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BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) looks up at the big screen as he and his teammates walk off the field as their hopes of a perfect season are crushed by Kansas at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday Nov. 16, 2024. Kansas won 17-13. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
It was a dream that couldn’t last forever, and on a cold Saturday night in LaVell Edwards Stadium, No. 6 BYU’s unbeaten run came crashing down in gut-wrenching fashion. The undefeated Cougars, who’d made a habit of pulling out victories in the final moments, came up short when it mattered most, falling 17-13 to Kansas in a game that featured a pair of backbreaking plays.
The final sequence, a textbook example of how quickly momentum can flip in college football, left BYU’s playoff hopes bruised and battered. With two minutes left and a first-and-10 at the Kansas 15-yard line, the Cougars, down by four, had the game in their hands. But the offense sputtered when it counted, failing to muster the crucial score to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
What could have been a heart-stopping comeback turned into a lesson in missed opportunities. Like so many undefeated teams before them, BYU discovered that the path to glory is littered with pitfalls — two of which were unforgivably self-inflicted.
In the big picture, this loss will send the Cougars tumbling down the rankings, much to the delight of the Big Ten and SEC, whose members are already looking for ways to squeeze in more teams for the College Football Playoffs. For BYU, the road ahead is a bumpy one: next stop, Arizona State, where they’ll have to shake off this painful setback if they want to stay in contention for a Big 12 championship.
“We’re disappointed in the outcome,” said head coach Kalani Sitake.
“We now get to learn from this and move on. It wasn’t the result we…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/byu-undefeated-dream-crashes-earth-075546346.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-11-17 07:55:46
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