BYU wraps up non-conference play with 34-14 wrangling of Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyo. — BYU football finished non-conference play and moved to 3-0 on the season with a 34-14 defeat of Wyoming at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

The Cougars took a 17-7 lead into the half and quickly expanded it to 24-7 as Keelan Marion took the second half’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown: BYU’s first since 2014.

With two more scores from the offense and stifling defense, the Cougars finished the night with the 20-point win.

“I'm happy we are 3-0 and proud of the team," head coach Kalani Sitake said. "I thought the energy and effort was all the stuff we wanted from our guys showed up and didn’t go perfectly, but some really good things to work on and get better at. We got better from last week to this week and look forward to getting better from this week to next."

BYU outgained Wyoming 458-217, including 140-77 on the ground and 318-140 through the air. The Cougar defense allowed the Cowboys just 2.3 yards per carry.

Jake Retzlaff completed 22 of 36 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns to one interception. Retzlaff also toted the rock six times for 62 yards. Each of Retzlaff’s three touchdown passes went to different pass catchers with receivers Kody Epps and Darius Lassiter recipients as well as tight end Keanu Hill.

Wide receiver Chase Roberts led BYU with six receptions for 129 yards, including five for 99 in the first half alone.

BYU’s defense kept Wyoming off schedule much of the night with a sack, four tackles-for-loss, an interception and five pass breakups.

Raider Damuni, Harrison Taggart, Isaiah Glasker and Tyler Batty all led the Cougar defense with four tackles a-piece. Taggart, Glasker, Batty and Jack Kelly each recorded tackles-for-loss while Jakob Robinson notched three pass breakups. In total, 25 players recorded a tackle for BYU in the game.

First Quarter

BYU’s defense started strong with a Batty tackle-for-loss on the first play from scrimmage. A pair of incompletions brought the Wyoming punt team onto the field and the Cougar offense out for their first drive.

BYU drove into Cowboy territory with a 26-yard completion from Retzlaff to Roberts, but the drive came to a halt with Wyoming picking off a would-be touchdown pass at its own one-yard line.

The Cougar defense responded with another forced three-and-out.

BYU began its ensuing drive on the Wyoming 44 and kept it alive with a 9-yard completion from Retzlaff to Hill. The quarterback-tight-end combination finished the drive in the end zone with Retzlaff finding Hill across the middle of the field and Hill trotting 20 yards down the sideline for the touchdown. The six-play, 44-yard scoring drive put BYU up 7-0 with 5:58 left in the quarter.

Second Quarter

The Cougar defense stuffed a Cowboy run on 3rd-and-2 to force another punt in the opening moments of the second quarter.

Retzlaff and the BYU offense then retook the field and put together a nine-play, 74-yard scoring drive. Epps started the drive with a 7-yard reception and the Cougars moved the chains a play later with Miles Davis running off tackle left for eight yards and a first down.

BYU delved deeper into Wyoming territory with a trio of chunk plays. Retzlaff hit Jojo Phillips for a gain of 17 to the Cowboy 42, then found Roberts along the far sideline for a toe-tapping 22-yard pickup. A 12-yard quarterback keeper from Retzlaff put the Cougars in goal-to-go and the quarterback finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Epps. BYU’s 14-0 lead came with 9:12 until the half.

Wyoming’s offense responded to the double-digit deficit with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive aided by a pair of penalties assessed against the Cougar defense. The Cowboys trimmed BYU’s lead to 14-7 with 5:11 before the break.

After a BYU three-and-out, the Cougar defense forced another with Crew Wakley coming on a safety blitz and sending a hurried Wyoming pass out of bounds.

With the ball back in its hands, BYU drove back into Cowboy territory after a 23-yard completion from Retzlaff to Roberts. Will Ferrin finished the drive through the uprights with a 49-yard field goal make that gave the Cougars a 17-7 lead with 45 seconds remaining in the half.

Third Quarter

BYU wasted no time scoring in the second half as wide receiver Marion took Wyoming’s opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Marion took off from the Cougars’ end zone, weaved through would-be tacklers, picked up some key blocks and darted down the sideline and into the end zone for BYU’s first kickoff returned for a touchdown since 2014.

Following Marion’s 100-yarder, the Cougars led 24-7, just 15 seconds into the second half.

BYU added to its lead minutes later with Ferrin connecting from 37 yards out. Ferrin’s field goal was set up by an eight-play, 45-yard drive that included an 11-yard pickup on 3rd down from Marion and a 30-yard Retzlaff-Roberts completion. The Cougars’ 27-7 lead came with 9:42 left in the third.

Kelly and the BYU defense made quick work of another Cowboy drive as Kelly registered a sack for a loss of 10 yards and brought the Wyoming punt team back to the field.

The Cougars closed the quarter with another touchdown drive. Retzlaff found Parker Kingston for a 24-yard completion along the sideline to jumpstart BYU to midfield. Retzlaff then used his feet to gain 28 yards and put the Cougars knocking on the door for another score.

BYU extended its lead as Retzlaff connected with Darius Lassiter for a 20-yard touchdown completion. Retzlaff’s third touchdown strike of the night put the Cougars up 34-14 with two seconds to play in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

An Evan Johnson interception cut short Wyoming’s first drive of the quarter, but the Cowboys put together a second touchdown drive to come within 20 at 34-14 with 6:29 to play.

BYU closed out the game with Gerry Bohanon taking snaps at quarterback and completing passes of 14 and 11 yards, respectively, to tight end Ryner Swanson and running back Pokaiaua Haunga.

After two weeks on the road, BYU returns home for its Big 12 opener versus No. 14 Kansas State on Sept. 21. Watch the Cougars face the Wildcats at 8:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN or listen live on BYU Radio.