Cougars' late-game surge isn't enough; No.14 BYU falls to No. 21 Arizona State in an instant classic

TEMPE, Ariz. — In what should have been gone down as one of the best college games in college football this season, a controversial and chaotic field storm will be all that people will remember.

A stellar display from Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, yet another comeback from BYU and a Hail Mary that was just two yards short — and ruled incomplete — led to a 28-23 victory for the No. 21 Sun Devils over the No. 14 Cougars.

Last week, the BYU defense held Kansas to season lows in points, plays, total yards, and rushing yards, but Arizona State came out the gates clicking on all cylinders. Especially Skattebo.

On their first drive, the Sun Devils' star running back ran for 44 yards on seven carries and capped the drive off with a three-yard touchdown.

Skattebo finished the game with 143 yards and three touchdowns.

"Skattebo is a really good running back," BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. "He is one of the best running backs in college football. We knew that going into the game."

Skattebo was integral for an Arizona State offense that built a 21-0 lead early on in the game. Every time Skattebo got the ball, he went untouched for the first four yards and then seemed to bounce off a defender or a four more.

This running attack opened up Arizona State's passing game as well. Receivers Jordan Tyson and Xavier Guillory both hauled in 50 yard passes from Sun Devils' quarterback Sam Leavitt. Tyson finished the game with nine receptions and 125 yards.

Down 14-0 with 4:28 left in the first half, Arizona State pulled one out of Sean Payton's playbook and kicked a line drive onside kick right at unsuspecting BYU defensive back, Talan Alfrey, who was unable to corral the ball.

"The crazy thing is that we practiced that. Everything they did, we practiced," Sitake said.

The Sun Devils' capitalized off of the mishap and went into the second half with a 21-3 lead.

But whatever the coaches said in the locker room for the Cougars worked, because their offense was a completely different beast in the second half.

The first three possessions for BYU all resulted in touchdowns, and they were long, methodical drives.

To start the second half, BYU went on a 95-yard touchdown drive that showcased what BYU's run game can do. Between LJ Martin, Jake Retzlaff and Keelan Marion, the Cougars rushed for 45 yards in their opening drive (they only had 25 rushing yards in the first half).

After a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Marion to cut the ASU lead to 28-23 late in the fourth, the Cougars needed a 2-point conversion to make it a one field goal game.

On the 2-point attempt, tight end Keanu Hill got open for what seemed to be an easy score, but the ball got deflected at the line. Attempt failed.

The Cougars miraculously got the ball back after stopping the Sun Devils on fourth down, but Retzlaff threw an interception to end the Cougars hopes of winning.

Or so everyone thought.

And then it got crazy.

With 58 seconds left in the game, and BYU still possessing all three timeouts, Arizona State decided to run backwards to waste as much time as they could. They lost 42 yards on the drive and wasted over 50 seconds.

Fourth down. Seven seconds left. Leavitt snapped the ball, backed up, and chucked it into the air as the clock ticked down to its final second.

Maroon and gold flooded Frank Kush field with Arizona State faithful thinking they had all but clinched their spot in the Big 12 championship game.

The problem? There was one second left on the clock. The fans had to go back to the far corners of the sidelines and BYU had one more shot to win the game.

After 15 minutes of confusion between fans, players, and security, BYU and Arizona State lined up for one last play. A Hail Mary to Chase Roberts fell incomplete, two yards short of the end zone.

For the second time in 20 minutes, Sun Devil fans rushed the field again. This time with a little less joy from the victory, and a little more aggression towards the team in royal blue.

Security was heightened near the BYU bench as members of ASU's student section pushed closer and closer to the staff and players. Some fans even made intentional contact.

One fan, presumably a student, was tackled by three security officials after he appeared to go after members of the BYU team.

"It was fine, it was just people who were intoxicated," team captain Connor Pay said. "I got to see and talk to some of the ASU players that I know. ... It's very different than fans sitting in the stands who didn't contribute to the game."

It was a sour ending to a spectacular game.

While BYU's chances for a Big 12 championship would've benefited greatly with a win in Tempe, they are not completely dead.

No matter how done they seem to be, there's just no killing these Cougars.