Arizona State is still looking for its first road victory in 2026, and such an effort will continue Saturday in Provo against No. 8 BYU.
The Sun Devils have been no strangers to hostile crowds on the road this season, having previously fallen to Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
But according to head coach Kenny Dillingham, “you can’t” adequately prepare for the challenge of heading into an environment like LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“It’s one of the best, (one of) the most consistent fan bases in college football,” Dillingham told BYU reporters during his weekly press briefing. “This is one of the best coaching staffs, in my opinion, the most consistent coaching staffs in the top tier of college football.
“I think when you have the consistency that they have as a program from the top, I think they reap what they sow from that standpoint, so going to that spot is definitely one of the toughest spots to play in college football.
“There’s a reason why their winning percentage is so high, so I don’t think there’s any way to (prepare),” he continued. “I mean, we can play loud music, but that’s not going to prepare you for the whole environment. It’s just going to be understanding that you have to do your 1/11 every play and try to get yourself into that mode where you’re on the field and trying to block out everything else.”
BYU and Arizona State have not faced each other since November 2024 – an afternoon that endures in both programs’ lore.
The eventual Big 12 champion Sun Devils rolled to a 28-23 victory to essentially keep the Cougars out of the conference title game, and the game’s chaotic ending remains fresh on everyone’s minds. ASU fans stormed the field, only for officials to put one second back on the clock for one last BYU play.
Dillingham was famously furious about the decision, which ultimately wouldn’t matter as the Cougars’ Hail Mary failed and the fans returned to the field for a lasting raucous celebration.
“The way I acted wasn’t right,” Dillingham said of the 2024 game. “I mean, I was, you know, confused, shaken, confused by the communication. I just shouldn’t have acted that way.”
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was still a high school senior — and committed to Stanford — when the Cougars last played Arizona State, with Dillingham saying the star sophomore “does everything right.”
“He’s really good at the things that win games, and I think that’s the biggest compliment you can give a quarterback, you’re good at the things that win games,” Dillingham said. “He gives his best in the biggest moments, that’s why they won so many close games this year and last year with him. He gives his best in the biggest moments.”
Despite totaling 463 yards and 39 points at UCF last weekend, Dillingham is still impressed with BYU’s defense, recognizing the challenges it presents against his offense.
“There are so many multiples in their pass defense…you don’t know what you’re going to get. It’s very confusing because they play so many different coverages and they line up with three high safeties.
“They line up in regular odd order. They line up in an odd pile. They line up in fours. They’re one of those teams that lines up and does so many things defensively to create chaos and create miscommunication, and that’s why they’ve had so much success,” Dillingham said.
“That’s why I think (Kalani Sitake) is one of the best coaches in college football. He’s had a lot of success on defense for a long time. I remember playing him back when I was here as AG, I remember him having one of the best defenses, and he does a phenomenal job.”
As for the Sun Devils, there is still uncertainty at quarterback, with starter Mikey Keene likely to play Saturday due to a knee injury and third-year freshman Jake Fette potentially set to make his first career start.
“I think no matter who steps on the field, we’re going to come up with a plan, and we’re going to practice hard and prepare to try to win a football game,” Dillingham said.
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