a touchdown last weekend at UCF. He also caught six passes in the previous game against Notre Dame, so 12 of his 26 receptions on the year have come across the last two games.

Tight end Walker Lyons is a valuable target for the Cougars as well, as he has 19 receptions for 206 yards with a touchdown in seven games this year. Lyons, a transfer this offseason from USC who had back-to-back five-catch games against Iowa State and Notre Dame, currently ranks third among Big 12 tight ends in receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

The Cougar offensive line figures to feature a starting group consisting of left tackle and Washington transfer Paki Finau, left guard Sonny Makasini, center Bruce Mitchell, either Kyle Sfarcioc or Zak Yamauchi and right guard and Bott Mulitalo at right tackle.

Mitchell, a First-Team All-Big 12 pick in 2025 and a preseason all-conference selection for 2026, rings 27 career starts into Saturday’s game. Sfarcioc, a graduate of Peoria’s Liberty High School, has 31 career starts, including his time at FCS program Southern Utah, where he played before joining BYU prior to the 2025 season.

BYU Offense Summary

Despite the injury to Martin, thanks to Bachmeier, a trio of impact pass-catchers that joined the program this offseason, and an elite offensive line, the Cougar offense has remained consistent even without its sensational running back.

The Cougar offensive line is one of the best in the nation as BYU is the current FBS leader in fewest tackles for loss allowed (13, 1.86 per game), while tying for fifth nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game (.57).

Also, even with Martin having missed a few weeks, BYU is tied for 19^th nationally in rushing touchdowns (18), and the Cougars are also tied for 19^th nationally in team rushing yards per carry (5.38). BYU also carries a top 25 ranking in lost turnovers, as the Cougars tie for 22^nd nationally in that category (six).

BYU Defense Preview

The Cougar defensive line figures to feature Keanu Tanuvasa at tackle, either Justin Kirkland or Anisi Purcell at nose, and either Bodie Schoonover or Viliami Po’uha at defensive end, with Tausili Akana as a possible starter as well.

Schoonover has collected 16 tackles, including 3.0 for loss, with four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup, while Tanuvasa, a transfer from rival Utah, has 14 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, with half a sack and three pass breakups.

Kirkland, who previously played for both Utah Tech and Oklahoma State, has tallied 10 tackles including a sack and a pass breakup; Purcell, formerly a Southern Utah transfer, has seven tackles including 1.5 for loss with half a sack, while Po’uha has collected five tackles on the year.

A former Texas transfer, Akana currently leads BYU in both tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (3.5), while also posting 14 total tackles as well as a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.

At linebacker, Cade Uluave is listed as the starter at the “Mack” position, with Nusi Taumoepeau at “Sam” and Isaiah Glasker as the top “Rover” on the depth chart.

Uluave, a transfer this offseason from Cal, leads the team with 45 tackles, including 3.5 for loss with half a sack, four quarterback hurries and one interception. Prior to his debut season with BYU, Uluave was listed as a 2026 preseason All-Big 12 selection.

Glasker, a Third-Team All-Big 12 choice in 2025, has missed two games, but has posted 23 tackles with five quarterback hurries and three pass breakups, while Taumoepeau has registered 14 tackles including 2.5 for loss with a sack and a quarterback hurry in seven games played.

Cornerback Evan Johnson, an honorable mention all-conference pick last year and a 2026 preseason All-Big 12 selection, suffered a leg injury last week at UCF and is expected to miss Saturday’s game against ASU.

In Johnson’s absence, Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams and Therrian Alexander III are slated to be the starting pair of cornerbacks this week.

Williams has 17 tackles, including one for loss, with a team-best four pass breakups, along with a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery, while Alexander has tallied 14 tackles, including one for loss, with an interception and a pass breakup.

Elsewhere in the secondary, Faletau Satuala is expected to start at free safety, with either Raider Damuni or Tommy Prassas at strong safety and Cannon DeVries at nickel defensive back.

Satuala, a 2026 preseason All-Big 12 pick and 2025 third-team all-conference choice, ranks second on the team with 34 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, with three quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, and an interception.

Prassas, a Chandler Basha High School grad whose online bio states that he ‘grew up an Arizona State fan’, is third on the team with 25 tackles, including a share of a TFL, along with three pass breakups. DeVries has 14 tackles, including 3.0 for loss, with a pass breakup in six games, while Damuni has 12 tackles and two pass breakups in three games this year.

BYU Defense Summary

Statistically, the Cougars have a few key areas in which they rank within the nation’s top 20 to 30 teams, including a ranking of 17^th in rush defense (98.1 yards allowed per game), as well as 23^rd in total defense (301.6 total yards allowed per game) and 26^th in scoring defense (18.57 points allowed per game).

Areas where BYU is less than elite are seen in examples such as their national ranking of 56^th in pass defense (203.4 yards allowed per game), while the team is tied for 77^th in turnovers gained (eight) and tied for 98^th in team sacks (1.71 per game)       .

Ultimately, BYU has proven to field a well above average defense, though some of the big “splash” plays such as sacks and turnovers have not been terribly abundant.

BYU Special Teams Preview

Placekicker Matthias Dunn hasn’t had a tremendous workload thus far but has been accurate, as he’s connected on five of six field goal attempts with a long of 49.

Punter Fuller Shurtz averages 44.7 yards on 22 punts with a long of 61. His punting average currently ranks eighth in the Big 12.

On returns, Tiger Bachmeier averages 8.0 yards on six punt returns, and while Cannon DeVries has only returned two kickoffs, he has a 100-yard touchdown return to his credit.

Local Ties: OL Brigham Alexander (Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin HS), Jake Alexander (Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin HS), QB Treyson Bourguet (Tucson Salpointe HS), DB Justice Brathwaite (Gilbert Higley HS), WR Kyler Kasper (Gilbert Williams Field HS), DB Tommy Prassas (Chandler Basha HS), OL Kyle Sfarcioc (Peoria Liberty HS), LS Ty Smith (Gilbert Highland HS), QB Enoch Watson (Queen Creek American Leadership Academy) and LB Pierson Watson (Flagstaff Coconino HS) all played high school football in the state of Arizona.

Bourguet is the younger brother of former ASU wide receiver Coben Bourguet and former ASU quarterback and current assistant wide receivers coach Trenton Bourguet.

Overall Summary

For the third time in eight games of the 2026 season, Arizona State takes to the road to face an opponent ranked in the nation’s top 10, as BYU enters this contest ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press.

Prior to last week, however, the Cougars were ranked second nationally before suffering their first loss of the year on the road in double overtime at UCF.

In total, this will be the 30^th meeting between Arizona State and BYU, with the Sun Devils carrying a 21-8 edge in the series. Many of the meetings occurred in the 1960s and ‘70s when the two teams were both members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), while the first clash between ASU and BYU as Big 12 programs was an unforgettable one, when ASU escaped with a thrilling 28-23 home win over the Cougars on Nov. 23, 2024.

Though BYU enters this game after having suffered its first loss of the season, the Cougars have been spectacular at home for nearly two calendar years as BYU has won 11 straight home games dating back to a loss to Kansas on Nov. 16, 2024 – coincidentally, the week before ASU and BYU last met on the gridiron.

In what figures to be the first career collegiate start for true freshman quarterback Jake Fette, there’s no denying that even if the game weren’t played on Halloween day, it could be an equally scary experience for the rookie signal caller.

Sun Devil fans surely hope that last week’s BYU loss showcased some areas of weakness – and/or that the Cougars will be overlooking Arizona State in their rivalry matchup next week with Utah – but the Cougars have been a well-oiled machine over the past few seasons and don’t figure to stay down for too long.

ASU will need to overcome what is certain to be a raucous BYU home crowd, and on the field, the Devils will need excellent execution and perhaps the best line play – on both sides – that the team has showcased thus far in 2026.

So then, Arizona State supporters wonder as this game draws nearer – will it be a trick or will it be a treat that the Sun Devils receive in Provo this Saturday?

Final Score Prediction (via Speak of the Devils Podcast): BYU 34, Arizona State 17