BYU’s unbeaten run came apart in Orlando on Saturday night, and UCF made sure the Cougars felt every bit of it.
Backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins turned in the kind of performance that can wreck a season’s momentum, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns as the Knights handed No. 2 BYU its first loss, 39-31, in double overtime at the Acrisure Bounce House. His final strike went to Lehi native Grayson Brousseau for the winner, closing the book on a game that kept swinging back and forth until the very end.
The loss hit hard because of what came before it. Eight days earlier, BYU had walked off the field in Provo after beating then-No.
2 Notre Dame, and suddenly the Cougars were staring at a very different result after a cross-country trip. In what looked every bit like a classic trap game, Kalani Sitake’s team got caught, but not before giving itself one last crack at survival.
BYU finished 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play. Bear Bachmeier threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns on 16 completions in 32 attempts, and he added another score on the ground.
But UCF’s offense had the edge for most of the night, piling up 463 total yards. Landen Chambers scored twice, and freshman Tyren Hornes was a major problem with 137 receiving yards.
Kyler Kasper led the Cougars in the passing game with six catches for 129 yards and a touchdown, and it was his performance that helped keep BYU within striking distance as the pressure mounted late.
The wildest sequence came at the end of regulation, when UCF kicker Stone Jenkins lined up what could have been the game-winner from 46 yards out. Faletau Satuala got a hand on the kick and blocked it, but the play was far from over.
Jenkins recovered the ball himself and was brought down as his helmet flew off. At first, officials called a facemask on BYU.
Then the flag was picked up, a 10-second run off was enforced, and the game was sent to overtime.
BYU struck first in the extra period. On third-and-13, Bachmeier found Legend Glasker for a 28-yard touchdown, briefly putting the Cougars in front.
UCF answered immediately. Jenkins escaped a sack attempt by Braxton Lindsey and hit Josh Derry for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of the Knights’ possession.
In the second overtime, Brousseau delivered the decisive blow. The tight end, who grew up in Utah County before stops at Utah State and Oklahoma State and then a move to Orlando, caught a 4-yard toss in the flat and pushed UCF ahead 39-31.
Bachmeier had one more chance, but the final drive never found traction. He went to the air on five of six plays, and the result was four incompletions and a 4-yard run. His last throw, intended for Walker Lyons, fell harmlessly into the rainy Central Florida night as students poured onto the field.
In Other News...
BYU Just Made Its Support For Kalani Sitake Very Clear
BYU is backing up its public praise for Kalani Sitake with real money, as athletic director Brian Santiago confirmed the school is investing more than $25 million into football capital projects. The message coming out of Provo is that the university wants to keep building around its head coach, even as the athletic department works through administrative changes behind the scenes.
Santiago said the football oversight structure will be a collaborative one with Vice President Keith Vorkink, and the focus is on lifting the program even higher. That comes at a time when BYU is sitting No. 2 nationally, its best ranking since 1984, which only adds to the sense that the Cougars see this as a moment to push forward rather than reset. [Read more 🡒]
GameDay Backed BYU But One Warning Still Looms At UCF
ESPNs College GameDay had plenty of confidence in No. 2 BYU heading into its matchup at UCF, with Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit all backing the Cougars to come away with a win. The pregame chatter centered on BYUs ability to handle the stage, with analysts pointing to the teams key players and the composure it has shown during this run.
Dalton Kincaid was the one voice on the set who went the other way, picking UCF and highlighting the kind of emotional letdown that can follow a big week. He also leaned into the Knights homecoming setting, a reminder that even when the national spotlight is tilted heavily in one direction, a road game can still carry plenty of traps for a highly ranked team. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Put BYU And Kalani Sitake In The Spotlight
Nick Sabans recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show gave BYU another national moment, and it came with a pretty flattering nod from one of the sports most respected voices. Saban praised the excitement and passion of Cougars fans, and he also singled out Kalani Sitake for the leadership he has brought to the program, adding to the sense that BYU has become one of college footballs more compelling stories this season.
The praise landed with even more weight because Saban pointed to the confidence BYU carried into its game against Notre Dame, a performance that helped fuel the buzz around the program. The Cougars College GameDay appearance drew more than 3 million viewers, and 9.2 million watched the upset of Notre Dame, so the spotlight on Sitakes team is no longer just local or regional. The bigger question now is how much more attention this run can keep generating. [Read more 🡒]