BYU’s undefeated season is over.
The No. 6 Cougars couldn’t mount another late comeback in a 17-13 home loss to Kansas on Saturday night. BYU failed to convert a fourth-and-11 at the Kansas 16-yard line with 47 seconds left, when Jake Retzlaff’s pass to Chase Roberts fell three yards short on a first down.
BYU had to gain 11 yards due to a false start penalty. The second half was full of futile drives from BYU, and a fumble on a punt led to Kansas’ go-ahead goal.
The Jayhawks allowed QB Jalon Daniels to punt from inside BYU territory early in the fourth quarter. Daniels aimed his kick toward the right sideline and bounced off the helmet of a BYU player running down the field before Kansas recovered the ball at the BYU 5.
One play later, running back Devin Neal gave the Jayhawks a four-point lead.
BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) mustered just three points in the second half after the teams were tied 10-10 at halftime. A 17-play, 66-yard drive took 10:26 to start the third quarter, but the Cougars only scored a field goal. After that, the violation did not yield any results. BYU ran just seven plays on its next two drives before the nine-play, 71-yard drive fell short in the final minute.
The Cougars had a chance to take a seven-point lead at halftime, but Retzlaff was picked off in the end zone by Mello Dotson with less than a minute left in the second quarter. That ended up being as close to a TD as BYU would get the rest of the night.
Retzlaff finished the game 18 of 28 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown, while LJ Martin had 15 carries for 76 yards.
How BYU’s loss affects the Big 12 title race
The Big 12 is primed for a huge Week 13. BYU and Colorado are now tied in the conference lead at 6-1, while Arizona State and Iowa State are a game back at 5-2, ahead of five teams at 4 -3.
The Cougars travel to ASU next week in a game that could be a play-in of sorts for the Big 12 title game. The loser is likely out, especially if it involves Arizona State.
Colorado, meanwhile, travels to Kansas City to play the Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas needs wins in the final two games of the season to make a bowl game. If there is a tie between more than two teams at the end of the season, the Big 12 will have to go to their common opponent’s tiebreaker. The game between ASU and BYU is the only game with the four scheduled this season.
