BYU defeats No. 13 Kansas State in a commanding victory.

 PROVO, Utah — BYU's defense dominated the field, forcing three turnovers as Jake Retzlaff threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Cougars to a convincing 38-9 win over No. 13 Kansas State on Saturday night. Parker Kingston electrified the crowd with a spectacular 90-yard punt return touchdown, while Sione Moa added a career-high 76 rushing yards and a score, helping BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) end a five-game losing streak against Big 12 teams.

"This surprised a lot of people, but not us," Moa remarked. "We know the effort we’ve put in to get here."

Kansas State's Avery Johnson accumulated 204 yards of total offense but struggled with two interceptions. DJ Giddens had a solid performance, rushing for 93 yards, yet the Wildcats (3-1, 0-1) fell to 0-4 in Provo, marking their first game without a touchdown since 2020.

"We just shot ourselves in the foot too many times. We need to score touchdowns," Johnson said. "On the road, taking care of the football is crucial to winning."

BYU took control of the game late in the first half, scoring two touchdowns in quick succession after forcing turnovers on Kansas State's drives. Jack Kelly's strip of Giddens set up a 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Tommy Prassas, giving BYU a 10-6 lead. Just two plays later, Tyler Batty intercepted Johnson, leading to a 23-yard touchdown catch by Chase Roberts, which extended BYU's lead to 17-6 at halftime.

"You have to make them earn every yard. We managed to create some momentum and it showed on the scoreboard," said BYU coach Kalani Sitake.

In the second half, Johnson threw another interception to Harrison Taggart, which, combined with a 24-yard run by Moa, set up Darius Lassiter's 3-yard touchdown catch, widening the gap to 24-6. Following a quick three-and-out by Kansas State, Kingston's near-fumble turned into a remarkable 90-yard touchdown return, bringing the score to 31-6 just minutes into the third quarter.

"It was stunning to see that," Kansas State coach Chris Klieman reflected. "We got embarrassed, and that hasn’t happened here since the COVID year."

Moa capped the night with a 22-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, sealing the impressive win for BYU.