When asked regarding the Cougar’s ability to procure turnovers at pivotal moments during games while at the same time protecting the ball on their end, the Cougar head coach offered a bit of an unusual answer during his weekly press conference.

“We talk often about how the ball doesn’t belong to a side of the ball, whether it’s offense, defense, or special teams. It belongs to Cougar Nation, and so you have a responsibility protecting it,” Sitake said of his team’s concept which has proved overwhelmingly beneficial over the past two seasons.

Not certain just how beneficial? Well, consider where the 4-0 Cougars may stand currently as it prepares to take on Iowa State without winning two critical turnover battles this season.

BYU’s defense was getting flat out gashed by visiting Arizona during the second game of the season while its offense wasn’t doing much of anything. The Wildcats appeared poised to mount another touchdown drive up 7-0 when linebacker Isaiah Glasker bore down hard on Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, causing an errant throw and subsequent interception by fellow linebacker Cade Uluave. The interception was returned inside the 10 yard line, setting up a touchdown just two plays later that stopped the bleeding and indeed changed the entire course of the game.

The Cougars went into the half time break down 17-14 versus the Wildcats, and then took over the game in the second half to eventually secure a 28-17 win. But without that interception the halftime deficit would probably have been 17-7, or worse, making the ability to stage a comeback all the more difficult.

Standing as even more significant was BYU’s lone turnover caused versus TCU just last week.

The Horned Frogs were driving deep into BYU territory when encountering a 4th-and-4 situation that was made all the more palatable to try to convert given the relative futility of the Cougar offensive attack at that juncture. With the game locked in a scoreless tie, TCU quarterback Jaden Craig made an errant throw that fell right into BYU safety Faletau Satuala’s arms, which subsequently returned clear inside TCU’s 10 yard line. Four plays later saw Bear Bachmeier cross into the endzone, giving the Cougars an improbable 7-0 lead.

BYU was unable to reprise Bachmeier’s touchdown until two minutes remained in the game, and there’s little question that it would have stood as the Cougar’s lone touchdown without the turnover forced by Satuala and the Cougar defense.

Meanwhile BYU protected the ball on its end and didn’t turn over the football even one time during both games.

“I think, for us, is to just have it on top of your mind and to know that it matters,” Sitake said regarding the importance of both forcing turnovers and then securing the football. “(It’s) trying to control the stuff that you can control. Usually that’s with securing the ball in your arms and attached to your body. That being said, it’s not like it’s an exact science, and things do happen. But we know that we can overcome any of the mistakes with how we play our game and how we play complementary football. But yeah, the emphasis is just try to get the ball and try to create more opportunities for our offense to score by, on defense and special teams, and then when we do have the ball in our possession, it’s trying to make sure that we keep it on our side.”

And it’s been working very well, and beyond the two games mentioned above.

So far this season BYU has thrown just two interceptions opposed to having picked off six passes. And one of those interceptions thrown versus Colorado State by Treyson Bourguet in the second half of play proved relatively insignificant. Meanwhile the Cougars haven’t lost a fumble yet this season while forcing just one fumble that was turned over versus Utah Tech.

During BYU’s highly-successful 12-2 2025 season it picked off 17 passes opposed to throwing just seven interceptions. While the Cougars lost nine fumbles opposed to seven lost by their competition, all of it led to a +8 turnover margin that season, which in no doubt promoted the team’s overall success en route to 12 wins and a berth into the Big 12 Conference Championship game and on the cusp of an invitation into the College Football Playoff.

“It’s big time,” said BYU edge Nusi Taumoepeau regarding winning the turnover battle and specifically forcing turnovers on the defensive end. “I think flying to the ball is our first thing. Coach (Kelly Poppinga) always brings up creating havoc, and causing havoc every play. I think that’s a big reason why we get turnovers. All 11 hats to the ball is a big reason for our success in that field. It’s been big time for us to be able to get those turnovers and flip the field.”

So whatever the results bear this Friday versus the Cyclones, on top of the seven games scheduled thereafter, it will be turnover margin that largely dictates the ultimate results. And given the Cougar’s well-adhered concept of believing the ball belongs to Cougar nation, don’t be surprised when that critical margin of turnovers continues to swing BYU’s way.