‘The future looks bright for us’: BYU vibes shining after 1st 12-win campaign in 24 years

ORLANDO, Fla. (KSL.com) — By halftime of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, No. 12 BYU looked beaten, or at least up against the ropes.

Whether distracted by three theme-park visits in five days, the sunny winter weather of central Florida, or defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s forthcoming potential reunion with his former coach Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor, the Cougars were at least temporarily flummoxed by dynamic dual-threat quarterback Haynes King and No. 22 Georgia Tech.

King and the “Ramblin’ Wreck” rumbled to a 14-3 second quarter, outgaining the Cougars with 115 yards of offense to 64 and turning a 7-7 first-quarter stalemate into a 21-10 halftime advantage.

Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier looked hobbled, seemingly playing on a single, fully functioning ankle, while King completed 8-of-13 passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns just 13 seconds apart as the Yellow Jackets grinded BYU’s LJ Martin-less ground game to a halt in allowing just 10 yards on the ground.

But if BYU men’s basketball is proving to be a second-half team — oftentimes to the chagrin of fans and their own head coach Kevin Young — then Kalani Sitake’s squad has matched that energy.

At least, the Cougars did Saturday night, adding sprinkles to the frosting with a 124-yard fourth quarter to go with a second-half defensive shutout as BYU (12-2) improved to 5-2 in bowl games in Sitake’s 10 years with a 25-21 win over the 9-4 Yellow Jackets.

“I think we have a lot of heart,” said senior safety Tanner Wall, who had five tackles in the win. “We’ve got a lot of love for each other, got a lot of love for our coaches and for our fans and for our program.

“I think there’s a lot of things that can be measured in statistics,” he added, “the kind of intangible things that just make us who we are and it shows in the ways we win games all the time.”

Indeed, BYU improved to 84-45 under Sitake, the former BYU fullback who wouldn’t dare compare himself to his coach, the late legend LaVell Edwards. But by improving to 23-4 in the past two seasons with the Cougars’ first 12-win campaign since 2001, Sitake is building his own legend in Provo.

BYU’s administration agreed to a historic long-term contract extension with Sitake a few weeks ago that will reportedly make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big 12. If Saturday night’s result is any indicator, it will be entirely worth it.

Shorthanded without Martin or star linebacker Jack Kelly, the Cougars rallied with their usual late heroics. Leaning on the resolute defense of Isaiah Glasker and Faletau Satuala, as well as the emergence of freshman edge rusher Nusi Taumoepeau’s six tackles, three quarterback hits, a tackle for loss and a career-first forced fumble, BYU once again proved that the whole is often bigger than the sum of its parts.

At least, it has been in Provo.

Bachmeier took another step forward, completing 71% of his passes for 325 yards and a touchdown with an interception. In Martin’s absence, Jovesa Damuni stepped up, running for all but 3 yards in the second half to finish with a career-best 48 yards on seven carries, including the go-ahead touchdown with two minutes remaining.

Where does BYU keep finding these guys? That’s the system Sitake has built.

“We talked about our depth at all the different positions we have, and we were able to show it off a little bit,” Sitake said of the former Ridgeline High star. “We didn’t have LJ or Sione Moa playing today. It was good to see Jovesa and Enoch (Nawahine, who had 32 yards and a touchdown) representing and do a really good job.

“The playbook is still open. We were able to do everything that we practiced,” he added, glancing at Bachmeier seated next to him, “that we would have done with LJ and with Sione. The future looks bright for us.”

You’re only as good as your next win. But as far as BYU’s latest win in college football’s ultimate vibes bowl, the vibes in Provo are immaculate.

If Saturday’s game was the final brushstroke on the canvas of Hill’s three-year tenure at BYU, he went out with a masterclass: six quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and unique scoop by Glasker — all while holding the Yellow Jackets to 4-of-12 on third downs and 3-of-6 inside the red zone.

Hill has been the mastermind of BYU’s defense for three straight years. But give credit to Sitake, not only for hiring his former fellow assistant on Whittingham’s staff at Utah but also in providing the framework for Hill’s defense to flourish.

“I feel really good about what we have going here,” Sitake said, “and with the players and the coaches we will go with what we have.

“I feel good about this staff, how we established the foundation. Jay is a big part of what we were able to do defensively for the last three years, and (Aaron Roderick) has been doing that for a number of years (on offense), too.”

With Hill’s departure feeling imminent — and causing a stir among the fan base that can almost be felt across the sidelines, at least when the Cougars entered halftime trailing Georgia Tech by 11 — Sitake had a message, too.

It’s one he’s preached since he was first hired by former athletic director Tom Holmoe back on Dec. 19, 2015.

“I am here to stay,” he said. “Everyone else can speak for themself. The program is in a really good spot, because of a lot of people — players, coaches, and the people that have gotten to where we are at right now.

“It would be awesome for me as a head coach and an honor for me to continue this thing going.”