SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The attention on BYU’s football program, in terms of eyeballs and national recognition, had never been bigger than it was Saturday night in the Alamo Bowl against Colorado and its array of superstars and one of the most well-known coaches in the country, the media darling known as Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
The country was watching, and, let’s be real, the majority was hoping for another Colorado coronation.
Then the Cougars did all the shining when everything was set up to throw the spotlight on the Buffaloes and their superstars, dominating the so-called “America’s Team” with an impressive display of suffocating defense, playmaking offense and out-of-this-world special teams effort to win 36-14 and make a case that maybe, just maybe, they should have been given more consideration when the College Football Playoff berths were handed out a month ago.
In what was supposed to be the best, most competitive postseason game not in the CFP, No. 17 BYU (11-2) turned it into a laugher, pulverizing the No. 23 Buffaloes in every way imaginable.
“I think a lot of things just worked out in our favor in all three phases,” said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. “We didn’t play error-free, but I liked the way our guys played. I liked the aggressiveness, the physical part of the game.”
Physical, indeed, on both sides of the ball as BYU improved to 5-2 in bowl games under Sitake and defeated a Power Four opponent in a bowl game for the first time since walloping Oregon State in the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl.
The truth is nobody outside the Cougar organization saw this coming, especially considering BYU came in having lost two of its last three games, losses that took it out of the CFP picture — perhaps too prematurely.
But as some national pundits proclaimed after the fact that BYU was overlooked when everybody else was saying three-loss Alabama or even Ole Miss deserved an at-large berth, Sitake continued to take the high road when asked if he wanted to unleash on the system and the way Big 12 teams were disrespected by the committee.
“The system is better than it was when it was four (teams) and better than it was when it was two,” Sitake said, “so it is the way that it is now, I don’t think that’s anything you can campaign for.”
Looking back, that 17-13 loss to Kansas could stand as the most damaging loss to BYU in the past 20 years, right up there with that loss at Coastal Carolina in 2020.
“We know the errors that we made. We are going to own them and find ways to get better,” Sitake said, “but I don’t think you sit there and complain. It doesn’t help us. We just gotta learn from the mistakes we made, control what we can control.”
Control is what BYU did to Colorado (9-4), which was coming off a 52-0 crushing of an Oklahoma State team BYU struggled to beat in Provo, and of course that 49-24 pounding of Utah that prompted Utes coach Kyle Whittingham — never one to throw much praise BYU’s way — to say “I don’t think there’s any doubt (Colorado’s) the best team we played this year” a couple weeks after losing 22-21 to BYU on his home field.
“I liked the mindset of the entire team,” Sitake said Saturday. “It is not like I had to give a great speech or anything. The seniors took over. It has been them from the very beginning.”
Those seniors were predicting a turnaround when the season began, eager to atone for last year’s 5-7 record. They proved the critics wrong once again versus the Buffaloes as 3-point underdogs against a team that had a lower ranking and worse record.
It might be safe to call this BYU team the most overachieving squad in school history, given what was expected when the year began. In front of a sellout crowd of 64,261, about 60% of them cheering for Coach Prime and his collection of five-star talent and NFL-bound prospects, BYU flat-out stole the show.
Shoved it in Colorado-loving ESPN’s face, or rather, down CU’s throat. BYU got its 11th win for the second time in five seasons, and 13th 11-win season overall.
There were heroes on both sides of the ball, and on special teams, as Parker Kingston housed another punt, this one from 64 yards out. It wasn’t as dramatic as his 90-yarder against Kansas State, but just as significant.
It was the first time since 1996 (James Dye) that a BYU player has had multiple punt return TDs in the same season. The return gave BYU a 17-0 lead, and served notice that the Cougars were just as fast, just as athletic, as the Buffs, outside of the wonderfully talented Travis Hunter.
“Our reaction was that we turned (the CFP snub) into a positive, and I think you saw a lot of what we turned it into tonight,” Sitake said.
After Will Ferrin’s 51-yard field goal staked them to an early 10-0 lead, the Cougars had another surprise for Colorado — a perfectly executed onside kick that Ethan Slade recovered.
And while BYU didn’t turn the turnover into points — Gerry Bohanon’s trick-play pass was picked off by DJ McKinney four plays later — the message had been sent.
“It wasn’t anything against Colorado (that motivated BYU), it is just we knew what we were going against,” Sitake said. “… I think we just had a plan and we wanted to execute it and wanted to stay aggressive.
“I know we made some mistakes. I just like our style of executing in all three phases. People forget about special teams — a big part of our success.”
So a game ball goes to special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga. He’s earned about five of them this season, but don’t forget what defensive coordinator Jay Hill did, either.
The Cougars had Shedeur Sanders flustered at seemingly every turn, and sacked him four times for a loss of 51 yards. Isaiah Glasker, the defensive player of the game, and Evan Johnson picked off the probable first-round draft pick. Johnson’s interception came after a ball-jarring hit from unsung safety Tanner Wall.
Defensive consultant Gary Andersen said BYU’s defense gave the highly touted QB 17 different looks in the first half and only repeated three of them.
Sanders completed 16 of 23 passes for 208 yards and two TDs, including a 43-yarder to the Heisman Trophy winner, Hunter.
“We started out unified but we just weren’t connecting overall,” Sanders said. “That’s what stopped us overall, was ourselves.”
BYU’s defenders would beg to differ.
“You could tell he was kinda confused out there,” said Glasker, who had eight tackles and a pass breakup to go with his acrobatic interception.
Leading 20-0 after Ferrin’s career-long tying 54-yard field goal as the first half ended, BYU kept applying the defensive pressure, knowing the Buffs couldn’t run the ball on them.
Colorado finished with 2 net rushing yards, fewer yards than LJ Martin had on his first carry.
Martin, the offensive player of the game, ran for 93 yards and two TDs, then credited the offensive line for making it happen. With RB2 Hinckley Ropati not quite able to go, BYU displayed some of the depth that has carried it this season; Freshman Sione I. Moa scampered 13 yards for a touchdown up the middle to give BYU a 27-0 lead, and the unexpected rout was on.
“We knew going into this game we were going to have to play at a high level,” Sitake said. “Give a lot of credit to Colorado for getting us to this point.
“I think we found something in ourselves, knowing we had to prepare for them. I think there is great talent on that team. We have some great talent, too.”
Aside from a 58-yard catch-and-run by Hunter, Colorado’s offense did almost nothing in the first half. BYU had 152 yards of offense in the first half, while CU had just 61.
“Wonderful job by BYU. They are well-coached. They did a phenomenal job running the football. Special teams kicked our butts. We couldn’t do much offensively at all,” said Deion Sanders.
“They played a heck of a football game. If I am going to get my butt kicked, I would rather get my butt kicked by that coach. I love him to life. He’s a good man.”
Offensively, BYU squandered a couple scoring opportunities in both halves, or the margin would have been greater. A tight end dropped a perfectly executed gadget play pass from Kingston and Bohanon’s runs out of the wildcat formation were helpful, but his ill-advised throw was picked off near the end zone.
In the second half, after CU finally got on the board, Jake Retzlaff was intercepted while throwing across his body into coverage. Another time, a shovel pass was bobbled and intercepted.
Retzlaff killed the Buffs with his legs, however, running for a couple key first downs and finishing with 39 yards on the ground (not counting sacks).
The junior completed 12 of 21 passes for 151 yards and had a quarterback rating of 98.5. He backed up his tongue-in-cheek jest that BYU-Colorado was the “people’s Big 12 championship game” with enough plays to keep drives alive.
“This was well worth it. I think it started back in January — not playing in a bowl game, bad taste in your mouth. You want to change that,” said outgoing offensive lineman Connor Pay. “That brings a grit and a fire to our offseason. That is where it began.”
One of the most remarkable seasons in school history ended Saturday night, with the spotlight finally upon BYU, balloons and confetti falling from the rafters, and Sitake raising the Alamo Bowl trophy — along with the program’s national profile.
Statement No. 11 was one for the ages.
