With the calendar turning to 2025, let’s take one last look at the 2024 BYU football season. The Cougars finished 11-2, with an emphatic Alamo Bowl win over No. 23 Colorado.

It marked the 13th time in the 100-year history of BYU football that they reached 11 wins. It was a notable achievement given that they played against 11 power conference teams. This was a really hard list to make, which is to say, it was a really special season. Breaking it up into 10 moments was very difficult.

Let’s take a look back at the 10 best moments of the 2024 season.

10. Defensive Holding Saves BYU at Utah

It feels a little weird to include a penalty as one of the top moments. But you can’t tell the story of BYU’s victory in Salt Lake over the Utes without this play. It was over. BYU had lost. On a 4th and 10, inside their own 10 yard line, Jake Retzlaff looked to be sacked to seal the win for Utah. Rice-Eccles Stadium exploded, with everyone thinking the home team had upset the undefeated, No. 9 BYU Cougars. Some BYU fans (me) even turned off the game the second the whistle blew signaling the end of the play, before getting a chance to see the flag.

Then, they saw the yellow flag laying on the ground. In a call that will be hotly debated between BYU and Utah fans until time itself ceases to exist, a holding penalty was called on Utah’s defense during the sack. That gave BYU a new first down and another life. They went from utter despair in what was a loss, to a glimmer of hope that they could drive down and get into position for a game-winning field goal.

9. Chase Roberts 62-yard touchdown vs. UCF before the half

BYU sputtered on offense for a stretch after initially taking a 17-0 lead over UCF in Orlando. The Knights battled back to make it 17-10 right before the half and Cougar fans began to sweat. Then quarterback Jake Retzlaff hit receiver Chase Roberts down the sidelines. Roberts out-ran the entire UCF defense to score a touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the half.

That long passing score gave BYU a more comfortable 24-10 lead heading into halftime. BYU eventually won 37-24 but the game felt mostly in hand much of the second half. That big touchdown right before the half seemed to totally deflate UCF and inspire BYU. It put Roberts’ bevvy of traits as a top receiver on full display.

8. Crew Wakely INT vs. Baylor to seal win

Much like the UCF game previously mentioned, BYU built a big lead early against Baylor in Waco. Then the offense went ice cold. After leading 28-7 at one point, BYU clung to a 34-28 advantage late in the fourth quarter. The Bears possessed the ball and had a chance to score a touchdown and take the lead, which would’ve been a mind-blowing comeback.

As Baylor began the drive with just over one minute left in the game, Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson sailed a pass down the left sidelines. BYU safety Crew Wakely (who is now transferring to Purdue) leapt at the perfect moment to haul in the game-sealing interception.

7. Parker Kingston’s second punt return TD of the season in Alamo Bowl

BYU finished the season with a bang, trouncing Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Capping off the greatest special teams season in BYU history, Parker Kingston had one more trick up his sleeve. The Cougars essentially dominated the Buffaloes from the jump. But the score was just 10-0 nearing halftime. Then, the Buffs punted to Kingston at BYU’s 36 yard line. He ran 64 yards for the return touchdown, his second of the season.

This put BYU up 17-0 and BYU basically kept Colorado at arm’s length for the rest of the game. It capped off a truly special season for BYU’s return unit.

6. Tommy Prassas’ scoop n’ score vs. Kansas State

If you look up “snowball effect” in the dictionary, you might just see highlights from the BYU and Kansas State game. Once BYU got a few bounces going their way, they absolutely steamrolled the Wildcats. The spark of that avalanche came with Tommy Prassas’ fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. That gave BYU a 10-6 lead which eventually ballooned to 31-6 at one point. The Cougars cruised to a 38-9 victory over No. 13 KSU. This scoop and score ignited the blowout.

5. Keelan Marion’s second return TD of the season vs. Utah

It was as heated of a Holy War as we have ever seen. Both teams landed big left hooks in the heavyweight fight. A huge jab by the Cougars was their special teams unit. Marion notched his second kick return touchdown of the season, an accomplishment unheard of for BYU. It came at a big moment in a game where BYU could get virtually nothing going on offense.

Utah had just taken a 7-3 lead after a defensive struggle early in the game. The Cougars needed a spark. For the second time in the 2024 season, Marion ignited the entire team with a big return. He scampered 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

4. Marque Collins’ INT vs. SMU

This was one of those plays that might not have seemed monumental in the actual moment it happened, but with the benefit of hindsight, it was enormous. Offense was at a premium for both teams in this game. The score was 15-12 early in the fourth quarter, with BYU clinging to a tight lead.

The Mustangs drove 71 yards deep inside BYU territory, threatening to snatch the lead away. SMU QB Kevin Jennings sailed a pass down the sidelines. BYU cornerback Marque Collins made an extremely athletic play to come down with the one-handed interception.

Even though BYU did not score on that drive, the turnover seemed to kill the momentum for SMU. They only managed three more points the rest of the game. That takeaway snuffed out SMU’s best chance at beating BYU in this game. Plus, in a vacuum, it was just a beautiful display of athleticism by BYU’s cornerback.

3. Parker Kingston’s electric punt return TD vs. Kansas State

In some seasons for BYU, this could be the clear-cut No. 1. In fact, you could argue that it still should be. Kingston’s first of two punt returns for touchdowns started with…a muff. Just as BYU was gaining momentum, up 24-6 early in the second half, a muffed punt turnover would have gifted momentum right back to KSU.

Instead, Kingston picked it up and ran basically over 100 yards when counting side-to-side in one of the single most exciting individual plays in BYU football history. When Kingston crossed into the endzone, he gave BYU a 31-6 lead and essentially sealed the big win over then-No. 13 Kansas State. Not to mention, he vomited on the sidelines afterwards out of pure adrenaline and exhaustion.

2. Darius Lassiter’s game-winning TD vs Oklahoma State

The main reason why this is higher than Kingston’s punt return is that the game was mostly in hand when Kingston crossed the goal line. Against Oklahoma State, BYU had essentially lost. It would’ve been a gut-punching, season-wrecking loss to a team that eventually finished with zero conference wins. Meanwhile, BYU was 6-0 and had big goals in mind.

According to ESPN, when BYU began their final drive, down 35-31 with just over a minute left, they had less than a three percent change of winning. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff masterfully led the Cougars down to the Oklahoma State 35 yard line with 19 seconds left. Retzlaff then found receiver Darius Lassiter open at about the 15 yard line. He then made about three OSU defenders miss and danced into the endzone for a touchdown that may have cracked the foundation of LaVell Edwards Stadium itself due to the noise of the crowd.

Lassiter’s grab and score put BYU in front and sealed a much-needed victory when all had seemed lost.

1. Will Ferrin’s game-winning field goal vs Utah

You were expecting something else? If a BYU Cougar does something to basically single-handedly beat the Utah Utes on their own turf, that’s getting number one. BYU kicker Will Ferrin is an assassin. When BYU was driving into field goal range with under one minute left in the game, a TV broadcast camera showed kicker Will Ferrin smiling on the sidelines.

Minutes later, he confidently drilled a game-winning, 44-yard field goal to send BYU to victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. He came an instant legend. Not only that, it was a field goal that helped him eventually set the program single-season record for field goals. Build this kid a statue somewhere on campus.