BYU football: Kalani Sitake has built a nationally ranked team whose sum is greater than its parts in 2024

BYU President C. Shane Reese claps as he and players sing the fight song after the Cougars defeated the Arizona Wildcats during a game held at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. | Isaac Hale

Aside from quarterback Jake Retzlaff and a few players with extraordinary special teams achievements, guys such as returners Parker Kingston and Keelan Marion and kicker Will Ferrin, not a lot of BYU Cougars are among the national statistical leaders in college football.

That’s sort of a surprise, given BYU’s 6-0 record and the way the Cougars — No. 13 in both major polls now — have been dominating opponents.

It is also a testament to the quality depth that Kalani Sitake has built in Provo, and his emphasis on playing “complementary football” and being good in all three phases of the game. Midway through the 2024 season, BYU is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Picked to finish 13th in the Big 12, the Cougars sit at the top of the league standings with Iowa State, which is also 3-0 in league play, 6-0 overall. Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0) is also unbeaten in conference play. But at this point, there might not be a surefire all-Big 12 player on the team, particularly on offense.

Defensive end Tyler Batty and cornerback Jakob Robinson might be the Cougars’ best bets for individual postseason honors, at this juncture.

“It feels amazing (to be undefeated),” Robinson said after the Cougars walloped Arizona 41-19 on Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium. “We have worked really hard this offseason, our whole team. Everyone has gotten closer. I think we have dealt with (last season’s adversity) really well.”

If a team MVP were to be named, theoretically, halfway through the regular season, it would probably have to be Retzlaff, who is 6-0 as a starter after going 0-4 last year when he…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/byu-football-kalani-sitake-built-235449024.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-10-13 23:54:49

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