University Park, Texas • BYU’s run game was running on empty.
The Cougars had run through four different ball carriers. They were 2-of-12 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth.
But with four minutes left in a tie game — and facing a fourth-and-one — offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick decided to line up and go for it.
The play that came next arguably decided the game. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff shuffled a pitch over to running back Miles Davis, who broke loose for a 37-yard pop. The run took BYU inside the SMU 15 and set up the game-winning field goal.
With that, BYU escaped Dallas with an 18-15 win.
The Cougars may not have played their cleanest game, but it was good enough to get the team’s first road win since Sept. 16, 2023.
The Cougars defense stood tall, keeping the Mustangs out of the end zone. SMU scored its points on five field goals.
Retzlaff finished 15-of-28 for 202 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. BYU ran for 134 yards on the night.
For most of the game, BYU’s offense struggled. It had five three-and-outs and a turnover on downs. After running back LJ Martin exited the game with an injury, the Cougars’ running backs largely struggled.
It wasn’t until a late in the third quarter that BYU seemed to take control in the second half. Running back Enoch Nawahine took a fourth-down run and turned it into a nine-yard touchdown, giving BYU a 15-12 lead at the time.
SMU had two more chances to take the lead after that. But BYU’s defense came up with two red zone stops. The first time, quarterback Kevin Jennings threw an interception to BYU corner Marque Collins at the 5-yard line.
The second time followed a Retzlaff interception. SMU had the ball inside the five, but immediately fumbled on a Harrison Taggart hit. It was one of five combined turnovers.
The Cougars improved to 2-0 on the year.
Up next, they travel to Wyoming to take on the Cowboys.
