And the results in doing as much spoke for itself quite loudly, with the Cougars putting forth one of their most complete games of the season in taking a resounding 44-13 win.

“I feel like there was a different urgency from them all week long,” Sitake said. “So I’m glad that it all worked out, and TCU is a really good team. I think it was just a matter of us putting it together in all three phases. I think it worked out nicely…It’s my job to get them to play this way every game, but I’m glad it showed up now in November.”

“It started on Monday,” added BYU defensive lineman Keanu Tanuvasa. “We were down and frustrated, but we put our heads down and went to work, and that’s Kalani’s culture…We’re far from satisfied. We’re still humble and hungry, but we’re very happy with how we responded.”

Every team works to peak at the right time, and following a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech, Sitake, his coaching staff and players set about to prove their best ball is being provided in November and that they’re worthy of a spot in the College Football 12-team Playoff. It remains to be seen how much credibility voters will assign BYU on the heels of its dominating win, but the good news is that it may not matter. The goal of securing an automatic bid with a Big 12 Conference Championship is still well within control, a fact not lost on any of the Cougar players.

“Everyone gets a little (upset) about it, but we try not to focus on the outside noise,” said BYU tight end Carsen Ryan. “We can control our own destiny at this point. We keep on winning and nothing is going to change. Our position right now isn’t any different than it was a week ago. We just keep winning, like we’ve been doing, and we’re going to be just fine.”

As for Ryan, he was central in BYU’s offense putting it to the Horned Frog defense early and often in the win. Ryan contributed four catches for 79 yards, which included a 43-yard touchdown reception that put the Cougars up 24-3 midway through the second quarter. Prior to Ryan’s score was an 11-yard and 17-yard touchdown runs from Parker Kingston and Bear Bachmeier, respectively.

The Cougar offense scored on their first seven possessions, putting forth the type of early and consistent effort Sitake has been seeking all season. All of it worked in stark contrast to the relative offensive futility exercised versus a top Red Raider defense a week ago due to several factors.

First and foremost was a resurgent effort from Bachmeier, who put in the time during game prep in providing a 23-33 for 296 yard effort passing while adding 59 yards rushing on 10 attempts.

“He looked different this week in practice,” Sitake said. “I think he wasn’t happy with the result and how he played last week and I like it when guys show it in the week of prep. So all week in practice he was a little different. He was a little more focused on what he wanted to get done this weekend. So it was good to see that.”

Also proving resurgent was running back LJ Martin. A week after totting the football just 10 times for a paltry 35 yards, Martin looked to be back on form in providing 88 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and 34 yards receiving on his four catches.

The loss versus Texas Tech was the first game back for Martin after sustaining a shoulder injury which forced him out of action for most of BYU’s 41-27 win over Iowa State. Although being further removed from the injury probably helped in the win over TCU, Martin insisted it was mostly due to his overall mentality.

“I don’t think it was health. I think it was just more confidence,” Martin said. “I feel like last week, when coming off the injury, I felt a little more nervous…Tonight I just had more confidence and I was ready to get going earlier, and felt really good.”

Martin currently sits just 88 yards short of gaining 1,000 yards on the season after Saturday’s performance, and while it would be a notable personal achievement, the junior running back wants it for other purposes.

“I would mean a lot, but I want to do it for the guys upfront,” Martin said. “They’ve been working their butts off opening holes, so just being able to get 1,000 is to show(case) them as a unit, as well…So it would mean a lot to both of us.”

Defensively the Cougar production was easily on point to what the offense provided. Overall the unit held prolific TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to just 10-23 passing for 183 yards and two interceptions, far below his season averages.

“We knew that if we got Hoover to pull the ball down after his initial read that…he isn’t as accurate as he is when he’s (throwing) on time,” Wall said. “So I think we executed extremely well doing that…The pass rush was great, too. We got a lot of pressure.”

A lot of the pressure came from BYU’s young and exciting defensive ends, particularly Texas transfer Tausili Akana, who provided five tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss while applying a lot of pressure throughout.

As for Wall, he topped off Saturday’s complete game effort in style, picking off a pass late and returning it 68 yards for a touchdown.

So will BYU’s complete game effort yield positive results when the playoff rankings come out on Saturday, and does it really matter, given the fact that the Cougars still control their own destiny?

“I don’t get involved with that. We’re just going to keep playing ball,” Sitake said when asked of the prospect. “I’m probably the wrong guy to ask about that stuff.”

For Sitake, a continued focus what his team can control has been and will always be the focus moving forward to the final two games of the regular season and a hopeful trip to the Big 12 Championship Game where the Cougars will likely have another shot at defeating Texas Tech.