Strange things can happen when a ranked team comes to Provo, Utah, on a brisk September evening.
With LaVell Edwards Stadium sold out, BYU fans obediently wearing white and the throwback threads adorning Cougar players, there was that feeling in the air that only college football can offer.
That feeling turned out to be a BYU blowout, as the Cougars clobbered No. 13 Kansas State, 38-9 on Saturday night.
It seemed early on that this game would be a defensive battle.
BYU's offense struggled to find the red zone, while Kansas State was doing the opposite. The first two Wildcat drives dragged out as KSU marched down the field, however, penalties and a stingy Cougar defense kept them out of the end zone.
Kansas State found success early on in the run game, particularly between the tackles. BYU's defense held strong when it mattered, however, and did a stellar job limiting the Wildcat passing attack. Quarterback Avery Johnson was held to just 43 yards through the air in the first half but gained 44 yards with his legs in the same period.
For BYU, the offense saw short stints on the field early on. The ground game appeared to be out of the question without LJ Martin or Hinckley Ropati in the backfield. The Cougars mustered only 10 yards on the ground in the first half, and the offense was unable to get anything going.
After a couple of long, sustained drives from both teams that resulted in nothing more than field goals, Kansas State held the slim lead, 6-3, with just under two minutes left to play in the half. That's when that LaVell Edwards Stadium September night magic started to make its mark once again.
On a third down, the Wildcats handed off to DJ Giddens to try and pick up a first down when Jack Kelly punched the ball out. True freshman Tommy Prassas scooped the ball up and streaked 30 yards into the end zone for BYU's first touchdown of the night and first defensive touchdown of the season.
Just two plays later, Johnson overthrew his intended target right into the waiting arms of Tyler Batty. It was the first interception of Batty's career. The Cougars followed the takeaway with a 23-yard strike to Chase Roberts. In a matter of just 40 seconds of game play, BYU led 17-6 heading into the locker room.
The defense never looked back and was undoubtedly the collective MVPs of the game. Harrison Taggart led the way with 10 tackles and an interception.
"(I'm) a little bit speechless," said Taggart when asked about the defense's performance tonight. "The brotherhood we have on defense this year is insane."
The Cougar defense ended the night with two sacks, three TFLs and topped it off with three forced turnovers. Kansas State came into the game averaging over 35 points and 412 yards of total offense and walked out with just nine points on 363 yards. It was an all-time defensive performance.
The second half started with another BYU touchdown off of a Wildcat turnover to make it 24-6. The very next drive, Kanas State was forced to punt, and Parker Kingston housed it from 93 yards in one of the craziest returns you'll ever see.
The defense continued to keep Kansas State out of the end zone, forcing three straight turnover-on-downs in the Wildcat's final three possessions. The Cougars capitalize with their final score of the night, a 21-yard rush from Sione Moa to all but seal it.
BYU's offense was able to do its job tonight and do it well. The floundering run game found some life in the second half in the form of fourth and fifth-string running backs. Moa, a freshman who had only carried the ball six times all season, brought the ground game to life with 76 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff ended his night with 149 yards and two touchdowns. He took care of the ball and made smart decisions throughout, but he really didn't have to do too much, thanks to the defense.
The Cougars move to 4-0 on the season and, for the first time ever, are 1-0 in Big 12 play. The trouncing of the No. 13 team in the country by BYU will, in all likelihood, result in a top-25 ranking on Sunday. The Cougars find themselves in a position no one saw coming and are starting to turn some heads among the national media.
BYU will travel to Waco, Texas, to play Baylor next Saturday at 10 a.m. MDT.