Big 12 Championship Contenders Clash as #21 ASU Welcomes #14 BYU
Tempe, AZ – October 18, 2025
The desert heat won’t be the only thing scorching this Saturday as the #21 Arizona State Sun Devils host the #14 BYU Cougars in a seismic Big 12 showdown with conference championship implications. With both teams riding high on momentum, playoff dreams, and elite quarterback play, Sun Devil Stadium is set to be a cauldron of noise, passion, and drama under the primetime lights.
BYU, led by veteran quarterback Jaren Katoa, enters the matchup 6–1 (3–1 Big 12), fresh off a 34–24 win over Texas Tech. Katoa has been surgical this season, throwing for over 1,900 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding another four on the ground. His chemistry with junior wideout Zion Mahe, who leads the Big 12 in receiving yards, has turned the Cougars’ air raid into one of the most feared in the nation.
Arizona State, meanwhile, has quietly rebounded from an early season stumble to post five straight wins, including a gritty 27–20 overtime triumph at Kansas State last week. Sophomore sensation Malik Varela has been the revelation of the season. The dual-threat QB has accounted for 22 total touchdowns, and his fearless scrambling has earned comparisons to a young Kyler Murray. His leadership has galvanized an ASU squad that was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 preseason poll.
“Malik’s composure has been everything for us,” said ASU head coach Jameel Rowe. “This team has found its identity, and we’re not done yet.”
The matchup pits BYU’s top-5 ranked pass defense, anchored by senior corner Isaiah Eteaki and linebacker Cameron Tapusoa, against one of the most electric offenses in the conference. ASU’s backfield duo of Varela and bruising running back T.J. Ricks, who averages 6.2 yards per carry, presents a multidimensional threat the Cougars haven’t yet faced this season.
On the other side of the ball, ASU’s defense has quietly emerged as a punishing force, led by edge rusher Lyle Jamison, whose 9.5 sacks rank second in the Big 12. Jamison will be key in trying to disrupt BYU’s meticulously timed passing game.
The stakes? A potential top-10 national ranking and pole position in the chaotic Big 12 title race. Both teams trail only undefeated Oklahoma State in the standings, and with the Cowboys facing a brutal back-end schedule, Saturday’s victor could control its destiny.
“We’ve been in big games before,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “But this one? This one feels different. This one feels like November in October.”
With tickets sold out and national eyes watching, Tempe will be the epicenter of the college football world this weekend. Expect fireworks, late drama, and a defining moment in a Big 12 season that’s been anything but predictable.
One thing’s for sure—whoever emerges from the desert with a win will have taken a giant leap toward Arlington in December.
