Nine Takeaways from BYU Football's Landmark Win Over No. 13 Kansas State

Joe Wheat | 3 Hours Ago

BYU players celebrate with the ROC after win over no. 13 Kansas State / BYU Photo

Everything went right for the Cougars enroute to a 38-9 win over no.13 Kansas State. Sometimes the ball bounces your way. Literally. Coming in, most were hoping BYU could eek out an ugly win against the Wildcats, but they didn’t just win. They dominated. This is what I learned from arguably one of the landmark wins in program history.

1. This defense could be generational

BYU defensive end Tyler Batty intercepts Avery Johnson in the Cougars dominant win over no. 13 Kansas State / BYU Photo

There's really not much else you can say at this point. BYU has forced nearly three times as many drives of 0 or negative yards this season (11) than touchdown drives allowed (4). The defense has scored more touchdowns against P4 opponents this season (1) than touchdowns allowed (0) and would have put up 20 points in an ESPN fantasy league. They are top 15 nationally in yards per play allowed and turnovers forced (3.9 and 8). These aren’t all bad offenses either. SMU and Kansas State average a combined 43 points per game this season when not playing BYU and 12 points per game when playing BYU with 0 combined touchdowns. Jay Hill took this defense from allowing 93 points to Arkansas and Liberty in back-to-back weeks in 2022 to 12th nationally in points allowed per game this season. Whatever it takes to keep that man in Provo is worth it.

2. BYU special teams are a problem… in a good way

BYU WITH THE GREATEST PUNT RETURN *EVER* 😱pic.twitter.com/CWdxkGzDKJ

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) September 22, 2024

We boldly predicted before the season that BYU would return a kickoff or punt back for a touchdown, but that didn’t seem to be bold enough. Remember in week one when BYU fans lamented Parker Kingston muffing a punt while running backwards against SIU? Little did we know that he was just putting that on film to set up his 93-yard punt return touchdown which really felt more like 140 yards when factoring in total yards covered. Fittingly, this was the first time since 1996 that BYU had a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown in back-to-back weeks, and it just about brought Lavell Edwards Stadium to the ground. SportsCenter called it a potential play of the year in college football and we certainly don't disagree. Kingston left everything on the field to score that touchdown, including his lunch, and for that, we salute him.

3. The offense was quietly excellent

BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter against Kansas State / BYU Photo

You might be sensing a trend here. BYU played a complete football game in all 3 phases. Yes, BYU only gained 241 yards in this game, but they only had 459 yards available to gain. They also made the most of every opportunity the defense gave them. BYU scored touchdowns on all 3 drives that started in Kansas State territory while averaging 9.3 yards per play on those drives. Aaron Roderick called a beautiful game against Kansas State. Retzlaff had open receivers all night long, his situational play calling was excellent, and BYU ran for 4.4 yards on non-sack carries. Most importantly? No turnovers.

The star of the show was honestly the BYU offensive line who allowed only 7 pressures against a Kansas State front that generated 73 through their first 3 games. BYU didn’t set any offensive records with their performance, but with a defense as good as this one, this offense is exactly what it needs to be.

4. Sione Moa is that dude

BYU running back Sione Moa against Kansas State / BYU Photo

BYU might have found something in fifth-string running back Sione Moa. The guy has good vision and has no issues running through another man's face. Moa gained 76 yards on Saturday, 65 of which came after contact on a whopping 4.3 yards after contract per attempt. His 20-yard, game-sealing touchdown run was a combination of Tyler Allgeier and Marshawn Lynch, and is exactly the kind of effort BYU fans have been begging to see from BYU’s running back room.

5. Jake Retzlaff proved the doubters wrong

Jake Retzalff was a microcosm of the BYU offense on Saturday. He didn’t fill up the stat sheet but did exactly what every BYU fan has been begging him to do: protect the football. He did more than that though. Retzlaff’s adjusted completion percentage was 80% and posted a passer rating of 162.5 with 2 TD’s and 7 yards per attempt. Fans were rightly hesitant to go all in on Jake until they saw him do it against a P4 opponent. Well, he did it against a top-15 P4 opponent and helped deliver on of the best wins in the history of the program. Retzlaff is a good quarterback. He’s been the best quarterback on the field in every game this season. The time has come for BYU fans to fully rally behind him.

6. BYU hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown in 4 straight games for the first time in program history

There's not a whole lot to add to that. Opposing quarterbacks have a combined NFL passer rating of 47.1 this season. If a quarterback spiked the ball on every play, his passer rating would be 39.6. This secondary is legit.

7. Lavell Edwards Stadium and the ROC are worth a full touchdown on their own

BYU players celebrate with the ROC after win over no. 13 Kansas State / BYU Photo

Fun fact: One of the names that was considered when naming BYU’s student section was “The ABYSS (Almightly Brigham Young Student Section).” Ultimately that name wasn’t chosen, but the ABYSS is a great descriptor of what happens to opposing offenses when they are stuck on that side of the field. BYU forced three Kansas State turnovers, scored a punt return TD, and forced at least 4 procedure penalty’s all on the south end of the field.

BYU just refuses to lose night games at home in Lavell Edwards stadium. BYU is 13-2 in their last 15 night home games and has won 5 straight over ranked opponents dating back to 2019. I have been to maybe 75% of BYU home games since 2013 and can say with confidence that that 31-point swing over 6 minutes of game time was the most electric I have ever felt that stadium. Everyone involved in creating that atmosphere from the players, the coaches, the athletic marketing team, the students, to the family of 4 sitting in section 127 deserve all the gratitude for creating one of the best atmospheres in the sport.

8. The beefy five layer burrito is a top 5 fast food item

Live Más. pic.twitter.com/O5htfC4xwm

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 22, 2024

Was craving one of these after the game for some reason. IYKYK.

9. That was really really fun

Man watch the crowd https://t.co/UOC0lAogzE

— Joe Wheat (@joewheat27) September 22, 2024

I have no idea what that win will mean for the rest of the season. No, BYU likely wont be able to rely on 2 defensive/special teams touchdowns and an average starting field position of the 42 yard line, but frankly I don’t care. That game was 100 years of BYU football in the making. There’s an argument that it’s a top-10 win in program history if Kansas State finishes the season strong. Even if they don’t, BYU beat a top Big 12 conference contender by 29 points, the largest margin of victory over a top-15 opponent in BYU history. More than anything, it was BYU’s statement that they have arrived as a power program.

No one in college football has overachieved more than BYU this season. ESPN’s FPI projected BYU at 4 wins total this season and now have them ranked 3rd nationally in strength of record after their 4-0 start. BYU is ranked 22nd in the latest AP poll, marking this 5 out of the last 7 seasons that BYU has been ranked at least once in a season.

How good is BYU? Probably not as good as the final score indicates, but the metrics look good for BYU. BYU is now projected to win 8.5 games this season according to FPI with a 11% change to make the playoff. According to SP+, there is only one team left on BYU’s schedule better than Kansas State while BYU is projected to be favored in home games against Arizona, Houston and Kansas. Knock off one or two more road wins and we are talking about this being a special season given that BYU is only in year two in a Power Four conference. Regardless of whether BYU wins 9 games or 6 games this season, the path to 4-0 has been pretty darn fun.