BYU scores in all three phases, beats No. 13 K-State 38-9

The Cougars move to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play with a commanding victory

Author Mayci Taylor
BYU scores in all three phases, beats No. 13 K-State 38-9BYU scores in all three phases, beats No. 13 K-State 38-9
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PROVO, Utah — BYU football moved to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in Big 12 Conference play with a commanding 38-9 victory over No. 13 Kansas State Saturday night at Lavell Edwards Stadium. 

“It was a great game,” said Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach. “I’m proud of our guys. It wasn’t error free, but the energy and the effort was there. If we play like that, with that type of effort, I think good things can happen for us. There are still some really good moments for us to learn from, but right now I’m just going to focus on the positives of our guys, the way they played and the way they took the field.”

BYU’s 29-point win is the largest margin of victory over a top-15 ranked team in program history. The Cougars held Kansas State without a touchdown for the first time since 2020. With Saturday’s win, alongside an 18-15 win at SMU on Sept. 6, BYU has now held two opponents without a touchdown for the first time since 2012. 

With Parker Kingston’s 90-yard punt return for a touchdown, in addition to Keelan Marion’s kickoff return for a touchdown a week ago at Wyoming, BYU now has a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown in the same season for the first time since 2011. 

With 1:17 left in the first half, the tone of the game completely shifted. BYU linebacker Jack Kelly forced a Kansas State fumble at the Wildcats’ 30 yard line. True freshman safety Tommy Prassas scooped up the ball and ran into the endzone, giving the Cougars their first lead of the game at 10-6.

On the night in which BYU honored its 1996 Cotton Bowl Championship team, the Cougars scored a touchdown in each of the three phases of the game for the first time since 1996. In a 45-17 win at Utah State in 1996, BYU’s offensive touchdowns were supplemented by a 45-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by linebacker Shay Muirbrook and a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by wide receiver James Dye.

The Cougars’ defense forced three Wildcat turnovers in the span of 2:19. Each resulted in a touchdown for BYU. The defense forced two interceptions, a fumble, a sack, three tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Harrison Taggart led BYU with 10 total tackles and Jakob Robison and Crew Wakely each pitched in with seven. 

Jake Retzlaff completed 15-of-21 passes on the night for a total of 149 yards and two touchdowns. The junior quarterback connected with nine receivers, with Roberts leading all pass-catchers with 47 yards on two receptions and a touchdown. Darius Lassiter led BYU receivers with three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown. 

Freshman running back Sione I. Moa led BYU with 15 carries for 76 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown and 56 yards in the second-half alone.

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First Quarter

Retzlaff and the Cougar offense were the first to take the field but two incomplete passes led to a quick three-and-out.

Kansas State marched into BYU territory and was penalized for an illegal snap on the Cougars’ 12 yard line leading to a 3rd-and-nine. The BYU defense held strong, forcing the Wildcats to bring out their field goal unit. Kansas State connected from 32 yards as the visitors claimed a 3-0 early lead with 8:01 remaining in the first quarter.

BYU was unable to convert on a drive of its own as the Kansas State defense forced a Cougar punt to conclude a 41-yard, 10-play series. 

The Kansas State offense began its second drive of the night with 2:12 remaining in the quarter. The Wildcats picked up 22 yards on four plays before the first frame expired. 

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Second Quarter 

A holding penalty plagued the Wildcats’ drive, moving them back to the Cougars’ 20 yard line to bring up 1st-and-18. The BYU defense forced two incomplete passes and Kansas State connected on another field goal, this time from 27 yards. The visitors led 6-0 with 9:07 left in the first half. 

A 24-yard completion from Retzlaff to Roberts sparked the offense for the Cougars. A crucial 4th-and-1 at the Wildcats’ 14-yard-line proved successful for BYU before Retzlaff was sacked for a loss of 12 yards. Will Ferrin connected on a field goal from 31 yards and the Cougars trailed 6-3 with 2:10 left in the half. 

With 1:17 left in the first half, the tone of the game completely shifted. Kelly forced a Kansas State fumble at the Wildcats’ own 30 yard line. Prassas scooped up the ball, ran into the endzone and the Cougars took the lead at 10-6.

 

 

Fifteen seconds later, Jakob Robinson came on a corner blitz, forcing an errant throw right into the arms of Tyler Batty who intercepted a pass at the Wildcats’ 29 yard line for the first pick of his career. Two plays later, Retzlaff connected on a 23-yard-pass to Roberts in the endzone and the Cougars led 17-6 at the break.

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Third Quarter 

In the second half, the Cougars’ defense picked up right where it left off. On the fourth play of the third quarter, Harrison Taggart intercepted a pass up the middle of the field and charged forward to the Wildcats’ 27-yard-line. It was his first-career interception. On the next play, Moa picked up 24 yards with his feet. Then Retzlaff found Lassiter in the middle of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown pass. BYU increased its lead to 24-6, 1:55 into the second half. 

BYU’s defense forced a Kansas State three-and-out. On the ensuing punt, Parker Kingston returned the Wildcat punt 90 yards to the end zone for another Cougar touchdown. Kingston’s return is tied for the third-longest punt return in school history and came after initially muffing the punt reception, scooping the ball back up on the run, running all the way across the field on his own goal line and then down the length of the field along the sideline. ESPN tracked 137 total yards run by Kingston on the return. BYU led 31-6 with 10:45 left in the third quarter. 

 

 

Kansas State ended a 31-0 Cougar scoring run when the Wildcats converted on a 28-yard field goal to conclude a 12-play, 64-yard drive with 5:12 left in the third. 

Both defenses put together stops and the score remained 31-9 ahead of the final 15 minutes of play.

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Fourth Quarter 

On BYU’s opening drive of the quarter, Moa sliced through the Kansas State defense, breaking five potential tackles, for a 21-yard rushing touchdown. The six-play, 38-yard drive increased the Cougars’ lead to 29 with 12:02 left in the contest. 

That would conclude the scoring of the game as BYU topped the Kansas State Wildcats 38-9. 

Up next the Cougars will travel to Waco, Texas for a Sept. 28 matchup against the Baylor Bears in McLane Stadium. Kickoff time and broadcast have yet to be announced.

 

 

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