Pressure was already sky-high for the BYU football team in a Big 12 showdown with Cincinnati, and it only increased when Chase Roberts left the game. The Cougars’ top wideout exited before the fourth quarter, later spotted on the sideline in sweats and without pads after BYU’s communications staff announced he would not return.
His absence removed a 6-foot-4, 210-pound security blanket for Bear Bachmeier, who had leaned on Roberts’ 43 catches, 702 yards, and five touchdowns heading into the night. With Roberts out, LJ Martin became the featured weapon as a receiver, while Parker Kingston took over as the main target in the wideout room.
Outside the locker-room area, though, the mood stayed electric. BYU improvised a quick postgame media setup, only for a swarm of traveling fans to turn Kalani Sitake’s news conference into a mini pep rally after a 26-14 win over Cincinnati.
One supporter yelled, “We love you, Kalani!” as the No. 11 Cougars celebrated their 10th victory and the inside track to a Big 12 title game.
As detailed by The New York Times, the BYU football team pounded the Bearcats for 265 rushing yards, including a career-best 222 from Martin, yet Sitake refused to stump for his team in the College Football Playoff race, saying he is “not here to campaign” and will let “the experts” sort it out.
That stance comes while the Cougars occupy a precarious spot in the CFP hierarchy. Sitting 10-1 and 7-1 in Big 12 play, BYU owns better strength-of-record numbers than some two-loss brands just ahead of them, but still risks being boxed out of a 12-team field if it does not win out and grab the league’s automatic bid.
Defensive lineman Keanu Tanuvasa pushed back on the notion that the Cougars are “lucky,” insisting their close wins are the product of diligence and expectation, not flukes.
Even as the present demands perfection, the future in Provo looks bright. Five-star 2026 quarterback commit Ryder Lyons recently announced an NIL deal with Under Armour and reaffirmed his long-term commitment to BYU despite planning an LDS mission.
Inside the current locker room, offensive lineman Bruce Mitchell echoed the team’s broader mindset: forget the selection committee, focus on winning the Big 12 and earning a shot at a rematch with Texas Tech.
Between navigating Roberts’ injury, chasing a conference crown, and preparing for Lyons’ eventual arrival, BYU is trying to prove on the field that it belongs in the national conversation, with or without any public campaigning.
