TEMPE, Ariz. — The last time that the BYU football team was in Tempe, fullback-turned-coach Kalani Sitake had a 30-yard catch en route to a 13-10 victory for the Cougars. Wide receiver-turned-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick contributed as well.
Fast-forward 27 years and this Saturday afternoon marks the 29th matchup between Arizona State and BYU. The series between the two teams is quite lopsided in favor of the Sun Devils, who have 20 wins compared the Cougars' eight.
Prior to 2021's showdown in Provo, it had been 23 years since these two teams faced off.
The Cougars won 27-17 and the heroics of Tyler Allgeier from that game may never be forgotten.
A play that tells me a lot about Jaren Hall’s character is when he threw the worst pick of his life vs Arizona State then hustles down to be in position to recover the Tyler Allgeier punch out fumble. pic.twitter.com/oYmiMY1b1r
— Jarom Jordan (@jaromjordan) December 24, 2022
BYU currently holds a three-game win streak against the Sun Devils, however, as mentioned previously, the two teams have only faced off once in the 21st century.
Arizona State dominated BYU in the Western Athletic Conference back in the mid 60s and early 70s. From 1966-1973, the Sun Devils were 8-0 against the Cougars. In 1978, they joined the PAC-8.
It's been 46 years since these two teams have been in the same conference. To put that in perspective, ASU coach Kenny Dillingham is only 34 years old.
Dillingham was hired in November 2022 and actually graduated from Arizona State ten years prior. He replaced Herm Edwards, who amassed a 26-20 record through four seasons. Three games into his fifth season, Edwards was fired directly following a loss to Eastern Michigan.
Arizona State is led by freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt and if that name sounds familiar, it's because Sam's father, Jared, and his older brother, Dallin, both played at BYU.
Leavitt even played a year of high school ball at Pleasant Grove High before moving to Oregon for the remainder of his high school career. He eventually committed to Michigan State in 2022 and then transferred to Arizona State in 2023. Out of high school, Leavitt drew interest from Florida State, Arizona, Washington and Washington State.
While in the portal, he did visit BYU but ultimately decided to take his talents to Arizona State and has had a great season thus far.
Famous ASU alumni include James Harden, Jimmy Kimmel, and Barry Bonds among many others.
The game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. It's homecoming and Senior Night for the Sun Devils so they'll look to send the seniors out on a high note.