The BYU Offense Will Rely on Jake Retzlaff's Big-Play Ability Against No. 13 Kansas State

Casey Lundquist | Sep 20, 2024

Sep 14, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Brigham Young Cougars tight end Keanu Hill (1) celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) against the Wyoming Cowboys during the first quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. / Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

On Saturday night, Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program will host no. 13 Kansas State to kickoff conference play. It will be a battle of two unbeaten teams under the lights. BYU, who comes into the game as a one-touchdown underdog, will need to rely on Jake Retzlaff's big-play ability to have a chance at pulling off the upset.

Through three weeks, Kansas State's defense has been very good against the run. The Wildcats are averaging 80.3 rushing yards per game which ranks 24th nationally. Against the pass, the Wildcats have struggled at times. They have allowed 236 passing yards per game which ranks 93rd in the country. Against FBS teams Tulane and Arizona, Kansas State has allowed an average of 305 passing yards per game.

Allowing chunk-yardage plays through the air has been the primary weakness of the Kansas State defense. The Wildcats have allowed:

• 27 passes of 10 yards or more
• 18 passes of 15 yards or more
• 13 passes of 20 yards or more
• 6 passes of 35 yards or more
• 3 passes of 45 yards or more

Jake Retzlaff is averaging 280 passing yards per game. Retzlaff's big-play ability differentiated him in a heated quarterback battle that lasted through the end of Fall camp. In games against lesser competition like Southern Illinois and Wyoming, Retzlaff flashed his ability to make high-level throws. Against a stout SMU defense, Retzlaff struggled at times. BYU will need Retzlaff to make plays like he did against the Salukis and the Cowboys if they want to score enough points to beat the Wildcats.

Retzlaff's ability to evade a rush and make plays off-script both allows him to make chunk yards on any given play and exposes him to more mistakes. His touchdown throw to Darius Lassiter was the best example of his ability to create. He turned a would-be sack into a touchdown and he made it look effortless.

This is one of the best plays I’ve seen from Jake Retzlaff. He evaded the rush without losing control, stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike.

Potential is there. There’s a lot of room for improvement, yes, but he put up 353 yards of offense.
pic.twitter.com/mwu1EFxAEm

— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) September 15, 2024

In other moments, like his two turnovers against SMU, Retzlaff has been caught trying to do too much.

Retzlaff is going to face his toughest test yet. On one hand, he will need to push the ball downfield if BYU hopes to consistently put up points. The Cougars won't be able to rely on the rushing attack to rack up points - Kansas State is too good against the run. On the other hand, Retzlaff will need to protect the football. Kansas State is too talented to beat at a turnover deficit.

If BYU's defense continues to play like it has in the first three games of the season, the Cougars will have a chance to win this game. Whether they put up enough points or not will come down to Jake Retzlaff's arm.

Against SMU, Retzlaff attmpted only one pass of 20 yards or more. There's no scenario where BYU can deploy an offensive strategy like that and pull off an upset over no. 13 Kansas State. Retzlaff will need to sling it.

Retzlaff has done it before, but he's never done it against a team as talented as Kansas State. A good performance against Kansas State would convert a lot of Jake Retzlaff doubters into believers.