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BYU linebacker Siale Esera (54) chases Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton (2) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.

Annie Rice, AP Photo

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Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Here’s what’s going on inside Darnell’s head after a very busy weekend of BYU sports.

It’s like this every November, so try and keep up.

While BYU was getting smashed by Texas Tech in football, Cougar women’s soccer, women’s basketball and men’s basketball were all picking up victories. The soccer team, the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, won three in a row to claim the title and will likely host a first round NCAA Tournament match. The basketball teams both moved to 2-0 with victories on Saturday.

Feel better? No?

Well, I don’t blame you. The Cougars were never really in the game at Lubbock, due to poor showings from the offense and special teams. There was also the matter of Texas Tech’s defense, which was spectacularly effective and the best money can buy.

I say that not with a smirk of disdain but with nod of acknowledgement. That’s the reality of college sports right now. If you have to money, and you make good decisions on who to offer, it can really pay off.

Of course, on the other hand, all of this is moving college sports towards a professional model and as I constantly tell everyone who asks, we already have a pro league called the NFL. What makes college sports special and unique is slowly eroding and will eventually be lost.

Sigh.

Now it’s time for Perfectly Rational Overreactions (PROs).

PRO No. 1: BYU had two weeks to prepare for Texas Tech and this is what we get?

The offense was really disappointing in this regard. With all due respect to the Red Raiders’ excellent defense, nothing the Cougars showed caused any issues for the home team. Whatever Aaron Roderick and his offensive staff cooked up, Texas Tech was easily better prepared to stop it. BYU’s four, five and six-yard running plays early quickly turned into zero, one and two-yard gains. Wherever quarterback Bear Bachmeier looked, he saw covered receivers. Whenever Cougar receivers had a chance to make a big play, they didn’t. That’s disappointing, both from a game plan standpoint and an execution standpoint. With special teams struggling, there was a lot on the BYU defense and they played well enough.

PRO No. 2: BYU was exposed by the Red Raiders as a non-playoff worthy team.

I think it’s probably the opposite. Texas Tech’s win clearly paints that program as one of the top contenders in the country. The Cougars still have all of their goals in front of them and wins against TCU, Cincinnati and UCF would put them into the Big 12 Championship Game. I think there are a few obvious top teams in Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M, and I think Texas Tech is right there with them. I think the Cougars are in a much larger next group trying to get the other playoff spots.

PRO No. 3: The BYU defense is elite.

Getting the linebacking crew healthy (or at least healthier) made a pretty big difference with the Cougars defense, didn’t it? Early on, BYU was getting to Behren Morton. Even though they gave up too many chunk plays, they also forced five Texas Tech field goals. That 29-7 score could have easily been 49-7. When the complimentary design isn’t working thanks to poor performances by the offense and special teams, it’s a lot to ask the defense to make every play. They played well enough that if the other areas of the team were decent, it could have been a game. But I like the Cougars chances against anybody specifically because of Jay Hill’s defense.

And finally, PRO No. 4: The loss doesn’t matter because the Cougars still have all their goals in front of them.

While it’s true a strong finish can still put BYU into the Big 12 title game and the college football playoffs, I wonder about the mental and emotion impact of getting pushed around by Texas Tech. Not so much the defense, which held it’s own and made plays. The offense was so toothless and ineffective, can they fully recover? Certainly TCU, Cincinnati and UCF don’t have the same level of defense as Texas Tech but you can be sure they will implement as much of what the Red Raiders did as they can. The Cougars know if they win out they will likely face Texas Tech again. Kalani Sitake said several times in his post-game that he and his team needs to learn from the loss. Unless BYU recruited a bunch of 1,500-plus SAT scholars that we don’t know about, I’m not sure any amount of learning can make up for the gap we saw on Saturday, especially on the Cougars offensive side.

Who Carried the Boats and the Logs?

Isaiah Glasker (10 tackles, one sack, two TFL’s) and Jack Kelly (seven tackles, two sacks) were two players who played like they belonged among college football best players. Surely, both guys are playing hurt but it was obvious these two linebackers are probably BYU’s top players. The ESPN announcers raved about both of them throughout the game, even as the score kept climbing in Texas Tech’s favor.

Is Richie back?

It was good to see Richie Saunders fill up the basket on Saturday, even if it was against an overmatched opponent. Saunders has struggled shooting the ball so far but was 7 of 10 against Holy Cross. There was a lot more ball movement and transition in this game, which has a lot to do with the competition. The other three BYU games (two exhibitions and the opener vs. Villanova) were more about isolation plays for AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright. There has to be a combination of the two for BYU to succeed. In addition, the Cougars defense was pretty good against the Crusaders, which you would expect. That will have to carry over for the rest of the non-conference schedule, especially with the second unit.

From last to first

Jennifer Rockwood pulled a rabbit out of her hat on Saturday when the BYU women’s soccer team topped Kansas 1-0 for the Big 12 Tournament title. She has a young team that has been banged up and limped into the post-season 1-2-1 in its final four regular season games, including a 3-1 loss at home to Kansas.

The Cougars were the No. 8 seed, dispatched No. 1 TCU in penalty kicks and schooled No. 5-seed Baylor 4-0 before winning it all against the Jayhawks.

Junior forward Ellie Walbruch went on a tear and scored five goals in the three matches, and backup goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson is a great story as well.

The key, of course, is to keep the momentum going in the NCAA Tournament.

Long-distance trials

Why is the longer I work in journalism the further I have to walk to get to the events I’m covering?

Not that I should complain, walking is good exercise. It’s just sometimes it would be nice to not have to build in a 20-minute buffer just to get to my office for the day.

Not zero

The Cougars scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout on Saturday, but I was looking up those numbers in case I needed them. The last time BYU was shut out was in 2017 (by LSU, 27-0). Before that, the Cougars were blanked by Utah 3-0 in the 2003 snowstorm game. Before that, it was a 20-0 loss to Arizona State in 1975. Which means that in the past 50 years, the Cougars have been shut out only three times.

Kind of impressive, don’t you think?

That’s all for now, but for this: The sinking of the Titanic must have been regarded as a miracle to the lobsters being prepared in the galley. What a story to tell your grandkids, huh?

Have a great week and remember to sincerely thank all the service workers you come in contact with. It’ll make their day.