No. 14 BYU Makes Statement That They Are ‘Big-Time’ In Houston Win

HOUSTON, Texas – It wasn’t easy, but BYU football found a way to come back to defeat the Houston Cougars on the road.

The 43-26 win for the No. 14 ranked Cougars in blue made it clear to anyone interested that this BYU team is different.

"I feel the statement we made tonight was that we're a big-time team." –#BYU QB Zach Wilson #BYUFootball @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 17, 2020

“I think the statement we made tonight was that we’re a big-time team,” said BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.

It was a big-time win for a BYU squad that had a lot stacked against them. Strep throat illness to Khyiris Tonga kept the massive nose tackle out. Wide receiver Gunner Romney had to leave the game early due to hamstring issues.

But through it all, these Cougars found a way to prevail and send BYU to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2008.

Kalani Sitake’s BYU teams have had wins over big brand powerhouses, but Friday night’s win in front of 10,092 fans –a good portion of those being BYU supporters– might be near the top for the fifth-year head coach’s tenure in Provo.

Zach Wilson and Kalani with a victory hug. 🤗 🏈 #BYUvsHOU | #BYUFootball | #BYU pic.twitter.com/bCAkSjqjUf

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 17, 2020

Down 26-14 with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter, BYU’s magical run looked to be at the end of the road. But big-time teams step up when it matters the most. That’s what BYU did.

In a game where BYU didn’t force a takeaway, they were 3-of-10 on third down and had 18 fewer plays than their opponent; that’s a big-time team finding a way to win a ball game.

The statement has been heard loud and clear. How will the nation respond? Everything BYU could want from the national perspective is in front of them. New Year’s Six at-large, it’s possible. Zach Wilson and the Heisman, why not after a 400-yard night. Crack into the top-10, maybe.

Regardless of how BYU’s season ends up in 2020, on Friday night, in front of a nationally-televised audience, BYU had its moment in the big-time.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.