In a game where BYU had to play almost perfectly to contend with No. 4 Texas Tech for the Big 12 championship, the No. 11 Cougars were far from it. Mistakes on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game spoiled BYU’s highly anticipated rematch that ended in a 34-7 Red Raiders victory.
“Obviously it hurts,” said senior receiver Chase Roberts. “You look back at all the different things that could have caused something like this, but they are a good team. They made plays and we didn’t execute the way we needed to.”
Carrying the same postseason aspirations that the Cougars took into Lubbock on Nov. 8 in a 29-7 defeat, BYU ran into the same suffocating Red Raider defense. After a series of similar breathtaking mistakes, the Cougars left with a similar result — and there were three key plays that made the biggest difference.
Wounded Bear
The way BYU marched down the field on its opening drive made it clear that they had come to Arlington, Texas, on a two-pronged mission to prove their worthiness to the College Football Playoff selection committee and to give Texas Tech its best shot.
“We felt like we were going to get everything and anything, and we did,” said Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire. “They emptied the tank on that first drive. The one thing we did make them do is drive the field, so they had to use everything.”
BYU’s all-hands-on-deck approach included a 22-yard pass from receiver Parker Kingston to tight end Carsen Ryan to the Red Raiders’ 11-yard line.
“The first drive we were able to find some rhythm,” said Roberts. “It felt good.”
The very next play, however, changed the game. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier twisted his ankle on a one-yard run into the right side of the line of scrimmage. He was never the same after that and neither was BYU’s offense.
“Yeah, I mean, he was banged up,” said Cougars coach Kalani Sitake. “So, when you have a lower-leg injury (it) causes issues for you to throw the ball. But that’s not an excuse.”
BYU scored one play later on a direct snap to LJ Martin to take a 7-0 lead. As the team celebrated, Bachmeier quietly limped off the field. With limited mobility, Bear turned into a sitting duck for the No. 1 defense in the Big 12.
As Roberts said, “Bear was playing with one leg.”
Off target
Trailing 13-7, the Cougars took the second-half kickoff and drove to the Texas Tech 28-yard line. The 12-play sequence included a 21-yard screen pass to Parker Kingston and an 11-yard run from Martin.
Will Ferrin lined up to boot a 46-yard field goal and cut the Texas Tech lead in half. The snap was good, the hold was fine, but Ferrin pulled his kick to the left. The miss not only cost BYU some much-needed points, but it also failed to shift the momentum away from the Red Raiders and their partisan crowd.
“I’ve seen some amazing kickers in the Big 12 miss field goals and on both sides that happened today,” said Sitake. “But I think the environment can play into that, and we trust him. He’s won games for us, and he’s going to be our guy. We’ve just got to get him ready for the next one.”
Turnover time
Still trailing by six late in the third quarter, and after holding Texas Tech on fourth and 2 at the BYU 14, the Cougars offense returned to the field needing one big play to re-take the lead.
Short runs by Sione Moa and Bachmeier moved the ball to the 20, but on third and 3, Bachmeier threw a pass intended for Roberts, but it never got there. Instead, Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts leaped up and picked it off for the game’s first turnover.
“It was a big, big play,” said Red Raider quarterback Behren Morton. “It really started off the momentum we needed. We were moving the ball, but we weren’t finishing drives.”
On the next play, Texas Tech running back Cameron Dickey took a direct snap and ran 11 yards for a touchdown. The Red Raiders added a two-point conversion to extend the lead to 21-7.
“Offensively, they capitalized very well on the way that they got big plays and momentum from their defense,” said BYU safety Tanner Wall. “Their playmakers made plays that changed the game and we weren’t able to do that on our end.”
BYU’s next five drives ended with a punt, fumble, interception, turnover on downs and another fumble as Texas Tech piled on the points.
“Our defense is chaos,” Morton said. In two games against BYU, the Red Raiders forced seven turnovers while not having any themselves. “I can’t say enough about the defense for what they’ve done for the offense. It makes our job a lot easier.”
A beaten Kingston concurred.
“That’s the best defense I’ve ever played against and to be able to play against them twice is honestly — an honor,” he said. “Every team is good but that is the best defense in the country.”
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.