PROVO, Utah — Coming off the first bye of its 2024 schedule, Brigham Young moved up to No. 14 and No. 15 in the national rankings released on Sunday.
The 5-0 Cougars rose three spots to No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25 and jumped four places to No. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association's US LBM Coaches Poll published by USA TODAY Sports.
BYU has been ranked in the last three national polls after first entering the top 25 at No. 22 in week five of the polls to receive a top-25 ranking for the first time since week five of the 2022 season.
This week's ranking for BYU is its highest since being ranked No. 12 (AP) and No. 14 (AFCA) in the week three polls in 2022.
In their second season in the Big 12, the Cougars are currently 2-0 in conference play after achieving their first Big 12 road win in their last outing with a wire-to-wire 34-28 victory over favored Baylor in Waco, Texas, to follow a dominating 38-9 trimph over then No. 13 Kansas State the prior week at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The 5-0 start achieved by Kalani Sitake's team marks the eighth time in school history and third occasion under Sitake (also in 2021 and 2020) that the Cougars have earned a 5-0 record.
BYU finished ranked No. 11 at 11-1 in 2020 and No. 19 at 10-3 in 2021 as an FBS independent program under Sitake the last two seasons the Cougars won their first five games.
With this year's fast start, Sitake's teams have equaled the three 5-0 starts achieved by BYU teams under legendary coach Lavell Edwards during his College Football Hall of Fame career.
Four Big 12 teams were placed in the top 25 by voters this week, while four other conference schools are receiving votes.
Iowa State (5-0), after defeating Baylor at home on Saturday, is the highest ranked Big 12 team at No. 11 by AP and No. 13 by the coaches, followed by BYU at No. 14/15), Utah (4-1) at No. 16/17 and Kansas State (4-1) at No. 18/19 in the two respective polls following bye weeks for all three programs.
Arizona (3-2), BYU's next opponent, is one of four Big 12 teams receiving votes in the coaches poll along with Texas Tech (5-1), Colorado (4-1), and Arizona State (4-1). The Red Raiders and Buffaloes also received votes from AP voters this week.
High-scoring Southern Methodist (5-1), who BYU kept out of the end zone in an 18-15 road win in week two, moved into the rankings at No. 25 in both polls after its road win at No. 22 Louisville (34-27) on Saturday to build on dominating wins the prior two weeks over Florida State (42-16) and Texas Christian (66-42).
Texas (5-0), Ohio State (5-0) and Oregon (5-0) are the top three teams in both rankings this week after previous No. 1/2 (AP/AFCA) Alabama (4-1) was upset by Vanderbilt on Saturday.
This week's AP ranking marks BYU’s 282nd overall appearance in the AP poll.
( https://byucougars.com/news/2024/10/6/byu-rises-in-national-rankings-after-bye-week )
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff is garnering favorable notice nationwide. He is arguably among the nation's most improved Division I quarterbacks.
But as the Associated Press reported last week (before the bye weekend), he is garnering upbeat coverage for his place as the starter at the historic institution, long a bastion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
He "has embraced the opportunity to be a role model for younger Jewish athletes and chart a path for them to follow in pursuit of their own dreams. 'It’s cool to be the first, but I just want there to be a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on,” Retzlaff said.
“I want to be somebody out there that can inspire other people, some other practicing Jews in my position. Just go play football and go get on the field because not enough of them do.' ”
( https://apnews.com/article/byu-jake-retzlaff-quarterback-bd34cbaf959abbe76e4662e189b80d5c )
The Cougars will host the Arizona Wildcats this Saturday at 2 p.m. Mountain Time in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
That game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
Cougars looking to reverse 2023 result versus OSU Cowboys
adapted from a 2023 story By Patrick B. McGuigan, with Stacy Martin
On Friday night, October 18, 2024, BYU will host the Oklahoma State Cowboys for an 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time (9:30 Central Time) kickoff slated for national broadcast.
In a classic football battle last fall, playing their hearts out for each other and Coach Sitake, BYU led 24-6 at the half-time break.
Visions of replicating the shocking South Alabama win over OSU danced in the heads of the Utah school’s faithful.
In the second half, the Cowboys fashioned a comeback for the ages (the best, in fact, in history on Lewis Field).
Ollie Gordon II scored five rushing touchdowns, and despite persistent hobble in his hitch, raced to 166 yards on 34 carries, averaging just under five yards a carry.
Quarterback Alex Bowman was weak in the first half, but did not wilt in the second.
Brennan Pressley and Leon Johnson III (with nine receptions) were frequent targets.
Rashad Owens came through on crucial catches.
Many of the receiving corps snagged the ball on vital third-down plays, yielding the reversed fortunes.
In the first possession of the third quarter, as the Cowboys crisply marched from inside their 20 in four plays (and just 1:53 off the clock) to score and make the margin 24-13.
While that was the end of scoring in the third stanza, die-hard Cowboy fans who stayed through the pouring cold rain seemed to sense what was coming. The Cougar faithful remained stout throughout.
In the fourth, the home-team ratified believers. A nine-play, 86 yard stomp down the soggy turf took only 3:12 off the clock. With Gordon’s second TD (a two-yarder) and Alex Hale’s conversion, the score was 24-21.
Then came an 11-play drive that ate up 4:30 of clock time to give the Cowboys a 27-24 edge. Ollie’s run of 15 yards came with less than a minute remaining in the match.
At that point, the Cougars found a way to induce high blood pressure – Hale’s conversion was blocked. It was not yet time for any operatic ‘fat person’ to sing.
Sure enough, in a stunning 10-play 53 second drive punctuated with time outs, the Cougars got inside Cowboy territory, setting up a 48-year field goal from Kicker Will Ferrin (his second-longest of the year). Tied at 27 each, the game moved into overtime.
Although the Cowboys won the overtime coin toss, they deferred to the visitors. Ending a deft drive of 25-yards, BYU’s maturing quarterback Jake Retzlaff scored on a scary-good six yard run. “Mr. Reliable” Ferrin converted and the Cougars regained the lead with 34 points.
Gundy’s squad replied with a crisp TD drive and Gordon’s fourth touchdown. Conversion good = tied game at 34 for each side.
In the second overtime (when teams are required to go for two-points after TDs), the Cowboys went first. In three plays, they garnered six more points from Number Zero’s fifth touchdown. No conversion after a pass completion gained zero yards. The score settled in at 40-34.
Then came the dramatic ending. Cowboy right-side defender Trey Rucker ripped the ball from the grip of Cougar receiver Isaac Rex. Rucker snagged the ball from the ground. Game over.
( https://www.citynewsokc.com/education/sooners-soar-as-the-cardiac-cowboys-head-to-arlington/article_1453f4d4-8cb6-11ee-8a63-13e9e646ccb5.html )
That dramatic victory sent the Cowboys into the post-season, where they lost the Big 12 championship game against Texas, but won the Texas Bowl to end the season with a 10-3 mark.
( https://www.citynewsokc.com/townnews/american_football/oklahoma-state-cowboys-earn-10th-win-vs-texas-a-m-in-texas-bowl-31-/article_6a5cf8dc-a6a9-11ee-8612-677b8ef26a76.html
To end this year with ten victories, the Cowboys will have to win every remaining regular season game (including versus BYU on the Cougars' home turf) and then win a mid-level bowl game.
That seems unlikely this season, but Coach Mike Gundy's team has developed a habit of late-season heroics. For now, it's BYU that is basking, deservedly in national acclaim.
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