Let's be real for a minute here: the 2024 BYU football season was undoubtedly special. In a year that many projected the Cougars to stumble in their exasperated pursuit of bowl eligibility for a second straight season in the Big 12 Conference.
Finishing last season with an 11-2 record is a major win for a program that has seen far more mediocrity than truly elite performances in the past decade or so. In finishing ranked 13th in the final AP poll (yes, just like basketball), this squad solidified its position in the national hierarchy. And it was well beyond the middle of the pack, as confirmed by their vicious romp through Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl.
So now the dilemma surrounding the program is simple: you've drastically improved in just one season -- can you keep it up?
Well, facing a relatively light schedule (at least by today's under-informed metrics), another 11-2 season is not out of the question. In fact, coach Kalani SItake had better put the golden parentheses of the College Football Playoff logo front and center in the locker room after just missing out last season.
This year, the goal is the playoffs. Unfortunately, that's a horrifically challenging accomplishment for any team not named Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. To gain entry into this exclusive club, BYU will need to impress the bouncer at the door.
Here are three ways the Cougars can improve their resume and crack the playoff conversation in 2025.
3 stats BYU Football must improve in 2025
Interceptions Thrown
Jake Retzlaff does a lot of good for BYU's offense. He is a true gunslinger, capable of delivering strikes from nearly anywhere on the field. This is a great sign for those who questioned his ability to lead the team after a rocky sophomore stint cleaning up for the injured Kedon Slovis.
In 2024, he became one of the conference's strongest quarterbacks. A veteran without fear and a steady hand in high-pressure situations -- and he had to navigate many high-pressure drives throughout the season.
Here's the downside to firing from the hip, though. Retzlaff threw many interceptions last season, coughing up 12 giveaways to his 20 touchdown tosses on the season. Such tiny mistakes made the difference in their only two losses on the season, slipping at the goal line against Kansas in a one-possession finish, and forcing one into a tight window down the stretch against ASU in what could have been a go-ahead drive.
An undefeated season was within reach, but mistakes kept the Cougars in their own way.
3rd Down Conversions
Please, please, please
Convert third down.
-Alternate Universe Sabrina Carpenter
BYU's defense was a power with almost no equal across the Big 12 gauntlet. Here's a problem, however: when the defense can't get a breather, every play wears a unit down. Every drive becomes more of an inevitability.
For every play an offense is on the field, there's an opposing defense getting worn down. Every play an offense spends on the field is another breath of fresh air for both themselves and a moment of reconstruction for the defense.
A major issue facing 2024's offense? Too many 3rd and long situations. BYU only converted 36% of their third down tries -- a frustrating result for a team that wants to score in bunches. Keep third downs in manageable ranges, and keep the offense on the field!
Breach the Backfield!
For all the good Jay Hill's defense accomplished during the 2024 campaign -- most notably forcing turnovers at a disgustingly high rate -- but one lingering issue from the Tuiaki era couldn't be shaken. The defense simply doesn't sack quarterbacks very frequently.
With a 4.69 sack percentage, BYU's front line rarely got the quarterback to the ground compared to other defenses around the nation. That line was ranked 113th in the FBS. To go from exceptional to elite, every aspect of the defense needs to be suffocating. And though the quarterback was often hurried, taking him down will be key in 2025.