It’s become a familiar refrain for BYU in its major sports: Tantalize the faithful with flashes of brilliance, then crumple in the clutch.
It’s like clockwork. Strut, then stumble. Charm, then choke. For all the talk of programs on the rise and programs to watch, BYU has this uncanny ability to catch fire and then, just when the game is on the line, leave its fan base standing at the altar, wondering what might have been.
Saturday’s 28-23 loss to the No. 21 Arizona State Sun Devils was no exception. The Cougars, after reeling off three touchdowns and a field goal on four possessions to climb back from an 18-point deficit, found themselves with a chance to pull off one of those “remember where you were when” moments with two minutes left.
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But then, with the trigger in hand to a remarkable comeback, quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw an interception at midfield, and with that, No. 14 BYU’s once-promising comeback vanished.
For a program that has seen so many thrilling finishes, you’d think BYU would have figured out how to seal the deal by now, yet here they were again, left wondering what might have been.
“Two weeks in a row we had a chance to win the game with the ball in our hands. We just can’t keep putting ourselves in a hole against these teams. We were down five with two minutes to go and I liked our chances,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake.
The game had all the drama of a Hollywood script: The Sun Devils shot out of the gate, taking a 21-3 lead into halftime aided by a recovered onside kick that gave them an extra possession.
For BYU, it was a first half to forget. The Cougars were outmuscled in the trenches, outplayed in nearly every phase, and at that point, it seemed as though they were just biding their time until the inevitable end.
But then came the second half.
BYU flipped the script. The Cougars started moving the ball with authority, scoring 20 points in a comeback that had fans buzzing. Retzlaff, the hero of wild finishes against Oklahoma State and Utah, began to look like the poised quarterback everyone thought he could be when given time to throw and a bit of space to breathe.
But BYU’s failure to convert two two-point tries late in the game was the turning point. Had the Cougars made those, it would’ve been 28-27—setting up the potential for a game-winning field goal.
Instead, they were left needing a touchdown, and the interception sealed their fate.
Make no mistake, this loss didn’t happen in the last two minutes. BYU lost this game in the first half when it was utterly dominated. The Cougars were outgained by ASU 208-114 in the first half and showed little sign of life on offense.
At halftime, they had scored just two touchdowns in their last 29 possessions. For a team trying to establish itself in the Big 12, that’s a tough lesson learned.
But the comeback was at least a glimmer of hope, something to rally behind in what’s been a season full of dramatic swings. With a win, BYU could’ve, at worst, stayed tied at the top of the Big 12 standings and potentially clinched an appearance in the conference championship game.
Now, the Cougars find themselves needing others to help. With Colorado’s loss to Kansas, the Big 12 is a three-way tie at 6-2 among BYU, ASU and Colorado.
Iowa State could make it four if it knocks off Utah later Saturday. BYU’s path to Arlington now requires some help, namely an Iowa State loss to Kansas State in the Cyclones’ last game.
In the grand scheme, it was a game of missed opportunities. The Cougars showed they can compete in the Big 12. They have the talent to play with the big boys, but when it comes down to crunch time, the offense has been too erratic — too many scoring droughts, too many times when the wheels fall off in key moments.
In a league where you can’t afford to blink once, BYU has blinked many times.
The big picture is that this has been a year to remember for the Cougars. They were picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 standings, and yet they’ve found themselves ranked in the top 10 in the nation and holding their own in the conference.
They’ve given their fans hope, but it’s been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and now the path to the Big 12 title game seems a little more distant.
BYU now has a home finale against Houston next Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium, a chance at 10 wins, which back in August seemed impossible.
