Bear Bachmeier whipped up enough turnovers to open a bakery on Saturday, tossing a career-worst four interceptions in critical moments and scoring opportunities. In a game that finalized with a one-possession gap, 28-20, even settling for three field goals could have been enough to change the fate of the Cougars.
But they didn't kick those field goals; they lost the biggest remaining game on their schedule. This was a game that will haunt Kalani Sitake's BYU football team for weeks. The Cougars weathered an early 14-0 deficit with four consecutive scoring drives. Opening with two field goals before a crescendo of two touchdowns, Aaron Roderick's offense broke the game wide open as Kelly Poppinga's defense forced turnovers and locked the Utes out of scoring range.
Suddenly, what began as a traditional hot start for the Utes tilted heavily in the direction of BYU when Devon Dampier fumbled the ball at the Utah 20-yard line. BYU recovered, and stared down an opportunity to turn a perfect 17-0 quarter into a 27-14 lead by halftime, and rights to possession to open the second half.
But just two plays later, Bear Bachmeier flew a pass over the head of his receiver and into the awaiting arms of the Utah secondary.
For three consecutive games, Bachmeier had thrown a pick in the late second-quarter. That was a shadow of every game since BYU's milestone victory over Notre Dame -- and would be an omen for a scoreless second half for the Cougars.
After taking a 20-14 lead and silencing the bouncing sea of crimson at Rice-Eccles Stadium, BYU's possessions went as follows:
Punt
Interception
Interception
3-and-out
3-and-out
Interception
Interception
It's a miracle that BYU kept this game within one possession against an undefeated, top-3 opponent on the road. Doubly so when considering the severe disparity in penalty yardage, the Cougars flagged for 11 penalties and 80 yards with the Utes drawing just four penalties for 19.
Still, BYU had more total yards than the Utes in this game. They had possession for longer. And they were graced with opportunity after opportunity to not only close the point differential, but to take the lead outright. Each of Bachmeier's interceptions was thrown on Utah's side of the 50-yard line: scoring territory.
There was no better chance than a 3rd-and-goal at the 2-yard-line, where Bachmeier threw his third interception of the game despite being one mediocre rush away from 6 points and a chance to tie the game.
Bear's final pass was comfortably snagged by a Ute DB, a desperation heave to Kyler Kasper in the endzone with just two seconds of game time remaining.
Kalani Sitake's team had been showing symptoms of poor execution all season. Untimely turnovers, careless penalties, and failure to put points on the board in critical moments were the themes of last week's narrow win against Arizona State, a Game 5 win against Iowa State, and, most crucially, a double-overtime loss to Central Florida -- the untreated, open wound bleeding away the Cougars' hopes of their program's first College Football Playoff berth.
The fact that BYU managed to stay within striking distance against a true top-three program is admirable. The reality that this was a plausibly winnable game for Sitake's program makes the final result unbearable.
Today was won by Morgan Scalley and the Utah Utes. A team that will almost certainly represent the Big 12 in the CFP and would be the Cougars' opponent in the Big 12 title game if fate affords them entry -- that all depends on Texas Tech now.
Perhaps the selection committee will be merciful to BYU if Notre Dame manages to topple top-ranked Miami this evening -- they've forgiven a sin equally deplorable to BYU's UCF loss for second-ranked Georgia due to their top-tier victories -- but the Cougars' loss while ranked ninth does not inspire confidence that the Big 12 Conference will be a two-bid league this winter.
Let's hope I'm wrong.
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