With 73 seconds to go, no. 13 BYU needed a touchdown to keep its perfect season alive. The Cougars answered the bell and marched 75 yards in 62 seconds for the winning score. In this article we take a closer look at the winning drive and how it all came about.

73 seconds remaining

On 1st-and-10 from the BYU 25-yard line, Jake Retzlaff dropped back and found Darius Lassiter behind the sticks for a potential first down. Lassiter bobbled the ball, pressed it against his helmet and tried to hold on to it, but an Oklahoma State defender knocked it away and forced the incompletion.

66 seconds remaining

On 2nd and 10, Retzlaff checks the ball to Darius Lassiter, who gets three yards before going out of bounds and stopping the clock.

59 seconds remaining

On 3rd and 7, Jake Retzlaff throws an incomplete pass intended for Keelan Marion.

52 seconds remaining

BYU needs seven yards to keep the season alive on 4th and 7. At this point in the game, ESPN odds give BYU a 2.5% chance of winning. The offensive line gives Retzlaff time to throw – Retzlaff finds Chase Roberts just beyond the sticks for a first down. BYU’s perfect season is hanging by a thread.

42 seconds remaining

With 42 seconds left, BYU is still at its own 36-yard line. Jake Retzlaff throws a short pass to Keanu Hill, who fights to get out of bounds and fails after gaining two yards. BYU uses the first of two available timeouts.

32 seconds remaining

Jake Retzlaff beats the hell out of Oklahoma State’s defense. The Oklahoma State linebacker assumes Retzlaff will head to the sideline. Instead, Retzlaff cuts inside and gains 27 yards on the Oklahoma State 35 yard line. BYU rushes to the line of scrimmage and stops the clock.

21 seconds remaining

Oklahoma State provides a four-man rush. The offensive line creates a perfect pocket. Retzlaff finds Darius Lassiter 20 yards downfield between the linebacker and the safety. The safety takes a bad angle and misses the first tackle. Lassiter comes onto the field with one man to beat – and he does – as he cuts inside to make the defender miss for the winning score with 11 seconds left.

Every magical season calls for magical moments. There is still a lot of football to be played, but the 2024 BYU football team has been a team of destiny through seven games. The 62 seconds that kept BYU’s perfect record alive will go down in BYU football history.