The Kansas Jayhawks ruined BYU’s perfect season as the Cougars’ late-minute heroics ran out in a 17-13 loss at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU was looking to go 10-0 for just the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2001.
The 6th-ranked Cougars had several opportunities to break the game open against Kansas, however, several missed throws that would have gone for touchdowns combined with an interception in the end zone and a fluky punt that hit a BYU player in the back of the head to give the Jayhawks the ball inside the 5-yard line was all the difference.
Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it does not. For BYU, it has all season, however, for Kansas, it’s been the opposite this year as they’ve lost 4 of 5 games by one score this season — with many late in the fourth quarter too. Of those losses, those were by an average of four points. As I mentioned in the preview, Kansas is just a couple of plays from having 7 or 8 wins this year so Saturday’s game was going to be a test, especially since the Jayhawks came in playing their best ball of the season.
Kansas, led by quarterback Jalon Daniels, threw for 169 yards, and running back Dylan Neal ran for two touchdowns in the win as the Jayhawks beat ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks for the first time in school history. Neal also eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark for his career in the victory. He is just one of four active FBS players with 4,000+ career yards rushing.
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw for 192 yards and running back LJ Martin had a team-high 76 yards rushing. The Cougars had 100+ total yards more than Kansas (354-242), however, the Cougars couldn’t turn those into points as they had their lowest-scoring output of the season.
Here are all the reactions to Kansas’ win over BYU:
— Barstool Big12 (@BarstoolBig12) November 17, 2024
KANSAS RUINS NO. 6 BYU'S UNDEFEATED SEASON BID 😱 pic.twitter.com/NibQmnkiYB
— ESPN (@espn) November 17, 2024
An unbeaten will go down: Kansas wins at BYU. Huge win for Lance Leipold and KU, which at one point endured a five game losing streak this season.
Big 12 tie-breakers galore.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 17, 2024
This is the pooch punt from Jalon Daniels that hit off a BYU player and was recovered by Kansas, leading to the go-ahead and eventual game-winning score. What a way to take down an unbeaten. pic.twitter.com/TsUfuH0JqN
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 17, 2024
Kansas has defeated a ranked opponent in consecutive weeks for the first time in school history.
— Adam Sullivan (@Sully_2029) November 17, 2024
Two things about this football game:
1. What a freaking performance. What a gutsy road effort to take down an undefeated top-10 team on the road.
2. It’s officially the biggest what if season in Kansas football history. This team is so much better than 4-6. So bittersweet.
— Rock Chalk Blog (@RockChalkBlog) November 17, 2024
BYU had nine lives, just didn't have a 10th.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 17, 2024
I might have an aneurism by the end of the year.
— Chris Manning (@Manning4USCong) November 17, 2024
It’s after midnight, mom
BYU is in another one-possession game in the 4th quarter
— Kelley Ford (@KFordRatings) November 17, 2024
Kansas ends BYU's perfect season, 17-13
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 17, 2024
Can't wait for @CFBPlayoff selection committee to drop BYU (9-1) behind 10 SEC teams in Tuesday's rankings
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 17, 2024
Kansas gets the stop!
The formerly 1-5 Jayhawks are really turning their season around. Credit to this veteran squad for continuing to lead and believe.
— Max Olson (@max_olson) November 17, 2024
Big 12 is officially a one-bid league now
— Max Chadwick (@CFBMaxChadwick) November 17, 2024
We have two Big 12 Bangers next week:
1. Colorado-Kansas
2. Arizona State-BYUBuckle up.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) November 17, 2024
BYU held Neal/Daniels to just 67 yards rushing. No way would I believe BYU could lose a game doing as much. Not a chance.
— Brandon Gurney (@BrandonCGurney) November 17, 2024
What a massive win for Lance Leipold’s team.
Kansas was 1-5 and is now 4-6 with wins over Iowa State and BYU 🔥 📈
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) November 17, 2024
We've got ourselves a CFP elimination game next week in Tempe when BYU visits ASU.
A sentence never before written.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 17, 2024
kansas taking out the entire top of their conference and letting boise walk into the top 4 conference champion slot >>>>>>>>>>
— Charles Brolin (@brolo397) November 17, 2024
Maybe we’ll break the top 5 now! Finally got that quality loss.
— KareBear (@baby_maumau) November 17, 2024
Y’all gotta good team. Your record does not tell a very accurate story
— Jeff Mac (@Mac_The_Jazz) November 17, 2024
heads high cougs. you're still 9-1 and first in the big12.
— jayhawk lasso (@jaylassoku) November 17, 2024
Feels like Kansas got revenge for BYU winning at Allen Fieldhouse last February. https://t.co/pafnqVkJJ9
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) November 17, 2024
That punt feels exactly like the sort of game losing play BYU would lose their perfect season to.
— Derek Prestwich (@prestwich_derek) November 17, 2024
“This punt was stolen from us”
I should have known Vegas oddsmakers knew about this before the game. 😅 https://t.co/RjmAVk31s3
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) November 17, 2024
The end of the half INT and the touched punt that they couldn’t corral were too much to overcome. If one of those plays goes the other way, BYU likely wins.
— Jason Shepherd (@jsnshep) November 17, 2024
You can count on three things in life:
1) Death
2) Taxes
3) And BYU coaches burning timeouts for no reason #BYUFootball #BYUvsKU #Big12FB #GoCougs #CFB— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) November 17, 2024
Got overconfident that last set of downs. Trying to burn clock instead of getting it into the end zone.
— Mark Durrant (@DurrantMark) November 17, 2024
Three offensive touchdowns in five halves of football—tough questions need to be asked. That is disgraceful.
— Jonny Linehan (@jlinehan9) November 17, 2024
Two TD's in the past 22 offensive possessions (last three vs. UCF, 11 vs. Utah, eight vs. KU). Something is broken.
— Darnell Dickson (@DarnellWrites) November 17, 2024
We should be up 28-10. Instead red zone play calling puts us in a very bad spot.
— Crosspatch (@xx007) November 17, 2024
Shoulda had 24 points. Unreal. 2 offensive touchdowns in 2 weeks
— Nolan (@NolanNielsen2) November 17, 2024
Good perspective. I just don’t like the trajectory of this team the last few weeks. But yes, hoping they learn and course correct.
— Tommy (@Irieska) November 17, 2024
BYU was averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
45 seconds left and two timeouts from the 5-yard line and BYU coaches called a TE fade. Awful.
Looks like BYU coaches didn’t learn anything from the Oklahoma 100-yard pick-6 last year.
— Justin Giles (@JustinGiles_) November 17, 2024
At this point let's just burn time outs early. We clearly don't know what to do with them
— hobo (@hobocita) November 17, 2024
BYU might have the worst end of half execution in the country.. horrible play calling, unaware of clock/timeouts, terrible execution. Arod tries to get cute and pays the price. Run the damn ball! #byufootball @byufootball #byukansas
— Blizzy🍍 (@BlakeRobinson32) November 17, 2024
So frustrating. Just pound the rock!
— D (@dchankster) November 17, 2024
Wasted a timeout just to trot the FG unit out 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ honestly wtf is going through this coaching staff’s heads?
— Brax (@byu_homer) November 17, 2024
What a miserable way to lose. Absolutely no sense of urgency from kick off to final bell and eventually that lack of juice catches up to you
— Calvy J (@CJRealHoops1) November 17, 2024
This is not implying the refs stole the game from BYU. The Cougars can only blame themselves. https://t.co/gV1YxRzkFZ
— Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) November 17, 2024
I want to know which play Retzlaff audibled out of to run an option to the boundary. I really do.
— Brandon Gurney (@BrandonCGurney) November 17, 2024
The series wasn’t blown on fourth down, it was blown on the first three downs. All runs and then an option to the boundary side? You made the sideline a 12th defender
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) November 17, 2024
We lost to a Big12 team. We’re still undefeated in the Pac12.
— Sporty (@SportyMcSports) November 17, 2024
BYU and Utah today pic.twitter.com/ShGEk00sYv
— Austin Horton (@austinhorton) November 17, 2024
