Tag: Cougars

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) following an interception in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

No. 17 BYU, No. 23 Colorado prepare for Big 12-flavored Alamo Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Conference foes No. 17 BYU and No. 23 Colorado will square off on Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

The Cougars (10-2) and Buffaloes (9-3) once had their sights set on a Big 12 Conference championship game appearance and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

But late-season losses dashed those dreams, and in the era of mega conferences, the rare intra-conference bowl game will pit teams that didn’t play in the regular season.

Another rarity is the lack of players opting out to prevent injury. Colorado has taken out disability insurance to safeguard Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

In its latest NFL mock draft, CBS Sports had Hunter going No. 2 to the New England Patriots and Sanders going No. 3 to the Las Vegas Raiders, who would need to trade up to acquire that pick.

Sanders completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Hunter rarely took a snap off, doubling as a wide receiver on offense and a cornerback on defense.

Hunter has declared for April’s NFL draft and had 92 catches for 1,152 yards, 14 receiving touchdowns and a rushing score. He had four interceptions, 11 passes defended and 31 tackles at cornerback.

“Colorado has a ton of talent in all three phases,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I think a lot of credit goes to the offense for the Heisman Trophy winner (Hunter), Shedeur and the rest of the crew. But we are excited, they are a complete team and we’re excited about the matchup.”

The rest of the crew Sitake referenced includes second-leading receiver LaJohntay Wester, who caught 70 passes for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Will Sheppard, who had 617 yards and six TDs.

Colorado was 4-8 last year in coach Deion Sanders’ first season at the helm.

Freshman receiver Drelon Miller came on late in the season with two touchdowns in the Buffaloes’ last three games and is part of a youth movement that has Deion Sanders excited.

“We have some young talent here that’s going to help this program tremendously,” said the elder Sanders, who has the Buffaloes in just their third bowl game in the past 17 seasons. “When those (young) guys walked on the field, you felt their presence and they wanted us to know that they belong. And it was phenomenal. I don’t want to throw names out, but we got some talent.”

A 9-0 start had the Cougars rise to No. 6 in the Week 11 CFP rankings, but back-to-back losses to Kansas and eventual Big 12 champion Arizona State knocked them out of a shot in the conference title game.

Jake Retzlaff led the BYU turnaround — the Cougars were 5-7 last season — with 2,796 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Chase Roberts was his top target with 51 catches for 843 yards and four scores.

Darius Lassiter racked up 679 receiving yards and four touchdowns, but he will sit out the first half of the Alamo Bowl after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second half of the Cougars’ last game of the regular season.

“To flip it and turn it around, what they’ve accomplished this season isn’t a surprise given who their coach is,” Deion Sanders said. “(Sitake is) a good guy with a great team and I adore him.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) walks off the field after a game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Washington State Cougars won 15-14. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Former Wazzu QB John Mateer transferring to Oklahoma

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Washington State standout John Mateer, one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, is transferring to Oklahoma, he announced Wednesday evening on social media.

Widely considered the best player available when he entered the transfer portal on Monday, Mateer is following former Cougars offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who was hired by Oklahoma earlier this month, as well as quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski, who is expected to join him.

The Sooners, who lost starting QB Jackson Arnold to Auburn through the transfer portal, were regarded as the front-runners for Mateer. Miami, where former Washington State QB Cam Ward starred this season, became a Heisman Trophy finalist and is entering the NFL Draft, also was considered a potential landing spot.

Mateer, who waited behind Ward at Washington State for two years, is a redshirt sophomore with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He led the FBS in total touchdowns (44) in his first season as a starter in 2024, compiling 3,139 yards with 29 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and rushing for 826 yards with 15 scores in 12 games.

Washington State head coach Jake Dickert left his job to become Wake Forest’s head coach on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

No. 19 BYU clinging to Big 12 hopes entering finale vs. Houston

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After back-to-back losses essentially eliminated BYU from College Football Playoff contention, the Cougars must win their season finale against Houston on Saturday in Provo, Utah, and then hope for favorable scenarios to unfold to clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game and keep its slim CFP hopes alive.

BYU (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) fell into a four-way tie atop the league with its 28-23 road loss to Arizona State and fell five spots in the CFP rankings to No. 19, three behind the Sun Devils and one below Iowa State, both 6-2 in the Big 12. No. 25 Colorado is also tied for first in the league. Arizona State and Iowa State are the most likely title-game participants based on projections.

“All I care about is focusing on the seniors and trying to control the things we can control, which is how we play this weekend and how we prepare, and then we’ll just see what happens afterward,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “The goal is to try and go 1-0 this week. That’s got to be our primary goal and then we’ll deal with the results of how that affects everything else from then on.”

BYU was undefeated before an upset home loss to Kansas on Nov. 16. The Cougars surrendered prime position with a second loss to Arizona State, forcing a reset of their goals.

“Obviously we would like the situation we’re in to be better but I don’t know how many thought we’d be sitting here at 9-2 at this time,” Sitake said. “But now we’re dealing with reality, which is we’re sitting here in this position and we can control what we can control, which is this week.”

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff passed for 346 yards last week, two off his season high. But he has thrown three picks to just two touchdowns in the Cougars’ pair of losses.

Houston (4-7, 3-5 Big 12) will conclude a disappointing first season under coach Willie Fritz, whose otherworldly success at Tulane did not immediately translate. Houston’s 20-10 loss to Baylor last Saturday marked its second consecutive defeat, which stifled the momentum generated by three wins in four games before a 24-point loss at Arizona on Nov. 15.

“This is our bowl game in my opinion,” Fritz said. “We want to do the best we possibly can in preparation and go out and play great on Saturday night, national TV, in front of a full house I imagine.”

Fritz on Tuesday announced the dismissal of offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay. Quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Shawn Bell was named interim offensive coordinator and will handle the play-calling duties against BYU.

Houston enters its season finale last among 134 FBS teams in scoring at 13.6 points per game and 129th in total offense with 291.5 yards per game. Current starting quarterback Zeon Chriss has amassed just 668 passing yards with four touchdowns and seven picks, though he’s added 376 yards and two scores on the ground.

Before relieving Barbay of his duties, Fritz outlined how the Cougars might cultivate more success on offense against BYU.

“There are some things we’re looking at this week but more importantly, we’ve got to do a great job with the execution,” Fritz said. “For that to be as good as you want it to be you’ve got to work on it all week.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) drops back to pass during the third quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

No. 17 Kansas State not underestimating Big 12 foe Houston

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No. 17 Kansas State will try to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive when the Wildcats travel to Houston Saturday afternoon for the second-ever matchup between the schools.

The Wildcats have won four straight games since losing their Big 12 opener at BYU. Kansas State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) now turns its attention to Houston, who is in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings. But head coach Chris Klieman isn’t looking at the record.

“It’s another road trip, our third in the last four weeks,” Klieman said. “(Houston has) won two of their last three. I thought they played really well against Utah.

“I have tons of respect for Coach (Willie) Fritz because of what he’s accomplished every place he’s been. I know he’s going to get it done at Houston.”

The Wildcats are performing well all around and rank in the top half of the conference in scoring, scoring defense, total offense and total defense. They’re balanced on offense, with 223.3 yards per game on the ground (second in the Big 12) and 211.3 yards per game through the air.

Where the Cats look to have the biggest advantage against Houston is in run defense. The Cougars (3-5, 2-3 Big 12) are 12th in the conference in rushing yards per game (147.9 yards per game). The Wildcats’ defense is allowing a Big 12-low 96.8 yards on the ground per game, nearly 20 yards fewer than the next-best defense in the conference.

The Wildcats are coming off a narrow escape against in-state rival Kansas. Avery Johnson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Tennant tied a career long with his 51-yard field goal inside the final two minutes of the game to help the Wildcats avoid the upset, 29-27.

“Looking back, obviously a really good team win Saturday night,” Klieman said Monday. “We went through a lot of adversity and stayed the course and stayed in the fight. We found a way to get a couple of stops in the fourth quarter on defense. We did enough to get Chris in field goal range.

“The margin for error in college football is really small, it’s razor-thin. That’s why I’m so proud of the guys for staying in the fight. I’m happy we were able to get that done.”

The Cougars also used a late field goal to down Utah at home. Jack Martin nailed a 43-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Cougars past Utah, 17-14. That was a turnaround after getting blitzed 42-14 by Kansas.

Now Fritz knows his team will face another challenge with the Wildcats.

“It was a big win (against Utah),” he said. “I believe they were picked to finish first in the conference. We did some good things, but we’re always looking for room for improvement.

“Every game is going to be tough. This is a very balanced and competitive league. Everybody in the Big 12 is pretty darned good. This is another tough opponent for us to play. It’s going to be tough to beat them. We’ve got to be plus in turnover (ratio). They’ve got two outstanding running backs and an outstanding quarterback who can run the ball. So we’ve got to do a good job in the run game.”

The Wildcats beat the Cougars 41-0 in Manhattan, Kan., last season in their inaugural meeting.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) runs for a touchdown against the Central Florida Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

Jake Retzlaff, No. 11 BYU remain perfect, beat UCF

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Jake Retzlaff threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another score, to lead No. 11 BYU to a 37-24 victory over UCF in Big 12 play at Orlando, Fla., on Saturday.

Retzlaff had his fourth straight 200-yard game to help the Cougars (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) continue their best start since 2020. LJ Martin racked up 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground for his second straight 100-yard game. Hinckley Ropati added a season-high 83 rushing yards.

BYU piled up 252 rushing yards — the second consecutive game where the Cougars have rushed for at least 250 yards.

RJ Harvey rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Knights. Jacurri Brown threw for 96 yards and two interceptions. Dylan Rizk added 102 yards and a TD through the air. UCF (3-5, 1-4) trailed wire to wire en route to a fifth straight loss.

Retzlaff ran 29 yards on third down to cap BYU’s opening drive and put the Cougars on the board. BYU converted two fourth downs on a 17-play second drive — including an 8-yard run by kicker Will Ferrin on a fake field-goal attempt — to set up a 41-yard field goal by Will Ferrin and extend its lead to 10-0.

Martin opened and closed a BYU second-quarter drive with a pair of big runs. He bounced off tacklers and dragged one to the goal line on the second run, scoring on a 15-yard scamper to put the Cougars up 17-0.

Harvey finally got UCF on the board midway through the second quarter. He broke through the line and raced 54 yards down the sideline and scored from 2 yards out a play later.

BYU countered just before halftime. Chase Roberts caught a pass, slipped a tackle, and raced for a 62-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 24-10 with 27 seconds remaining in the first half.

Retzlaff’s second touchdown pass in the third quarter slammed the door on any potential UCF rally.

The Cougars rolled up 320 total yards by halftime while averaging 7.8 yards per play. They held the ball for 21:16 during the first half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars safety Tanner Wall (28) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig (5) during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

No. 14 BYU remains unbeaten, cruises past Arizona

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No. 14 BYU used two turnovers by Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita deep in Wildcats territory early in the third quarter to seize momentum in a 41-19 victory Saturday in a Big 12 game at Provo, Utah.

Arizona’s first play of the second half resulted in an interception by Jakob Robinson, who leaped and grabbed a short pass attempt by Fifita.

BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) scored on the next play from the Arizona 9-yard line on Jake Retzlaff’s pass to Chase Roberts to increase the lead to 21-7.

Two plays into Arizona’s next possession, Fifita fumbled the ball while sacked by Isaiah Glasker. Harrison Taggart recovered the ball at the Arizona 15.

The turnover resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Will Ferrin with 13:11 left in the third quarter, putting BYU ahead 24-7.

Arizona (3-3, 1-2) cut the lead to 34-19 on Quali Conley’s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left.

An onside kick was unsuccessful, but the Wildcats gained possession after Hinckley Ropati fumbled the ball away on BYU’s first play from scrimmage at the Arizona 32 with 2:49 left.

Arizona then turned the ball over on downs following four plays.

Given another opportunity after Arizona burned its three timeouts to force a punt, Fifita threw an interception that was returned 21 yards for a touchdown by Glasker with 1:02 left.

Fifita completed 26 of 52 passes for 275 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.

Retzlaff passed for 218 yards while completing 18 of 32 pass attempts with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

With the game tied at 7, Arizona was at the BYU 28 when Fifita threw an interception that was caught by Tanner Wall at the Cougars’ 1 with 10:10 left in the second quarter.

BYU drove 99 yards on seven plays for a touchdown.

Parker Kingston took a lateral throw from Retzlaff and connected with LJ Martin for a touchdown on the trick play with 6:30 left in the second quarter, putting BYU ahead 14-7.

Arizona’s last possession of the first half ended with a turnover on downs at BYU 24 when Conley was stopped just short of the line to gain.

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Zeon Chriss (2) runs with the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Houston offense awakens in 30-19 win over TCU

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Zeon Chriss threw for a touchdown and ran for another Friday night as Houston rebounded from consecutive shutouts to earn a 30-19 Big 12 Conference win over TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.

Chriss completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards while running for a game-high 97 yards on 11 carries. The Cougars (2-4, 1-2), who hadn’t scored a point since Sept. 14 vs. Rice, rolled up 361 total yards and kept the ball for almost 37 minutes.

Chriss sat out Houston’s next-to-last drive with an apparent forearm injury but backup Donovan Smith came in and led the team on a 66-yard march that lasted nearly 7:27 and concluded with Jack Martin’s third field goal, a 27-yarder with 1:58 to play for a two-possession advantage.

Josh Hoover completed 23 of 37 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2). Hoover tossed a 29-yard scoring strike to Jack Bech with 9:25 remaining that got them within a possession, but he also absorbed three sacks, losing a fumble after the final one with 48 seconds on the clock to end it.

TCU came into the game as a 16 1/2-point favorite but it was Houston that controlled the first 30 minutes with its best offensive half of the year.

Getting help from a targeting penalty that led to the ejection of the Horned Frogs’ Abe Camara and gifted the Cougars a first down at the 13, Houston scored first via Chriss’ 8-yard touchdown pass to Devan Williams at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter.

Houston made it 14-0 less than 90 seconds into the second period on a 2-yard run from Re’Shaun Sanford II, then got a 34-yard field goal from Martin with 4:55 left in the half.

Hoover got TCU on the board just before the two-minute timeout on a 21-yard touchdown strike to Savion Williams.

However, Chriss answered back with 1:48 remaining on a 71-yard scoring jaunt, enabling the Cougars to take a 24-6 cushion to intermission.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

No. 22 BYU leads early, holds off Baylor

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No. 22 BYU took an early three-touchdown lead before holding off Baylor to win 34-28 and achieve its first road victory in the Big 12 in its second year in the conference.

The Cougars (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) withstood a comeback attempt by Baylor (2-3, 0-2) after taking a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson completed all six of his passes, including a 23-yard touchdown connection with Josh Cameron, in a drive that cut BYU’s lead to 34-28 with 10:07 left.

With 4:01 remaining, BYU’s Jake Retzlaff threw an interception that was tipped by Treven Ma’ae and caught by Elinus Noel III then returned 2 yards to the BYU 45.

Baylor converted on four fourth-down attempts before it was stopped on a fourth-and-6 play at the BYU 24 with an incomplete pass with 1:47 remaining.

BYU was then forced to punt following a three-and-out that included a personal foul penalty on the Cougars.

Baylor took possession at its 39 with 1:24 left. Robertson then threw an interception that was caught by Crew Wakley that ended the threat.

Robertson completed 27 of 48 pass attempts for 324 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Cameron finished with seven receptions for 125 yards with two touchdowns.

Retzlaff was 17 of 31 for 216 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Retzlaff’s top target, Darius Lassiter, had eight receptions for 120 yards with a touchdown.

BYU scored on its first four possessions of the game to build a 28-7 lead with 9:32 left in the second quarter.

The Cougars took advantage of an interception thrown by Robertson and a turnover on downs by Baylor to build a 21-0 lead with 3:39 left in the first quarter.

Baylor put together an 80-yard drive that took eight plays to score its first touchdown — a 20-yard run by Robertson with three seconds left in the first quarter.

BYU took a 31-14 lead into halftime after Will Ferrin made a 54-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the half.

Baylor had two fourth-down conversions during the opening possession of the second half, finishing with Robertson’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Ashtyn Hawkins.

Ferrin’s 37-yard field goal with 3:33 left in the third quarter gave BYU a 34-21 lead.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes for a first down during the first half against Oregon Ducks defensive back Nikko Reed (9) at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Future Pac-12 foes Washington State, No. 25 Boise State face off

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The latest realignment juggling calls for Washington State and Boise State to become conference foes in the Pac-12, beginning in 2026.

The teams get a head start on their budding rivalry on Saturday night when the Cougars visit the No. 25 Broncos at Boise, Idaho.

Washington State and Oregon State are attempting to rebuild the Pac-12 and Boise State was one of four teams from the Mountain West that recently announced they had accepted an invitation.

The two schools are located roughly 300 miles apart via mountain roadways and have played just six times. The Cougars have won five of the meetings, including a 47-44 triple-overtime win at Pullman in 2017.

Though the Cougars (4-0) are unbeaten, the Broncos (2-1) are the team that is ranked. Boise State also will have the best player on the blue turf in star running back Ashton Jeanty.

The All-American and rising Heisman Trophy candidate is averaging a sparkling 10.5 yards per carry. Jeanty ranks second nationally with 586 rushing yards and is tied for second with nine rushing touchdowns in just 2 1/2 games — he sat out the second half of last week’s 56-14 victory over Portland State after gaining 127 yards on 11 carries in the first half.

“Ashton’s a pretty special guy,” said Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, a former NFL and college head coach. “I think he’s a special character. We’re calling downhill runs and we’re not expecting 75-yard runs.”

The 5-foot-9 Jeanty has scoring runs of 77, 75 and 70 and a non-scoring run of 68 yards. He set school single-game records for rushing yards (267) and rushing touchdowns (six) when the Broncos beat Georgia Southern 56-45 on Aug. 31.

Washington State coach Jake Dickert is impressed with Jeanty’s running style and skill-set.

“He’s strong. He’s got one of the best stiff arms I’ve seen in a long time,” Dickert said. “So if you think you’re going to tackle him above the waist, it’s not happening. You gotta get through his legs. You gotta kill his motors. You gotta gang tackle with this guy. It’s not gonna be one person.”

The Broncos are averaging 48.7 points per game while the Cougars are averaging 46.3, so the scoreboard figures to be busy.

Washington State is coming off last Friday’s 54-52 double-overtime home win over San Jose State. The Cougars trailed by 14 points entering the fourth quarter before rallying for the victory.

Quarterback John Mateer passed for a career-best 390 yards and added 111 on the ground to become the first Washington State quarterback to pass for 300 and rush for 100 in the same game.

Overall, Mateer has passed for 1,102 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 425 yards and five scores.

Dickert indicated the Cougars have plenty of room for improvement after the close call against the Spartans.

“I just think there’s so many things to clean up,” Dickert said. “We haven’t played our best football. We were on the short week. We got the win, and we’re moving on to Boise State.”

Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen has passed for 616 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

“I’m proud of how he’s efficient with our offense,” Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said. “He knows the offense, he knows how to move the offense, he makes the right throws and he’s very efficient with it. It’s a testament to how he preps and he’s a competitor.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; The Brigham Young Cougars celebrate a touchdown on a fumble by the against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

BYU capitalizes on turnovers, upsets No. 13 Kansas State 38-9

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BYU scored three touchdowns off Kansas State turnovers in a three-minute span as the Cougars knocked off the No. 13 Wildcats 38-9 on Saturday night in Provo, Utah.

Jake Retzlaff was 15-of-21 passing for 149 yards and two touchdowns for BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12), which had just 241 yards of total offense but scored 31 unanswered points over 6:25.

Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) was hurt by six pre-snap offensive penalties.

After a 14-point burst to close the first half, BYU scored another touchdown off a K-State turnover early in the second half. Harrison Taggart picked off Avery Johnson at the K-State 42 and returned it 15 yards. Two plays later, Retzlaff found Darius Lassiter for a 3-yard touchdown and a 24-6 lead.

After a three-and-out, BYU got a 90-yard punt-return touchdown by Parker Kingston.

K-State got a 28-yard field goal from Chris Tennant, but Sione Moa’s 21-yard touchdown run put BYU up 38-9 early in the fourth quarter.

The first half was filled with time-consuming drives and missed opportunities until the end of the half.

Kansas State got a 32-yard Tennant field goal for a 3-0 lead after a 12-play drive. A penalty on third down in the red zone was costly for the Wildcats.

K-State then marched 87 yards on 16 plays, but once again, the drive stalled because of a penalty. Tennant booted a 27-yard field goal.

BYU got on the board with 2:10 left in the half with a 31-yard field goal by Will Ferrin, capping a 13-play, 62-yard drive. A 12-yard sack on first-and-10 from the K-State 13 hurt the Cougars’ chances of a touchdown.

But a huge play from the BYU defense changed the momentum. K-State running back DJ Giddens fumbled and Tommy Prassas picked it up and ran it in for a 30-yard touchdown and a 10-6 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Tyler Batty intercepted a tipped pass at the K-State 29-yard line. Two plays later, Retzlaff found Chase Roberts on a 23-yard touchdown pass and the Cougars led 17-6 at the half.

–Field Level Media