The BYU Cougars started the college football season 3-0 with road wins over SMU and Wyoming, but didn’t really start to get attention until blasting Kansas State in the Big 12 opener, 38-9, in Week 4.
Now the nationally ranked Cougars are putting on a clinic in Waco, TX, going up 21-7 in the first quarter against the Baylor Bears behind a dominant start from quarterback Jake Retzlaff.
Retzlaff completed 5-of-6 pass attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, but it was a 17-yard touchdown run with 3:39 left in the quarter that gave BYU a 21-0 lead and quieted the surprising number of doubters still unsure if Retzlaff is the right man to lead the Cougars under center this season.
BYU is up 21-0 at Baylor in the first quarter! 🏈🔥pic.twitter.com/SKrInBFThQ
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 28, 2024
Retzlaff appeared in four games for BYU in 2023, completing just over 50% of his passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions. This season he looked outstanding in Week 1 over Southern Illinois, but threw a pair of picks against SMU and another against Wyoming, which had some folks worried he was too turnover prone for Kalani Sitake’s offense.
Retzlaff worked hard to put that narrative to rest with a pair of touchdown passes and a 71.4% completion rate against Kansas State, and now with a touchdown in the air and his first rushing score of the season already in the books against Baylor, it’s clear Retzlaff is not only good enough to start for BYU, he could lead them to a top three finish in the Big 12 and – perhaps – a shocking run to the College Football Playoff.