BYU's loss to No. 21 Arizona State went beyond a failed Hail Mary, freak double field storm.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State fans must have been so impressed with the Sun Devils' best record since 2014 that they had to celebrate twice.

The Sun Devils improved to 9-2 and 6-2 in Big 12 play when Jake Retzlaff's Hail Mary pass to Chase Roberts bounced out of the end zone for a 28-23 win over the 14th-ranked Cougars.

The student section of the sellout crowd of 54,500 at Mountain American Stadium couldn't stay off the field to celebrate the two-time victory that put Arizona State in the driver's seat for a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Roberts was taken 3 yards short of the goal line after the officials called the play dead, but the final catch was not included in his final game statistics. Instead, the official game book initially had Roberts complete five catches for 59 yards and Retzlaff's pass was broken up by Arizona State's Jawan Robinson (who also had an interception).

It will not change the final result.

But BYU's penchant for winning close games has officially ended a week after it suffered its first loss of the season to Kansas (which beat No. 16 Colorado 37-21 to send the league title to a tiebreaker in two weeks).

The scenes at Mountain America Stadium were ecstatic — and maybe a little drunk — as fans stretched over the railings to celebrate the win for the Sun Devils' highest ranking since joining the Big 12 last summer.

A home fan was not wrestled onto the field with restraint and was ejected from the field after an altercation with a BYU staff member, which could not be calmed down by the crowd, who threw epithets at BYU supporters and raised some fingers while Cougar players, coaches and staff members. They were evicted from the farm by local law enforcement.

“We won the football game,” Arizona State second-year coach Kenny Dillingham said, preferring to focus on his players. “We beat the second-ranked team at Mountain America Stadium, so it's all about the guys. These guys battled, these guys battled and found a way to win. In the end, whatever happened happened.

“You know what? We had to rush the field twice; how come?”

It was certainly a unique experience, with BYU center Connor Payne admitting that the visitors had to wait 15 minutes in a packed field of fans before the last play was allowed after Leavitt's incomplete deep pass on fourth-and-49.

“It was fine. It was just annoying,” Pay said. “When the refs made the final decision, we wanted them to get on the field with one second left so we could run the final play.”

Pay added that the fans he encountered were cordial, even allowing the Lone Peak product to watch several friends play for Arizona State before he headed to the locker room without incident.

Retzlaff will suffer his second straight loss after throwing for 297 yards with a touchdown and two costly interceptions.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake credited Cam Scatebo's 147 yards and three touchdowns, or Leavitt's 247 passing yards and a score.

“This game didn't come down to it,” Sitake said, referring to the final play and the storm on the premature field. “It's just the game. The ref crew was great, they communicated well with me. We had a chance to snap the ball from the 49. We would have loved to have it closer, but it's just the game. The game wasn't won or lost at that moment.

“It was 59 minutes and 59 seconds earlier.”

Indeed, the loss to the Cougars would come on the collective effort of BYU, which went down 21-0 and was held to a single Will Ferrin field goal before halftime — and not the way the visitors were able to finish the rally.

Sure, BYU was given credit for a second-half rally that included two rushing touchdowns by Keelan Marion and improved play from the offensive line after the Cougars ran for just 25 yards before halftime.

BYU's offense contributed 391 yards to Arizona State's 401, finished with 94 yards on the ground and held Scatebow to 54 yards on the ground after rushing for 93 yards and three touchdowns before the break.

But the same offense that posted three second-half touchdowns and also a one-play non-game-winner stalled before the break, totaled just 124 yards on 29 plays in four first-half drives that ended in a turnover on downs. , an interception, a punt and finally Ferrin's 49-yard field goal 25 seconds before halftime.

“Obviously, it hurts,” said Pay, whose team faces Houston next week in the regular-season finale (8:15 p.m. MST, ESPN). “You had a chance to win, and it's an offense for us to play like that in the first half.”