BYU caps off 2025 basketball season with win over Utah

***This article was originally published on the BYU-Idaho Radio website on March 11, 2025.

PROVO—It’s impossible to realize how loud the ROC is until you hear it in person. The ROC stands for the Roar of the Cougar, and the student section had plenty to roar about on Saturday, as the 23rd ranked Cougars prevailed over their archrival Utah Utes, 85-74.

The score was not indicative of how close the game was in the first half. The first half was marred by poor rebounding and destitute shooting from three.

Before the half, the Cougars were outrebounded 25-18 resulting in an 11-4 second chance points deficit. Normally an elite 3-point shooting team, BYU started 0-for-13 from beyond the arc. At one point, Utah led by five.

Despite these stark statistics, BYU led heading into the locker room, 34-30.

BYU shot out of a cannon when the second half buzzer sounded, outscoring the Utes 51-to-44. Guard, Dawson Baker, took over, tallying 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 3-for-5 from long range.

The defense was the difference as the Cougs’ “D” accounted for 3 blocks and 9 steals culminating in 21 points.

After the game, BYU’s Trey Stewart made clear that he enjoyed this win more than others.

“I hate Utah with a burning passion, so much man,” Stewart said. “So, just to get that win, I mean, we came motivated. They got us one earlier, so we owed them one.”

BYU Head Coach Kevin Young took a more measured approach when addressing the media.

“Just happy for our four seniors,” Young said. “Honestly, to come out here on Senior Night and get a win, especially against that team. We felt like we owed them one from what happened up at their place. … Kudos to Utah for playing hard.”

With the win, the Cougars improved to 23-8 on the year and 14-6 in the Big 12, locking up the 4 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Conference Tournament.

Sizing up the Season

BYU started off the season unranked and seemingly unchallenged by their nonconference schedule, starting 5-0.

However, once conference play started, BYU’s weaknesses were exposed quickly as the Cougars went 2-4. Coach Young spoke to how the team rebounded from the rough start.

“I’m proud of the fact that we started 1 and 3, then 2 and 4 and then didn’t melt down,” Young said. “We just came into work every day and tried to be a solution-oriented type of group. But the players, they bought into that, and I told them, I said, ‘Look, the sun’s still coming up the next day,’ when we had that poor record. A real testament to just staying the course. We got a fun road ahead of us and those guys will be a huge part of it.”

That mindset helped the Cougars to turn the tide, ending their season on an 8-game winning streak, including a win over #10 Iowa State.

Thanks to the fiery finish, the Cougars find themselves ranked at #17 in the latest AP Top 25 poll heading into postseason play.

It’s Tourney Time!

BYU now turns its focus to the Big 12 Conference Tournament. As the fourth seed in the bracket, the Cougars have a double-bye, meaning they will not play until Thursday. They will face the winner of Iowa State and Cincinnati or Oklahoma State.

The game is slated for 11 a.m. from Kansas City on either ESPN or ESPN 2.

Then, the March Madness bracket reveal will be Sunday, March 16. ESPN’s bracketology has the Cougars projected as a 5-seed in the East Region.

Coach Young says the Cougars are brimming with confidence going into the tournament.

“I think our group is confident because of, obviously, the wins as you pointed out, but just the way they work,” Young said. “They’re just mentally in a space that they’re ready to take the world on which, as a head coach, is a good feeling.”

Rex sets record as BYU falls to Iowa State

***This article was first published on the BYU-Idaho Radio website on November 14, 2023.

PROVO, Utah — The temperature was not the only thing that was cold on Saturday night in Provo. The BYU Cougars football team was frigid on both sides of the ball. Drubbed, mauled and shellacked are all apt adjectives to describe BYU’s 45-13 trouncing at the hands of the Iowa State Cyclones.

After the game, it was fair to say fans’ voices were left hoarse — not from cheering but from jeering — as their Cougars began flat and were never really able to gain their footing for the remainder of the contest.

The Cougars could not get out of their own way as they fumbled the opening kickoff of the game only to see quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, throw an interception on the first play from scrimmage — the first of three turnovers. The Cyclones would go on to rapidly turn that into seven points.

BYU’s return game hit another snag on the ensuing kickoff as BYU’s return man, once more flubbed the catch. This time the Cougars weren’t so lucky to fall on the fumble as Iowa State recovered the pigskin. For good measure, the Cyclones tacked on three more points on a 31-yard field goal.

Mere minutes into the game, the Cougars’ boat was taking on water. BYU had a mountain to climb, and it seemed, for a time at least, the Cougars would scale the mountain as, on the next drive, Retzlaff and the offense took the ball 75 yards, paying it off in the form of a five-yard JoJo Phillips touchdown.

That score, 10-7, was as close as the Cougars would get, however. By halftime, the Cougars found themselves in a 31-7 pit with only six passing yards to show for it.

When BYU came out for the second half, they showed signs of a pulse as they forced an Iowa State punt followed by a touchdown in the first offensive possession out of the locker room — a 26-yard touchdown reception from Isaac Rex.

With that touchdown, Rex became the all-time touchdown leader for BYU tight ends with 23, surpassing the previous mark of 22 set by Gordon Hudson. Speaking after the game, Rex reflected on his place in history.

“I love this university so much,” Rex said. “I love these fans. I've been a BYU fan my whole life, so it's very cool. There's been a lot better tight ends that have come before me and there'll be better tight ends that come after me. But to get a record’s cool, individually, but right now I'm not too focused on that. I got to find out ways I could help this team move the ball and win.”

That touchdown was the last time that BYU would find the end zone, failing on a two-point conversion. The Cougars' defense did not help them either as they surrendered 443 total yards and 21 first downs. By comparison, the Cougars gained just 318 yards for 18 first downs.

“Obviously, just disappointing and frustrated because it’s kind of the same outcome the past three weeks,” AJ Vongphachanh, one of the Cougars starting linebackers, said. “I think it’s more about us than about the opponent at the end of the day. I don’t think it takes dramatic changes, and I think that’s why it’s frustrating.”

Rex added that players need to take accountability for what happens on the field.

“We got to figure it out as players and look deep into ourselves of what’s going on and we have to figure it out,” Rex said.

Despite the team’s recent struggles, Retzlaff believes that the team has the right pieces in place to turn things around.

“It’s tough, but this team is tougher,” Retzlaff said. “I don’t feel our team falling apart in any way. I feel like we can [turn it around]. We’re still in the grind mindset of, ‘Alright, that was really disappointing. Let’s learn from that as best we can.’”

During his news conference, head coach, Kilani Sitake, did not mince words as he summed up the loss.

“Not a good outcome,” Sitake said. “From what I understand, [Iowa State] still controls their destiny, and they have a chance to win the conference. We are nowhere near that right now. I see a lot of mistakes out there still, and there’s not a lot of things going right for us right now. One thing, that’s to get back to work and work really hard and try to find a way to get a better result next week.”

With the loss, the Cougars have lost three straight and drop to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the Big 12. BYU has two more chances to capture their sixth win and become bowl eligible.

The first test comes in their final game at the friendly confines of LaVell Edwards Stadium against the 14th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners will march into Provo looking for their second consecutive win. The 8-2 Sooners are 5-2 in conference play and are 2-2 away from home.

Kickoff is slated for 10 a.m., Saturday, on ESPN.

Worth Noting:

• BYU is now 0-5 lifetime against Iowa State 
• The game against Iowa State marked Sitake’s 100th game as BYU head coach. 
• The Cougars are 2-0 all-time against Oklahoma with the last matchup coming in the 2009 season opener. 
• Historically, the Cougars are 32-66-1 against ranked opponents (7-10 under Sitake) 
• A win on Saturday would secure BYU’s seventh bowl game in eight seasons under Sitake.

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