BYU Football’s Dominant Alamo Bowl Win Caps Off Memorable 2024 Season
Dec 29, 2024, 9:58 AM | Updated: Dec 30, 2024, 9:36 pm
SAN ANTONIO – It’s time to give BYU football in 2024 its respect.
After a dominant 36-14 victory over No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes, BYU’s 2024 squad, which finished 11-2, put itself among the great teams in program history.
During the week in the Alamo City, BYU coaches and players were showered with questions from media that don’t cover the team, asking about who they are and how they reached 10 wins.
BYU did not have the spotlight during Alamo Bowl week
This was surprising, considering BYU reached No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings at one point in the 2024 season. You would think a team that reached that high of a ranking would receive some respect, but that wasn’t the case throughout Alamo Bowl week.
Honestly, BYU probably liked it that way.
It was the story of BYU football this season.
Once projected by the media to finish 13th in the Big 12, BYU was always overlooked. Even when they would dominate K-State or jump out to a big lead over Baylor, a blowout win at UCF as an underdog, it didn’t matter.
The narrative in 2024 has always been that BYU wins close games, but they came down to earth after losing to five-win Kansas in November.
So when BYU arrived in San Antonio, it was business as usual for them.
Kalani Sitake said at the River Walk pep rally that his team “has players, too,” and he couldn’t wait to “unleash them.”
Dominant 36-14 victory to cap off the 2024 BYU football season
The sold-out Alamo Bowl crowd of 64,261 got a glimpse of how good BYU’s 2024 squad truly was.
“Well, it wasn’t anything against Colorado. It was just that we knew what we were going against,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I think there are a lot of coaches and a lot of people who have said this is a very talented roster on Colorado’s side. They’ve had a lot of success, and you see the things they were able to do, especially on the offensive side. I think sometimes you forget that they play a complete game, defense, and they create some turnovers. They did tonight. We just had a plan. We just wanted to execute it and wanted to stay aggressive.”
Saturday’s victory was a complete game.
The offense was creative in digging into the deep bag of “special” play calls in Aaron Roderick’s playbook.
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BYU was dialed into the game plan
BYU’s defense was chomping at the bit throughout the week to cause havoc on Shedeur Sanders, and they did it all night. The Cougars held Colorado’s offense to two yards rushing and only 210 yards for the night.
“I think, looking at our game plans this season, I think this was one of the ones where we definitely were top-loaded, especially under a lot of pressure. Trying to get him to move,” BYU senior defensive end Tyler Batty on the game plan for Colorado’s offense. “I think our secondary also did a great job kind of disguising what we were doing. We did have a lot. We did have a lot installed, and again, the dudes did a great job of executing everything that we had in.”
Then, the special teams continued to be “special,” booting two 50-plus-yard field goals from “Big Game Bill,” Will Ferrin, a successful onside kick, and a punt return for a touchdown.
Alamo Bowl champs is reason to celebrate. 🎈 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Fax16RqBWb
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 29, 2024
Despite the 22-point victory, BYU left some points on the field with three turnovers.
But BYU’s physicality on both sides of the ball was too much for the Buffs.
BYU’s coordinators had themselves a game
Sitake and his staff were prepared for Colorado, and BYU shined on the biggest stage it has played since joining the Big 12 Conference.
“I know we made some mistakes,” Sitake said. “But I just liked our style of executing in all three phases. I think people forget about special teams. It’s a big part of our success, and Coach K-Pop, Coach A-Rod and obviously Coach Hill, those guys have done an amazing job. It’s pretty easy for me; I just decided if we go for it or not on 4th down and stuff like that. But I’m lucky to work with wonderful men that are great mentors to me and to the players, and more than anything I’m lucky enough to be around these guys.
BYU’s 11-win season is the 13th in program history.
Alamo Bowl champs 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Qsz1STN3TK
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 29, 2024
Senior class goes out with a win
This is a memorable ending to excellent careers for seniors like Tyler Batty and Connor Pay, who played in two of those 11-win seasons.
“I hope our teammates just remember how much we at least tried to invest in this program,” Batty said on what he wants the senior class to be remembered for.
“I think for me, that’s really what it comes down to is do the same thing that we’ve done. We stand on the shoulders of giants that came before us. I’ve had an opportunity to play with some incredible teammates during my time at BYU that have helped shape and form me and have helped shape and form the culture. I just want to be remembered as one of those guys that helped push BYU to be great.”
“Just compete.”
For the players that are returning in 2025, they have the challenge of facing expectations next season.
But moments after the Alamo Bowl trophy bowl presentation, returning players were already saying on the Alamodome field, “It’s back to work next week.”
“…No one expected us to win or dominate like we did,” said Alamo Bowl offensive MVP LJ Martin. “So just to go out there and really just compete, that’s all we were trying to do, and that’s something I feel like we can carry into next year, just compete.”
Competing was a defining trait for BYU football in 2024. Because of that competitiveness and desire to prove themselves right while proving the outsiders wrong, they became one of the great teams in program history.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
