No. 14 BYU travels to face No. 21 Arizona State in game with Big 12, CFP implications

No. 14 BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 14 CFP) at No. 21 Arizona State (8-2, 5-2, No. 21 CFP), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Arizona State by 3.

Series History: Arizona State leads 20-8.

What’s at stake?

It's a game with Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications that few saw coming at the beginning of the season. The Cougars were picked 13th in the 16-team league in preseason polls while the Sun Devils were dead last. A win for either team keeps their CFP hopes alive while the loser is almost certainly out of the picture.

Key matchup

Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt vs. BYU's pass defense. Leavitt's coming off a stellar performance in a win over Kansas State, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He'll get another test against BYU's strong pass defense, which is giving up just 176 yards per game, ranking second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally.

Players to watch

BYU: WR Chase Roberts leads the team with 45 receptions for 659 yards and four touchdowns. He had five catches for 71 yards last week against Kansas.

Arizona St: RB Cam Skattebo has already run for 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns this season despite missing one game due to injury. He's also the team's second-leading receiver with 31 catches for 448 yards.

Facts & figures

This is the first time the two teams have met since 2021. Both teams were ranked in that matchup as well. No. 23 BYU beat No. 19 Arizona State 27-17 in Provo. ... The Cougars have 17 interceptions, which is tops in FBS along with James Madison and California. BYU has had 11 different players intercept a pass. ... BYU's had success with its fourth-down offense this season, converting 17 of 22 opportunities. The 77.3% conversion rate ranks No. 5 nationally. ... The Cougars are averaging 31.9 points per game in conference play. ... QB Jake Retzlaff has thrown 19 TD passes this season which ranks 23rd nationally and fifth in the Big 12. ... Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson has nine TD catches this year, which ties him with Colorado's Travis Hunter for most in the Big 12. ... The Sun Devils have a 4-0 record in games decided by one TD or less. ... Skattebo is the only player in FBS with at least 1,000 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving. ... This is the first time Arizona State has played a game in November as a nationally-ranked team since 2014. ... Arizona State has already secured a five-win improvement over last season, which ended 3-9 mark. ... The Sun Devils have already beaten two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season, including No. 16 Utah and No. 20 Kansas State.

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The Associated Press