Disruptive, rowdy, turbulent chaos: BYU stymies Colorado’s high-octane offense

Colorado brought the TV audience, BYU provided the football plays.

No. 17 BYU dominated No. 23 Colorado 36-14 in the Valero Alamo Bowl Saturday night in San Antonio with start-to-finish momentum, execution and highlights aplenty.

It was a steak in a skillet kind of cook.

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BYU flipped the script on an ABC broadcast crew that came to the booth with piles of notes to hype Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and his QB Shedeur Sanders, future NFL first-round picks.

Colorado, a team Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said was “The best team we’ve played by far,” after losing to the Buffs in Boulder 49-24 on Nov. 16, was manhandled so completely BYU could “afford” to give CU three interceptions attempting to get to pay dirt.

Those mistakes had no impact on the game.

None whatsoever.

As BYU raced to a 20-0 lead at the half, Hunter was barking at Sanders after two fruitless possessions by Colorado as Sanders had his GPS set for “Run for your life.” When Sanders wasn’t dancing around in the pocket dodging a Jay Hill master class pass rush clinic, he was looking at the ceiling of the Alamodome from his back.

If not for dropped passes, overthrown and underthrown passes, interceptions thrown by Gerry Bohanon and Jake Retzlaff (tipped shovel pass) near the end zone in the opening minutes, BYU could have led 35-0 at the break, helped immensely by a 64-yard punt return for a TD by Parker Kingston, his second this season.

This was a complete game for the Cougars. Perhaps the best bowl preparation by a Cougar team ever.

“We proved tonight we can hang with anybody in the country,” senior Tyler Batty told a KSL radio network audience.

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So prepared was Kalani Sitake’s team it could have abandoned the trick plays it tried, and many did fail, played Colorado straight up with its basic offense, and probably would have scored 45 or more points.

Defensively, Hill’s defense mixed up three- and four-man rushes, dropping linemen into zone coverage, mixing man coverage, while sending safeties and linebackers on blitzes. The constant changing of looks caused Sanders all kinds of problems, as evidenced by a fourth-quarter interception by Isaiah Glasker.

On special teams, Kingston’s long return was a backbreaker. Ethan Slade also recovered a perfectly executed onside kick in the first quarter. Will Ferrin was perfect on field goals of 51, 54 and 31 yards.

Total superiority.

Oh, and don’t forget, Colorado was favored by 5.5 points last week.

No, this was a first-class beatdown by the Cougars over a Colorado team that earned part of a four-way tie for first in the Big 12 with the Cougars, ASU and Iowa State.

True, bowl games are a completely different animal in college football. It’s a roll of the dice with a lot of teams with players opting not to play, some absent because of the transfer portal.

But both Colorado and BYU came to San Antonio with hungry, motivated and competitive players who wanted to get after it and gain a win.

BYU, however, had the right sauce.

The win gives Sitake a pair of rare 11-win seasons the past four years, his third double-digit win campaign in that time frame.

The win sent departing seniors on their way on a high note and builds momentum for recruiting and preparation for BYU’s third season in the Big 12 with a full reception of Big 12 money, wherein the first two years they got only half portions.

This team simply did not want to finish the year 1-3 with a win over Houston at home after losing a tiebreaker to play for the conference championship in Arlington. Mission accomplished in style.

BYU’s defense was simply amazing on this night, holding Sanders to 119 yards below his average per game in passing yards. BYU’s defense gave up a 58-yard pass to Hunter in the first half, with no score, and allowed just three other yards the first half.

BYU hit Sanders early and late, pounding him into the turf time and time again. It was disruptive, rowdy, turbulent chaos — Jay Hill style.

It was a master class by BYU’s defensive coaches and players on how to control a team that doesn’t like to run the ball. Hill’s game prep and schemes made Colorado’s superstars and future first-round draft picks look, well, average.

You have to credit Sanders and Hunter for playing in this game. They are big men and didn’t quit on their squad and staff. Hats off.

Running back LJ Martin gained 93 yards on 17 carries for a 5.5 yard average and scored two touchdowns. He led the team in receiving yards with 33.

One could say BYU’s offense could have played significantly better in this game but it didn’t have to because of how dominating the Cougars were on defense and special teams. The offense had only one three-and-out possession and that was on the first drive of the game.

From Tyler Batty to Glasker, Jack Kelly, Jakob Robinson, Raider Damuni and others, the tackling was crisp on Colorado’s bread-and-butter short passing game.

The blitzes were effective as Sanders was in trouble from the start.

Yes, this might have been the best bowl game the program has witnessed in some time.

That it came in the most-prestigious bowl since the 1997 Cotton Bowl and before a big TV audience had to make it a sweet ride home for this squad who registered its ninth win over a P4 program this season, three of those wins over teams with nine wins.

It’s a great foundation for 2025.