One last miscue: BYU football drops the ball in 20T loss at Oklahoma State
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- BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill (1) stands on the field after an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)
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- BYU sophomore kicker Will Ferrin kicks the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU defenders make a tackle during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II (0) and BYU wide receiver Keanu Hill (1) talk with one another after an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla.
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- BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff celebrates scoring a touchdown during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU junior defensive lineman Tyler Batty gets a sack during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake waves to fans after the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU players attempt to block an extra point during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU junior defensive lineman Tyler Batty attempts to hurdle a tackler during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU players prepare to run a play during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff runs into the end zone during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU senior defensive back Eddie Heckard scores a touchdown after intercepting a pass during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU players take the field before the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
It was a sadly fitting way for the BYU football team to end its 2023 season.
Unlike many games in 2023, this time the Cougars had the ball with a chance to upset No. 20-ranked Oklahoma State on the road at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday afternoon.
BYU trailed by six points in the second overtime, but a touchdown and successful two-point conversion would give the Cougars that elusive sixth win and bowl eligibility.
But it wasn’t to be.
On a second-and-8 from the Cowboy 23-yard line, BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff dropped the ball off to junior tight end Isaac Rex, who was hit immediately by Oklahoma State’s Trey Rucker.
As Rex turned up field and battled for extra yards, Rucker got the leverage he needed to rip the ball away right before the Cougar junior hit the ground.
Rucker then pulled in the fumble to end the game and BYU’s season, securing the 40-34 2OT win for the Cowboys.
“It was a tough way to end the season,” Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said. “It’s a tough way to say goodbye to the seniors on the team. Congratulations to Oklahoma State. We did everything we could but it came down to the end and mistakes cost us. But the guys fought hard.”
Sitake said his heart goes out to Rex, who couldn’t hold on to the ball at the end.
“He has been through so much,” Sitake said. “He’s distraught and hurting in the locker room right now. I’m proud of the guys rallying around him. This has never been a team to point fingers. We could’ve won the game in a lot of areas and it doesn’t come down to one guy making a mistake.”
It was a bitter ending to a contest where BYU stunned the Oklahoma State crowd in the first half, allowed the Cowboys to mount a huge rally with poor play in the second half, then forced overtime on the final play of regulation.
“We just didn’t make enough plays, especially in the second half,” Sitake said. “That’s in all three phases of the game. We threw the playbook at them to try and get more possessions. Overall I’m really happy with the energy and effort the guys gave.”
After leading for much of the game, the Cougars found themselves down 27-24 after a 15-yard TD run by Oklahoma State star running back Ollie Gordon II with just 53 seconds left to play.
But BYU managed to block the extra point attempt, keeping it as a three-point game and giving the Cougars a chance to get to overtime.
After being anemic and ineffective for most of the second half, Retzlaff and the BYU offense came alive during that brief stretch. He completed 4-of-8 passes to get the Cougars to the Cowboy 31-yard line with three seconds left.
That put the pressure on BYU sophomore kicker Will Ferrin to tie the game but he didn’t appear fazed at all by either the moment or the wet conditions, drilling the 48-yard field goal to knot the score at 27-27 and force the extra periods.
Oklahoma State won the toss in overtime and elected to play defense first, giving BYU the ball.
It took the Cougars six plays, aided by a Cowboy defensive holding penalty, but Retzlaff ran the ball into the end zone from six yards out to put BYU in front.
But the visitors could not stop Gordon, who finished with 166 yards on 34 carries with five touchdowns. He scored to tie the game in the first overtime, then scored again in the second overtime to put Oklahoma State in front.
By rule, the Cowboys had to go for two in the second extra period and BYU stopped Oklahoma State short of the goal line, giving the Cougars a chance to win before the game-ending turnover.
But BYU felt like it never should’ve got to that point in the first place.
Unlike previous losses where the Cougars were never in front, in this contest it was BYU that raced out to a big lead.
After a terrible start that included giving up a bunch of yards to the Cowboys on their first drive and a Cougar fumbled option pitch, the BYU defense managed to hold the home team to just a pair of field goals.
Then it was time for the Cougars to get rolling.
BYU took the lead on a two-yard rush by Retzlaff late in the first quarter to go up 7-6, stopped Oklahoma State on a fourth-and-short play, then increased the margin when senior defensive back Eddie Heckard took advantage of a Cowboy miscommunication to intercept a pass and walk into the end zone from 13 yards out.
The Cougars added 10 more points in the second quarter, getting an 11-yard jet-sweep score from Keelan Marion and a 42-yard field goal from Ferrin to end the half.
BYU went into the locker room up 24-6 but had to know Oklahoma State had a spot in the Big 12 title game on the line and was going to come out hard after the break.
After playing loose and confident in the first half, the Cougar offense appeared to get conservative as BYU tried to protect the lead. It gained just 52 yards on 23 plays in the third and fourth quarters (prior to the final drive), allowing the Cowboys to make the big comeback.
“Obviously we would’ve liked to see more points on the board,” Sitake said. “If we get more production in the second half, it would’ve helped us out. Even sustaining some drives and giving some relief to the defense would’ve been big.”
All the Cougars can do now is regret the missed opportunities and try to learn the lessons that will help them be better prepared for Big 12 competition in 2024.
“Now we build on this,” Sitake said. “I think the guys know what is expected in the Big 12. Because we don’t go to a bowl game and don’t get those extra practices, we are going to have to figure out how to take advantage of the workouts and the time we are given to get the guys ready for spring ball.”
