BYU’s perfect season came crashing down against a 3-6 Kansas team thanks to a bizarre and brutal momentum shift. BYU led by three in the second half and had Kansas facing a fourth and 14. Kansas lined up like they were going for it, but the quarterback pulled off a sneaky pooch punt. The ball took a wild bounce off a BYU player’s helmet during the return, and Kansas recovered it for a first down. It wasn’t a lucky break, it was a backbreaking one. Kansas capitalized and scored, flipping the game for good.
From there, it unraveled for BYU. Their Australian punter Sam Vandar, in classic Aussie fashion, brought energy and hiked his pants up high before sending a booming kick, but it didn’t turn the tide. BYU’s offense stalled. They faced a key fourth and six, only for a false start to make it fourth and 11. The next play came up short, sealing the game. The undefeated run was dead. The camera caught plenty of silent BYU fans processing the loss. A surreal punt off a helmet had turned their dream season into a sudden nightmare.