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Kenny Dillingham's Bizarre Clock Management Led to Utter Chaos in Arizona State-BYU

A quarterback running the wrong way, a premature goal-post teardown and a Hail Mary attempt: the final minute of this Big 12 matchup had it all.

Tom Dierberger

ESPN
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The final minute of No. 21 Arizona State's 28–23 win over No. 14 BYU on Saturday was about as chaotic as college football can get.

The Sun Devils, leading 28–23, intercepted a pass from Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff and returned it to BYU's seven-yard line with 1:04 to play. Game over, right? Wrong.

Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo rushed for four yards on first-and-goal, forcing the Cougars to call a timeout. But instead of trying to score a touchdown again on second-and-goal for a two-possession lead, Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham opted to burn the clock in unconventional fashion.

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt sprinted the other way on second-and-goal in attempt to take as much time off the clock as possible. He was tackled for a 26-yard loss, and BYU had to call its final timeout. On third-and-goal, Leavitt fell down to take another sack, bringing up a fourth-and-goal from the 44-yard line with seven seconds remaining.

On that fourth-down play, Leavitt tossed up a rainbow pass intended for nobody in attempt to kill the final seven seconds. The Sun Devils thought they won, so fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts in celebration of knocking off the Cougars.

Again, not so fast. While the Arizona State faithful sprinted onto the field, referees reviewed the tape and determined there was one second left. Turnover on downs. It was BYU's football.

Dillingham wasn't too pleased to hear there would be one second left put back on the clock.

Fortunately for the Sun Devils, the Cougars didn't convert on their Hail Mary attempt from midfield. But it was close, as receiver Chase Roberts nearly caught Retzlaff's pass at the 2-yard line.

The Arizona State fans, many who were watching from the opposite sideline after their first field storming, were then allowed to invade Mountain America Stadium with a sea of maroon and gold for a second time.

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Sun Devils and BYU still are eligible to play in the Big 12 championship along with Colorado and Iowa State.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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