The NCAA Gave Jake Retzlaff Credit for Touchdown Pass to Chase Roberts

Chase Roberts catches a screen pass for a touchdown against Baylor
Chase Roberts catches a screen pass for a touchdown against Baylor / BYU Photo
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On Saturday against Baylor, Jake Retzlaff threw a screen pass to Chase Roberts for a touchdown. The Baylor statisticians ruled the play a lateral and credited Roberts with a running touchdown. According to BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on Coordinator's Corner, BYU "argued" that it was a pass but the Baylor statisticians disagreed.

During the week, the NCAA reversed the ruling and credited Retzlaff with a touchdown pass to Chase Roberts on that play. On the official NCAA website, Retzlaff is now credited with three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown against Baylor.

"We practice that play often," Roderick said on Monday. "We make sure to throw it forward so that if it's incomplete, the other team can't scoop and score. The Baylor statisticians saw it otherwise. We argued it, but it's ok it's a touchdown either way."

With the reversal, Retzlaff is now credited with all four of BYU's touchdowns against Baylor. Even though BYU's offense came to a grinding halt in the second half, the Cougars still scored 31 points against Baylor, the most the Bears have allowed in regulation this season.

The reversal also gives Retzlaff 12 passing touchdowns for the 2024 season. He is now tied for 11th nationally for the most passing touchdowns.

BYU's offense has relied almost completely on Jake Retzlaff to move the chains. With so many injuries at running back, Retzlaff has also been BYU's leading rusher. BYU has 1,929 yards of total offense this year and Retzlaff has accounted for 1,362 (71%) of those yards. Retzlaff ranks 26th nationally in passing yards.


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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.