Jake Retzlaff passed for 167 yards and added two rushing touchdowns as No. 19 BYU rode a stifling defensive performance to a 30-18 win over the Houston Cougars in Provo, Utah, on Saturday.
Retzlaff scored on runs of 13 and 7 yards, the latter coming with 2:52 remaining in the game to help BYU (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) reclaim its two-possession advantage. Houston (4-8, 3-6) had clawed to within six points earlier in the fourth quarter before Jack Kelly and Blake Mangelson teamed for the biggest defensive play of the contest for BYU.
With Houston facing fourth-and-7 at the BYU 44, Kelly sacked Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss and forced a fumble. After a mad scramble, Mangelson made the recovery at the Houston 18.
Five plays later, Retzlaff scored on third down to secure the victory for BYU, which was eliminated from Big 12 title game contention when Iowa State defeated Kansas State earlier.
Chriss passed for 156 yards and, like Retzlaff, ran for two scores. He was intercepted once.
After securing a 10-7 lead, Houston slipped into an extended offensive drought. Including a one-play drive that concluded the first half, Houston amassed 55 yards over six possessions. BYU flipped the three-point deficit into a 14-point lead before Houston suddenly responded.
Chriss capped a 12-play, 69-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. His subsequent pass to Mekhi Mews resulted in a successful two-point conversion that pulled Houston to within 24-18 with 8:34 to play. When BYU followed with three incomplete passes and a 17-second possession, Houston had its shot.
Chriss supplied Houston a 7-0 lead with his 3-yard touchdown run at the 1:47 mark of the first quarter. But Houston squandered the momentum from its 10-play, 80-yard drive by attempting an onside kick that BYU’s Talan Alfrey returned 58 yards for a touchdown seven seconds later.
Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, BYU came to life with a pair of touchdown drives en route to a 21-10 halftime lead. Sione I Moa and Retzlaff produced scoring runs of 6 and 13 yards, respectively, with Retzlaff capping a 6-play, 80-yard drive that took only 50 seconds.
Houston, which entered last in FBS in scoring offense, totaled only 250 yards.
–Field Level Media