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BYU's Kalani Sitake After UCF loss: "We Can't Let This Define us"
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- BYU's Kalani Sitake After UCF loss: "We Can't Let This Define us"
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The BYU Cougars undefeated season came to an end on Saturday night as the No. 2 Cougars fell to UCF 39-31 in double overtime . In a game filled with dramatic twists and missed opportunities, the Knights kept pounding in the final moments.
Coming off a statement win over Notre Dame, BYU (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) entered the matchup with championship aspirations. The Cougars reached their highest ranking in 42 years and looked to strengthen its position among the nation's elite teams. Instead, they left Orlando with a defeat.
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UCF (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) delivered one of the biggest victories in program history. Knights quarterback Keyone Jenkins connected with tight end Grayson Brousseau for a 2-yard touchdown in the second overtime. BYU had an opportunity to extend the game, but quarterback Bear Bachmeier's fourth-down pass to Walker Lyons fell incomplete.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake acknowledged the challenge posed by the loss to the Knights, giving credit to an opponent that consistently forced his team into uncomfortable situations.
"The double overtime loss was a hard one for us to deal with, but we can't let it define us," Sitake told BYUtv Sports Nation . "We gotta keep moving on and from what I see. There are a lot of crazy things happening in college football, so this is one of them, unfortunately, but I was kind of come back and get better."
BYU came close to escaping with a win in regulation. After UCF failed to score on a fourth down quarterback sneak, the Cougars appeared to have an opportunity to regain control. However, there was a sequence involving a reviewed incomplete pass, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a blocked 47-yard field goal that ultimately sent the game to overtime.
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Bachmeier finished with 257 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Kyler Kasper provided a bright spot with six receptions for 129 yards.
Despite the loss, BYU's season is far from over. The Cougars still have a path to the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, if they can regroup in the final games. They'll host Arizona State on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX). But the one that will be huge comes the following week.
The 8th-ranked Cougars face a crucial November 7 matchup against No. 6 Utah. The latest edition of the Holy War that will shape their conference championship hopes for both teams. BYU's margin for error is now gone. The challenge is turning Saturday's heartbreak into motivation for the stretch run toward the final month.
