LJ Martin’s return gave BYU exactly the kind of spark it needed in Salt Lake City. The running back, back after missing the past four games with an ankle injury, took a handoff from Bear Bachmeier, sold a fake lateral to Legend Glasker and sliced into the end zone untouched from 4 yards out. It was Martin’s first touchdown run in more than a month, and for a moment, the Cougars looked every bit like a College Football Playoff team.
BYU had already stacked up 20 unanswered points on Utah’s home field by then, and the Cougars were winning the physical battle up front, protecting the ball and quieting a crowd that had plenty of reason to get loud. Two possessions later, they forced another swing in their favor by recovering a fumble at the Utah 20.
For about 25 minutes, the Cougars looked a lot like the team that beat No. 2 Notre Dame on Oct. 17 - even without Martin - and climbed all the way to No. 2 themselves.
Then came the second half.
That’s where BYU has been slipping, and Saturday was the latest example. The Cougars lost control of the line of scrimmage, gave the ball away and let the Utes’ crowd back into the game.
It’s becoming a pattern, too. Since the Notre Dame win, BYU has struggled to put together a full game of clean, complete football.
At UCF, the Cougars were rolling in the first half and marched to the Knights’ 39 with a chance to take a 24-3 lead into the break. Instead, Bachmeier had a pass tipped at the line and intercepted. UCF turned that mistake into a touchdown, and what had looked like a one-sided game turned into a back-and-forth battle the Knights won 39-31 in double overtime.
A similar thing happened against Arizona State. BYU led 17-3 and drove to the Sun Devils’ 32 with 56 seconds left in the second quarter, again with a chance to push the margin to 24-3 at halftime.
Again, Bachmeier threw an interception. Arizona State took the opening and tied the game in the third quarter before BYU regrouped and won 27-20.
That makes three straight games in which the Cougars have had a chance to land a knockout punch before halftime and instead handed momentum back with a turnover. The result has been a second-half problem that now threatens to undercut the rest of their season.
Saturday’s loss at No. 2 Utah dented BYU’s pride and cost it control of its own destiny, but it did not wipe out the path to a Big 12 championship rematch with the Utes on a neutral field or a playoff berth. The Cougars would need help - losses by both Texas Tech and Houston - but the first order of business is still in their own hands.
Before any of that matters, BYU has to clean up the basics: better tackling, fewer turnovers and a more complete effort from start to finish. Baylor comes next on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on Fox, and the Bears have already shown some life since firing their head coach, winning at UCF 41-9 and at home against Iowa State 42-31. Baylor is tied with BYU at 4-2 in the Big 12, which means this one will demand two solid halves from the Cougars, not just one.
For plenty of teams, beating Notre Dame in a sold-out stadium in front of 12 million television viewers would be the kind of signature moment that defines a season. But BYU’s ambitions are bigger than that. The Cougars want the playoff.
They handled the first half of the season well enough to stay in the hunt, winning all six games, including three without Martin. Now the challenge is different.
With Martin back, BYU still has to prove it can finish the job. As Saturday showed again, one good half won’t be enough.
In Other News...
Puka Nacua Just Gave BYU Fans A New Reason To Worry
Puka Nacua gave BYU fans an unwelcome scare on Sunday when he went down with a knee injury on the Rams final offensive snap against the Washington Commanders. Los Angeles does not believe he tore his ACL, but the next step is an MRI to determine how serious the injury is, and that alone is enough to make anyone connected to Provo hold their breath.
Before leaving the game, Nacua was doing what he has done so often for the Rams, piling up 14 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. For BYU supporters who still follow every step of his pro career, the concern now is less about the stat line and more about what the tests reveal, because the answer could shape how soon one of the programs biggest stars is back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Kept BYUs Most Frustrating Loss In The Spotlight
A wild finish in Orlando kept one of the Big 12s most chaotic results from fading into the background, and it matters for BYU because UCF was the team that handed the Cougars one of their most frustrating losses. The Knights edged Kansas 33-32 in a game that swung back and forth all night, with multiple lead changes and a closing sequence that felt built for a highlight reel.
Alonza Barnett III, back after an injury, steered the late drive that set up the winning score, and Caden Pienings touchdown catch stood after a replay review. Will Stone then delivered the extra point after earlier missing one, sealing a victory that only added to the sense that UCF can still be a factor in the same conference picture BYU is trying to navigate. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs CFP Hopes Now Rest On A Brutal Big 12 Reality
Two straight eight-point losses have left BYU in a far more precarious spot than it was in just a couple of weeks ago. At 7-2, the Cougars still have a workable record, but the margin for error in the Big 12 has all but disappeared as the conference race tightens around them.
The challenge now is straightforward and unforgiving: BYU has to win its final three Big 12 games to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. Even then, the road is crowded, with Utah sitting atop the standings and Texas Tech, Houston and several others close enough to complicate every tiebreaker and every championship scenario. [Read more 🡒]