No. 6 BYU’s undefeated season ends with 17-13 loss to Kansas

On By Littum

Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson (3) intercepts a pass in the end zone as BYU tight end Mata'ava Ta'ase (88) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Provo. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)

Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson intercepted a Jake Retzlaff pass late in the first half in the Jayhawks’ 17-13 win at No. 6 BYU. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)

BYU’s undefeated season is over.

Cougars no. 6 couldn’t mount 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 left when Jake Retzlaff’s pass to Chase Roberts fell three yards short of a first down.

BYU needed to gain 11 yards because of a false start penalty. The second half was full of futile drives by 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 downfield 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) 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 scored a field goal. The offense did nothing after that. BYU ran just seven plays on its next two drives before its nine-play, 71-yard drive fell short inside the final minute.

The Cougars had a chance for a seven-point lead at halftime, but Retzlaff was picked off in the end zone by Mello Dotson with less than a minute left 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.

The Big 12 is set 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 probably out, especially if it’s Arizona State.

Colorado, meanwhile, travels to Kansas City to play the Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas needs wins in the final two games of the season to make a bowl game. If there is a tie atop the conference at the end of the season between more than two teams, the Big 12 will have to go to their common opponent’s tiebreaker. The game between ASU and BYU is the only one involving the four on the schedule this season.