Bouncing back: Top 10 BYU football stories of 2024 highlight Cougar resurgence
- BYU players soak head coach Kalani Sitake after winning the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
- BYU football players celebrate with fans after a 38-9 victory against No. 13 Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
- BYU place kicker Will Ferrin (44) kicks a game-winning field goal in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, just after midnight on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps)
- BYU players and coaches sing the fight song with the Cougar fans after the rivalry game against Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.
- BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and players celebrate with the Cougar fans after the Big 12 game against UCF at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
- BYU players celebrate with senior Darius Lassiter (5) in the locker room after the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
- BYU players celebrate after winning the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
- BYU linebacker Harrison Taggart celebrates an 18-15 victory at SMU on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
- BYU junior wide receiver Chase Roberts gets tackled on the final play of the Big 12 game against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
- BYU senior wide receiver Darius Lassiter jumps into the end zone to score the game-winning touchdown during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
- BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff celebrates after the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
- BYU players gather around defensive coordinator Jay Hill on the field before the game against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
- BYU players celebrate with freshman defensive back Tommy Prassas after he returned a fumble for a touchdown during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
- BYU students hold up and wave a flag while the song “Turbulence” plays at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Sept, 21, 2024.
- BYU junior Crew Wakley intercepts a pass during the Big 12 game against Baylor at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
- BYU head coach Kalani Sitake gets fired up during the non-conference game against SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
It was an emotional roller-coaster ride for BYU football players, coaches and fans in the 12 months that made up 2024.
The Cougars started the year working to overcome the disappointment of their losing season in 2023. As the months passed, many outsiders questioned BYU’s decision to mostly rely on their current athletes instead of changing things dramatically through the transfer portal.
The result was low expectations but as the weeks of the season passed and the Cougars piled up wins, the excitement surrounding the team escalated dramatically.
A couple of late stumbles brought BYU back to earth more than Cougar supporters wanted but it still turned out to be one of the top years on the gridiron in BYU history.
No one knows what 2025 will bring (although expectations will almost certainly be higher) but before getting wrapped up in the future, it’s time to revisit the year that was.
Here is the countdown of the Top 10 BYU football stories of 2024:
10. BYU gets no respect, picked 13th in Big 12 preseason media poll
Despite having double-digit win seasons in 2020 and 2021 as a program with great football tradition, the consensus opinion of most observers was that the Cougars would be lucky to match their 2023 win total of five victories in 2024 and a bowl berth was unlikely. That was reflected when the Big 12 preseason media poll was released in July.
BYU was slotted in at No. 13, near the bottom of the new 16-team league. It was a clear sign that the Cougars weren’t a team that people felt would be very good, an attitude that finally started to shift midway through the season when they just kept winning.
9. Jake Retzlaff holds off Gerry Bohanon to win Cougar starting QB job
The competition for the BYU starting quarterback position turned into a neck-and-neck battle between the returner (Retztlaff) and the newcomer (Bohanon).
Retzlaff had his doubters, since he hadn’t one any of his four appearances for the Cougars in 2023. Bohanon, on the other hand, was coming in having gone from Baylor to UCF to BYU but had been limited by injuries.
In the end, Retzlaff ended up not just emerging as the starter but ended up staying healthy all season. Bohanon had limited on-field opportunities, but reports indicated he was a key leadership presence for the Cougars in the locker room.
8. BYU sets top marks in special teams TDs, interceptions
Historically Cougar teams have been known for offense, particularly passing. In 2024, though, it was the BYU defense and special teams that turned out to be the best in the country.
Keelan Marion had a pair of kickoff-return TDs for the Cougars and Talan Alfrey added another on a Houston onside-kick attempt, making BYU the only team in the nation to return three kickoffs to the end zone (only five teams had two kickoff-return TDs). The Cougars were one of eight teams nationally to have two punt-return touchdowns (both by Parker Kingston), giving BYU the most total return TDs in 2024 (five).
The Cougars also did a great job picking off opposing QBs, snagging 20 interceptions during the regular season. That was tied for second heading into the bowl game, but BYU had two picks off Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to take over first place in the nation (three teams with 18 or more interceptions are in the College Football Playoff, so the rankings could still change).
7. Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill suffers heart attack but keeps coaching
Hill may have a high-stress life as a college football coach but he figured he was in reasonably good health. The unexpected happened at the end of August before BYU’s first game, however, when he suffered a heart attack and had to be hospitalized.
Fortunately, Hill was able to recover from the scary experience. He moved from the sideline to the press box during games and had a tough time keeping his blood pressure from getting too high, but got through some nervous moments and showed significant improvement by the end of the season.
6. Defense, offense come up big in dramatic Cougar wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State
BYU talked all season about wanting to be a complete football team where the offense, defense and special teams all being an integral part of the team success. Each came through in big moments during the season to secure key victories.
In Waco in late September, it was the Cougar defense that took a turn as BYU faced Baylor. The Cougars had seen a big lead disappear as the Bears came roaring back to narrow the gap. Baylor had the ball down by six in the final minutes, but Cougar safety Crew Wakely intercepted a Bear pass to secure the BYU win.
Two games later, it was the Cougar offense that had to get the job done when BYU found itself in a dogfight at LaVell Edwards Stadium with a determined Oklahoma State squad. The Cowboys scored with 1:13 left to take a 4-point lead, but Retzlaff led the Cougars back down the field. He spotted Darius Lassiter coming open and fired, with Lassiter breaking a couple tackles. He got into the end zone to give BYU the thrilling 38-35 win.
5. BYU stuns nation by blowing out Kansas State
The Cougars had gotten a little attention from holding on for a road win at SMU, but wins at Wyoming and at home over Southern Illinois weren’t moving the needle much. Many predicted the nice start for BYU would end when No. 13-ranked Kansas State came to Provo.
The Wildcats had edged out to a 6-0 midway through the second quarter, but then things changed dramatically. Thanks to a trio of turnovers (including a scoop-and-score by Tommy Prassas), a heart-stopping punt return by Parker Kingston, two short-field offensive TDs and a field goal, BYU scored 31 points in 6.5 minutes of game action to seize control.
The Cougars put the finishing touches on the stunningly one-sided 38-9 win, resulting in BYU’s first ranking of the season (No. 22 in the AP poll).
4. Cougars keep SMU from reaching end zone in early-season win with surprising implications
The first big statement for the BYU football team in 2024 took place in Dallas on Sept. 6. The Cougars headed southeast to face a Mustang squad that was supposed to be too explosive for BYU to contain. The Cougars had dropped five straight road games, while SMU was on a nine-game home winning streak.
But while the Mustang offense got a lot of the hype, it was the defenses on both teams that stole the show. BYU forced SMU into five field goals and the game was tied at 15-15 late in the fourth quarter. The Cougars got a big fourth-down run from Miles Davis to set up Will Ferrin’s game-winning 25-yard field goal.
It set the tone for the season with both BYU and the Mustangs putting together fantastic years, with SMU reaching the College Football Playoffs.
3. BYU ties for Big 12 regular season title
Cougar fans might be a little conflicted when they think about how the 2024 season resulted in their team in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings with Arizona State, Iowa State and Colorado.
On the plus side, BYU had exceeded expectations, earned a national ranking and demonstrated it has the ability to be a contender in its second year in the conference.
But it’s hard to ignore the fact that late in the season, the Cougars were in sole possession of first place and controlled their own destiny. Games against Kansas in Provo and at Arizona State were both very winnable, but BYU simply failed to make the key plays down the stretch. They had to live with the result.
2. Cougars turn anticipated Alama Bowl into rout of Colorado
The stage was set for what looked like a great matchup in the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The headliners came from No. 23-ranked Colorado, which featured the Heisman Trophy winner in two-way star Travis Hunter, arguably the best quarterback in the country in Shedeur Sanders and the best-known head coach in Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
BYU came in ranked No. 17, but most doubted the Cougars could keep up with the flashy Buffaloes. Instead, it was Colorado who couldn’t keep up with BYU.
The Cougars did an excellent job in the trenches, confusing and overpowering their Buffalo counterparts. That combined with a couple of interceptions and another punt return for a TD gave BYU a commanding lead and the Cougars cruised to the 36-14 victory.
1. BYU ranked No. 6 in CFP rankings after dramatic win at Utah
The pinnacle of 2024 for the Cougars came on Nov. 9 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, a place that had been the setting for a lot of BYU heartbreak in recent years — and it almost was again.
The Cougars led early but a 21-point outburst from a Utah offense that had struggled to score put the home team on top. BYU cut the lead to two and got the ball back, but faced a fourth-and-10 at its own 9-yard line.
Retzlaff was sacked on the play, but his primary target was held and the penalty gave the Cougars an automatic first down while infuriating Ute players, coaches, fans and administrators.
BYU marched down the field and set up Will Ferrin — who Retzlaff likes to call “Big-Game Bill” — for a 44-yard game-winning field goal with under 10 seconds left to give the Cougars the dramatic 22-21 win.
When the College Football Playoff rankings were announced the following Tuesday, BYU had moved up to its best mark of the season, coming in at No. 6 as one of the last undefeated teams in the nation.
Although there were rough times ahead, that was a moment the Cougars will always remember as being the best of the year.