Arizona State-BYU Game Marred by 15-Minute Delay as Fans Storm the Field
The final seconds of Saturday’s Arizona State-BYU game were delayed by nearly 15 minutes as fans stormed the field, thinking the game was over. With Arizona State up 28-23 and seven seconds left on fourth down, quarterback Sam Leavitt dropped back and launched the ball out of bounds to kill the clock. The clock initially read zeroes, prompting fans to rush onto the field and celebrate. However, officials reviewed the clock and ruled that one second remained, forcing thousands of fans to leave the field.
The delay resulted in a 13-minute pause in the game, leaving fans frustrated and rowdy. BYU had the ball at its own 49-yard line, but Jake Retzlaff’s Hail Mary attempt fell short of the goal line, securing Arizona State’s 28-23 win.
The decision to storm the field was peculiar, as Arizona State is ranked lower than BYU and the Sun Devils were 3.5-point favorites going into the game. However, the win was crucial for Arizona State, which needs one more win and an Iowa State loss in its final two games to earn a trip to the Big 12 championship game and a shot at the College Football Playoff.
Arizona State faces in-state rival Arizona on the road next week to wrap up the season, while BYU looks to bounce back from its defeat.