BYU’s undefeated season is over.
The No. 6 Cougars couldn’t post another late comeback Saturday night in a 17-13 home loss to Kansas. BYU failed to convert a fourth-and-11 at the Kansas 16-yard line with 47 seconds to go as Jake Retzlaff’s pass to Chase Roberts ended up 3 yards short of a first down.
BYU needed to get 11 yards because of a false start penalty. The second half was full of futile drives from BYU, and a fluky play on a punt led to Kansas’ go-ahead touchdown.
The Jayhawks had QB Jalon Daniels punt from inside BYU territory early in the fourth quarter. Daniels angled his kick to the right sideline, and it bounced off the helmet of a BYU player running down the field before Kansas recovered the ball inside 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 netted a field goal. The offense didn’t do anything after that. BYU ran just seven plays on its next two drives before its nine-play, 71-yard drive came up short inside the final minute.
The Cougars had a chance for a seven-point lead at halftime, but Retzlaff got picked off in the end zone by Mello Dotson with less than a minute to go 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 TD, while LJ Martin had 15 carries for 76 yards.
How BYU’s loss impacts the Big 12 title race
The Big 12 is set up for a massive Week 13. BYU and Colorado are now tied atop the conference at 6-1, with Arizona State and Iowa State 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’s Arizona State.
Colorado, meanwhile, travels to Kansas City to play the Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas needs wins in its final two games of the season to make a bowl game. If there’s a tie atop the conference at the end of the season between more than two teams, the Big 12 will need to go to its common opponents tiebreaker. The game between ASU and BYU is the only one involving the four on the schedule this season.