Opinion
BYU’s bowl win full of lessons for athletes, sports programs and others
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
Heading into Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, the BYU football team was once again picked to lose to a lower-ranked opponent. And after the first half, it looked like the so-called “experts” might have gotten it right this time around.
Not.
Instead, for the sixth time in this epic 2025 season, the Cougars rallied from a deficit to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat.
Most impressively on this occasion, BYU did it by shutting out an accomplished senior quarterback who led a prolific offensive unit into his final collegiate game for the entire second half.
On the other side of the ball, BYU entered the field as a gridiron version of a M.A.S.H. unit. First-team All-Big 12 performers LJ Martin and Jack Kelly were on the sideline. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier limped out with a wonky wheel made even worse during the initial drive of the game.
In the first half, the Cougars failed to score when they were within inches of the goal line and later mishandled a kick return that quickly led to points for the opponents. Early in the third quarter, they were picked in the end zone.
After that however, BYU turned the tide. The Cougars blocked a field goal plus forced and recovered a fumble. They scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, with Bachmeier making an uncredited run for a two-point conversion, no doubt grimacing all the way as he absorbed contact and kept going.
And then finally, as the Yellow Jackets put themselves in position to win the game with a touchdown when there were only seconds left, BYU’s Evan Johnson – who had just given up the big fourth-down play that helped set up the TD try – leapt in front of their receiver to make the interception and save the thrilling victory for his team.
Even a Hollywood scriptwriter couldn’t have come up with anything more dramatic.
The fact of the matter is, there’s a long list of reasons why the Cougars should have lost this game and only one reason why they didn’t – they just refused.
There are all kinds of lessons that can be drawn from this, for athletes and sports programs but also for individuals and groups in the wider world. These ideas aren’t new, but this contest and this BYU season provide yet more anecdotal evidence that they are still true. Here’s a sampling:
- No one ever won a game (title, debate, war etc.) on paper. It doesn’t matter what the rankings, “experts” or anyone else says. If you want to prevail, you can if you do the work required for success, whatever the endeavor.
- When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Bachmeier’s perseverance despite a painful, limiting injury and calls getting missed inspired his teammates and could teach something to the spoiled-brat pros who sit out for a hangnail or flop hoping to get a call they don’t deserve.
- Human beings push themselves the hardest when they are playing for something bigger than themselves. Military leaders understand that when the bullets are flying, the survival of a unit depends on each member caring about the person next to him or her in the foxhole, and soldiers are trained accordingly. So are Coach Sitake’s football players.
The Cougars had a fantastic season and won this game because each man on the team, regardless of prominence or position, took it upon himself to try to give his best whenever called upon for the sake of his teammates and their common goals.
Such efforts don’t always work out as hoped, but they sure make the chances of success a whole lot higher.
