For the second time in the independence era, BYU went 0-4 in October.
The Cougars’ 27-24 loss to East Carolina last Friday sealed a winless month for BYU and extended its losing streak to four straight, dropping the Cougars to below .500 at 4-5.
It’s a stark contrast to how BYU started the month — at 4-1 and ranked No. 16 in the country.
Now, the program is in serious danger of missing out on bowl season in the final year before BYU leaves independence for the Big 12 Conference next summer.
The slide has brought about a variety of opinions from former Cougar players on social media.
Here’s a sampling of what some of these former athletes said after the loss to East Carolina.
What went wrong against East Carolina?
While BYU showed some improvement during the last-second loss to the Pirates, some old habits showed up again — inefficiency on third and fourth down, mental errors at critical moments and opposing offenses going long stretches where they score on consecutive possessions.
The struggles struck both the offense and defense, as former BYU linebackers David Nixon and Bryan Kehl illustrated.
Others who’ve lost 4 straight shared how they overcame it
Former BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie was on the 2014 BYU team that went 0-4 in October — the only other time in happened during the independence era.
In some ways, it was a similar slide to the Cougars’ current predicament.
BYU was ranked in the Top 20 when that four-game skid began. A major injury — to quarterback Taysom Hill — coincided with the start of that 2014 losing streak.
Former Cougar safety Andrew Rich, who was at BYU from 2008-10 and also went through a four-game losing streak during his final season in 2010, offered his thoughts on how to re-establish the team’s identity.
What about team culture and re-occuring issues?
BYU coach Kalani Sitake has routinely talked about the team needing to find its culture during the struggles this year, and several former Cougars echoed those sentiments.
How to establish that culture has proven much more difficult.
A few former Cougars identified glaring areas where improvements need to be made.
What about putting your money where your mouth is?
With BYU entering Power Five territory when it joins the Big 12 next year, former BYU safety Derwin Gray suggested Cougar fans find ways to help financially in the Name, Image and Likeness era.