Devils in Detail
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HALFTIME: #21 Arizona State leads #14 BYU 21-3

The Sun Devils are halfway to a huge victory

By David Howman

Patrick Breen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It's halftime in Tempe at Mountain America Stadium and the Sun Devils have staked out a massive lead over the visiting Cougars. Arizona State is up 21-0 over 14th ranked BYU in a game that has massive implications for the Big 12 title race.

The Sun Devils have controlled the game almost right from the jump. BYU started off with the ball, and the Arizona State defense forced a turnover on downs after just seven plays. The Sun Devils engineered a scoring drive in response, with superstar running back Cam Skattebo barreling into the endzone on first and goal.

The Sun Devil defense followed that up with an interception off a tipped pass, but quarterback Sam Leavitt suffered the same fate just five plays later. Arizona State managed to force a punt and then put together a long, methodical drive that took 12 plays to go 95 yards and burned off nearly seven full minutes before Skattebo notched his second touchdown of the day.


Kenny Dillingham, one of the nation's more aggressive head coaches, then opted for a surprise onside kick that was successfully recovered. BYU has thrived all season long on hanging around in games until the fourth quarter, so the decision to be aggressive here makes sense. Six plays later, Skattebo broke several tackles before ripping off a huge touchdown run.

That score put Arizona State up 21-0 with just under two minutes left in the first half. BYU then hit some big passes in a hurry up drill and managed to hit a 49-yard field goal right before halftime to avoid going scoreless.

Arizona State is just one half away from notching a huge win that would significantly increase their odds of reaching the Big 12 title game. In related news, #16 Colorado - another contender for the conference championship game - is trailing Kansas 23-14 at halftime. Last week, Kansas upset BYU and set up this pivotal game for the Sun Devils.

Can Arizona State hold on and win? Check back here after the game for the full breakdown and analysis of where things stand in the Big 12 race.