BYU converts third downs at the third-best rate in the country. Arizona State just found a running back who scored on four of them in one afternoon.
That is a useful place to start after the Cougars’ first loss.
No. 8 BYU hosts Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. Mountain in LaVell Edwards Stadium. FOX will carry the Big 12 game nationally. The Cougars are 6-1 after losing 39-31 in double overtime at UCF. The Sun Devils are 4-3 after Cardae Mack ran for 159 yards and all four Arizona State touchdowns in a 28-17 win over Kansas State.
The afternoon does not need a revenge slogan or a speech about bouncing back. BYU needs ordinary downs to work again. If the Cougars keep their offense on schedule and make Arizona State earn full drives, the UCF loss stays in Orlando. If Mack and Reed Harris keep turning manageable plays into long ones, the same defensive problem gets a new uniform.
BYU-Arizona State watch information
| Game detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Arizona State (4-3) at No. 8 BYU (6-1) |
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 1:30 p.m. MDT / 12:30 p.m. MST / 3:30 p.m. EDT |
| Venue | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah |
| TV | FOX |
| Streaming | FOX Sports with an authenticated television or streaming subscription |
| BYU radio | BYUradio game broadcast |
| Local radio | KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM |
| Tickets | Official BYU ticket page |
| Official event record | BYU Athletics event 24747 |
| Permanent schedule | BYU football schedule |
| Permanent event center | BYU vs. Arizona State game center |
BYU’s stable event record gives the start as 19:30 UTC, which converts to 1:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time in Provo. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so viewers there get a 12:30 p.m. start. BYU’s official schedule lists FOX, the direct BYUradio broadcast and the ticket route. The Associated Press independently lists the national FOX window at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
FOX is available over the air through local affiliates. The FOX Sports stream generally requires authentication through a participating television or streaming provider. BYU Athletics had not posted a dedicated live-stat link on the schedule at publication time, so there is no made-up placeholder here. The permanent game center will carry the event as official links and the final become available.
BYU’s best response is another third down
BYU has converted 54.7 percent of its third downs through seven games, according to the Associated Press matchup file. That ranks third in the FBS. Arizona State’s defense allows a 36 percent conversion rate, a respectable 55th nationally.
That collision says more about Saturday than BYU’s ranking.
The Cougars moved the ball at UCF. Bear Bachmeier threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Kyler Kasper caught six passes for 129 yards. BYU scored 31 points, a total that had been enough to win 18 straight Cougar games before the Knights broke the streak.
The failure came in the spaces between the productive plays. BYU went 4 of 13 on third down and ran 15 fewer plays than UCF. The Knights owned 83 offensive snaps, nine third-down conversions and 32:35 of possession. Even after BYU tied the game and forced overtime, the offense spent too much of regulation waiting for another chance.
Arizona State’s defense has allowed 29.9 points per game, but that average includes 55 points to Baylor and 53 to Texas Tech. Kansas State managed only 17 last week. The Sun Devils held the Wildcats to 2.6 yards per carry, then gave Mack enough possessions to carry 26 times.
BYU cannot assume the bad defensive average will appear by itself. The Cougars have to force it out. A four-yard first-down run, a clean protection on second down and a short completion on third-and-manageable would do more for this game than an early desperation throw intended to erase Orlando.
LJ Martin is listed out on BYU’s initial conference availability report. Preston Rex is probable. Those are dated designations, and the Big 12 will issue a final report 90 minutes before kickoff. With Martin unavailable on the first report, the important number is not whether one back replaces his entire production. It is whether Rex, Sione Moa and Bachmeier can keep third down from becoming third-and-long.
Cardae Mack puts a price on the first missed tackle
Mack’s line against Kansas State was blunt: 26 carries, 159 yards, four touchdowns. He tied an Arizona State freshman touchdown record and moved to 400 rushing yards with six scores for the season.
That performance arrived one week after BYU missed too many finishes at UCF. The Knights gained 170 rushing yards and 293 through the air. Deseret News reported 18 missed tackles for the Cougars, their season high. The worst example was a short third-and-17 completion that became a 56-yard gain after two tackle chances disappeared.
Mack does not need the same play design to ask the same question. Arizona State can hand him the ball between the tackles, use him to hold the linebackers and then work Harris behind the next layer. If BYU’s first defender arrives out of balance, Mack can turn a modest crease into the down that changes the drive.
The Cougars’ season defense remains stronger than the UCF tape. They allow 98.1 rushing yards and 18.6 points per game, both top-30 national rates in the AP file. One bad afternoon did not delete six games.
It did expose the repair. BYU needs the second defender arriving through the right lane instead of cutting off a teammate. It needs the first contact to stop Mack’s feet. Most of all, it needs third-and-long to end with the punt it was supposed to produce.
Our 179-yard after-catch review dealt with the same issue from the UCF passing game. Saturday’s first useful defensive receipt will be simpler: when Mack meets the first blue jersey, where does the ball stop?
Reed Harris can punish a defense that leans too hard toward Mack
Arizona State’s offense is not just the back who scored four times.
Harris has 47 receptions for 800 yards and eight touchdowns, according to the AP matchup file. He caught six passes for 147 yards against Kansas State. His season average works out to 17 yards per catch, enough to punish a safety who steps downhill too quickly or a corner who expects help that is occupied by the run.
The quarterback question adds uncertainty. Deseret News reported Arizona State starter Mikey Keene as questionable with a knee injury, with freshman Jake Fette potentially in line for his first start. The Kansas State box gave Keene 160 yards on 10-of-20 passing. Availability can change, so Saturday’s final report matters more than a Wednesday label.
BYU should not build two completely different defenses around a name. Mack and Harris define the stress either way. The quarterback must be made to complete the difficult throw rather than receive a free one after the defense overcommits.
That is harder without cornerback Evan Johnson, who is listed out on BYU’s initial report. Trevin Ostler and Martin are also out; Rex and Kyle Sfarcioc are probable. Again, the labels describe Wednesday, not Saturday afternoon. They do tell fans which matchups deserve attention when the final report arrives.
The Cougars’ coverage cannot spend the afternoon waiting for the front to fix everything. Harris already has an 800-yard season through seven games. If BYU crowds the box and leaves him a clean release, Arizona State has the answer it wants before the snap.
The 2024 ending belongs in the background
The last meeting ended with Arizona State winning 28-23 in Tempe. Sun Devil fans rushed the field, officials restored one second and BYU’s final Hail Mary fell short after the field was cleared. Arizona State went on to win the Big 12. The loss helped keep BYU out of the conference title game.
It was messy, loud and memorable. It still counts for zero points Saturday.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters this week that he regretted how he reacted during the confusion. He also called LaVell Edwards Stadium one of college football’s hardest places to play. The Sun Devils are searching for their first road win of 2026 after losses at Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
That road record gives BYU an advantage, not permission to coast. Arizona State has already shown the exact route an underdog needs in Provo: get Mack moving, let Harris stretch the coverage and keep BYU from stacking third-down conversions.
The Cougars are 4-0 at home. Their first game after the UCF loss comes in the place where their defense has allowed 17, 10 and 24 points to its three FBS visitors. A steady crowd and familiar field should help. Neither one makes the tackle or protects the football.
Three things to watch on the first two drives
- BYU’s distance on its first third down. Third-and-3 keeps the whole playbook alive. Third-and-9 invites Arizona State to test a reshuffled offensive line and a backfield without Martin.
- The first defender on Mack. A square hit with pursuit behind it shows the UCF correction reached the field. A glancing shoulder that becomes 15 yards says the problem followed BYU home.
- Harris’ release when BYU adds a safety to the run fit. If he gets immediate space, the quarterback decision becomes easier regardless of who starts for Arizona State.
One more check belongs beside those: BYU’s patience. A first-quarter punt is not a crisis. A reckless throw or a busted fit made in a hurry to prove the UCF loss is over can become one.
What comes next
BYU visits No. 6 Utah on Nov. 7. Arizona State returns home to face Colorado the same day. Both games matter, and neither should affect a snap Saturday.
The immediate fan plan is firm: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Mountain on FOX, with the authenticated stream through FOX Sports and the Cougar call through BYUradio. Check the Arizona State game center for lifecycle updates and the football schedule for the rest of BYU’s season.
The football plan is not complicated. BYU’s third-down offense has been one of the country’s best. Mack and Harris give Arizona State two ways to make a missed tackle expensive. The Cougars do not need to erase last week in one play. They need to win enough ordinary downs that the big response takes care of itself.
Sources and further reading
- BYU Athletics: official event record 24747 for the stable event ID, 19:30 UTC start, home designation, Provo location, LaVell Edwards Stadium venue and scheduled status.
- BYU Athletics: 2026 football schedule for the 1:30 p.m. Mountain listing, FOX assignment, BYUradio broadcast and official ticket route.
- BYU Athletics: Arizona State game-week hub for BYU’s official matchup framing and game-week interviews.
- BYU Athletics: UCF final for the 39-31 result, major sequences, player production and next-game confirmation.
- Arizona State Athletics: Kansas State final for the 28-17 result and Mack’s four touchdowns.
- Associated Press matchup file for independent FOX confirmation, current records, national rates, team leaders and both teams’ latest-game lines.
- Deseret News: initial BYU-Arizona State availability report for the dated BYU designations and final-report timing.
- Deseret News: Kenny Dillingham previews BYU for Arizona State’s quarterback uncertainty, road context and Dillingham’s comments on Provo and the 2024 finish.
- BYU brand colors and Arizona State’s official color palette for the verified palettes used in the original matchup art.
