What Kalani Sitake Said After BYU's Loss to Kansas

Talmage Morgan | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 16, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake (left) and Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold speak before their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake wasn't shy about addressing the Cougars' areas for improvement after a sluggish, mistake-filled loss to Kansas on Saturday.

Credit to Kansas, but Costly Errors from BYU

“You have to give a lot of credit to Kansas,” Sitake said, acknowledging the Jayhawks' well-executed game plan. He also said that the Cougars lost because of their own errors. “We just didn’t make enough plays and made way too many mistakes for us to come out with the victory.”

One of the most glaring mistakes came on a muffed punt that hit a BYU player, gifting Kansas the ball on the three-yard line. “That’s a gimme,” Sitake said.

BYU did plenty to beat itself tonight… but I can’t believe that Kansas pooch punt actually worked to perfection. Legitimately unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/0rE9GUaCOq

— Jackson Payne (@jackson5payne) November 17, 2024

Offense and Execution in the Red Zone

Offensively BYU struggled mightily, especially in the red zone. “Settling for field goals isn’t going to work,” Sitake said, pointing to missed chances to convert drives into touchdowns. “The way we ended the half and the game, not good enough. We’ve got to fix it and figure it out.”

Sitake also called out a key moment late in the game when quarterback Jake Retzlaff audibled into a play that fell short. “We’ve just got to get the ball in the end zone,” he said. “You can’t have it come down to the wire and fourth down.”

Defense and Missed Opportunities

On defense, Sitake praised his players’ effort but knows that Jay Hill's squad still has room for improvement. Kansas capitalized on unique formations and schemes that caught BYU off guard. “They did a couple of odd looks, you know, with the duck formation,” Sitake said.

“When things go bad, you’ve got to respond better than that,” he added, inviting all three phases to step up when things come down to the wire.

Moving Forward: Staying Humble and Focused

As always, Sitake is relentlessly optimistic about the Cougars’ season. Sitting at 9-1, BYU still controls its own destiny. “We just have to play better next week. We won’t get this one back.”

With a tough matchup coming up against Arizona State, the focus now is on learning from mistakes and preparing for the next challenge. “This happens sometimes,” Sitake said of the loss. “But this is a good example to get better and get to the next week’s game.”

As the Cougars regroup this week, Sitake’s message is clear: the loss to Kansas was a wake-up call, but the season is far from over. BYU is still on its way to a conference championship. For now, it’s all about preparation, humility, and turning lessons into wins.