BYU’s 39-31 double-overtime loss to UCF left a lot of gray on the gradesheet, and not much of it was flattering.
The Cougars came out of the Acrisure Bounce House with a handful of solid individual efforts, but the overall picture was rough. The offense had stretches, the special teams held up, and a few players flashed. Still, the defense never found a way to settle in, and that ultimately colored everything that followed.
Bear Bachmeier’s day at quarterback landed in C territory. He wasn’t the main culprit in the loss, but the production never got where BYU needed it to go.
He completed 50 percent of his passes for 257 yards, added 37 rushing yards on 15 carries, and threw two touchdown passes. The interception and the limited impact on the ground kept the performance from rising much higher.
The running backs didn’t do much to change the flow either, earning a C-. Sione Moa returned to the lineup and finished with 36 yards on 13 carries. Preston Rex was more efficient, gaining 42 yards on just five attempts, including a 27-yard run, but the group as a whole never gave BYU the steady run game it needed.
At receiver and tight end, the Cougars got their best offensive pop. Kyler Kasper was the bright spot, catching six passes for 129 yards and a touchdown and serving as BYU’s most reliable threat for much of the game.
Legend Glasker stayed quiet until overtime, then came through with a 28-yard catch and finished with four receptions for 54 yards. Walker Lyons had a quieter night after his big showing against Notre Dame, and his dropped end-zone pass in the second overtime loomed large.
The offensive line settled in at C+. It was just an average night up front, and that wasn’t enough to lift the rushing attack or consistently protect Bachmeier. BYU also had to work around the absence of starting right guard Kyle Sfarcioc, and when Trevin Ostler went down with injury after stepping in, the unit took another hit.
Defensively, the grades slid sharply. The defensive line got a D+ after failing to consistently disrupt UCF quarterback Keyone Jenkins or force him out of rhythm.
The front also gave up too many openings in the run game. A strong goal-line stand late in regulation provided a small lift, but it didn’t erase the bigger problems.
Linebacker play earned a D, with missed tackles spreading through a group that usually does much better. Isaiah Glasker had one especially costly miss in the open field on a 3rd-and-17 play that turned into one of the game’s biggest moments. Cade Uluave stood out as the best of the bunch, but even his play wasn’t enough to move the needle.
The safeties and cornerbacks landed at C+. That unit wasn’t the primary issue, but it also couldn’t compensate for the lack of pressure up front.
The secondary was stuck covering too long, gave up too many chunk plays, and missed tackles that didn’t help matters. It also failed to force a turnover to offset BYU’s damaging giveaway late in the first half.
Special teams came in at B. Matthais Dunn drilled a game-tying 47-yard field goal, and the kick and return work was steady if not game-changing. Fuller Shurtz also did his part, averaging 45.8 yards on four punts despite the rainy, sea-level conditions.
The coaching grade checked in at C-. Offensively, the approach never quite matched the sharpness BYU showed in its win over Notre Dame.
After the defense’s huge stop on a 4th-and-goal situation from just outside the goal line, Aaron Roderick went conservative and called three straight runs rather than pushing for a late touchdown. On the other side of the ball, BYU looked unprepared for UCF’s offense and never really adjusted over the full 60 minutes of regulation and the two overtime periods.
In Other News...
BYU Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious After That Finish
The frustration around BYUs latest Big 12 finish is not coming out of nowhere. The conference has now acknowledged officiating errors in recent games involving BYU, UCF and Notre Dame, a blunt reminder that the discussion around missed calls has moved well beyond one isolated moment. ESPNs Rece Davis added to the criticism by pointing to the repeated administrative mistakes that have started to define too many late-game conversations across college football.
For BYU fans, the aggravation is only sharpened by how these decisions can tilt a game at the exact point when every snap matters most. Davis cited specific breakdowns, including an incorrect 10-second runoff and a roughing-the-kicker call that stirred debate in a double-overtime game, while a separate Week 1 controversy in the Big Ten involving Western Michigan and Michigan showed the problem is hardly confined to one league. The bigger concern now is not just the individual miss, but how often the sport seems to be asking fans and teams to live with them. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Suddenly Faces A Bigger Question After UCF Stunner
The shock of UCFs double-overtime upset over No. 2 BYU left the Cougars with more than just a blemish on the record. It also turned attention to how quickly a ranked team has to reset after a game that demanded everything, especially with UCF quarterback Keyone Jenkins central to the win and now confirmed to keep the job heading into the next week.
For BYU, the bigger question is what comes next in a Big 12 race that can flip fast, and Baylor is waiting with its own uncertainty after firing Dave Aranda and turning to Joe Klanderman as interim head coach. Scott Frost and his players talked afterward about sustaining the same edge that carried them through the upset, but the Cougars will be trying to answer for a loss that changes the conversation around them almost immediately. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Suddenly Faces A Secondary Test It Cant Afford To Fail
BYUs defense is about to get another look at its depth in the secondary, with cornerback Evan Johnson expected to sit out the upcoming game against Arizona State after getting hurt against UCF. Kalani Sitake said the injury is not season-ending, but the Cougars are planning as if Johnson will miss this week, which puts more pressure on a unit that has already had to adjust on the fly.
Arizona State brings its own uncertainty at quarterback, with Mikey Keene listed as questionable because of a leg injury. If Keene cannot go, freshman Jake Fette is expected to get the start, adding another layer of unpredictability to a matchup that already has plenty of moving parts for BYU to sort through on the back end. [Read more 🡒]