Since Kalani Sitake took over in 2016, BYU football has produced some unforgettable moments — the kind you’ll replay on YouTube and send to your friends with “did you see this?!” From Tyler Allgeier’s punch-out to Parker Kingston lighting up LES, here are 10 of the best plays from the Sitake era that captured the heart of Cougar Nation.
10. Lopini Katoa Diving Catch TD vs UCF (2020 Bowl Game)
This might be the most athletic diving catch I have ever seen. The first time I’ve ever seen a catch on a football field that looked more like a center field tracking down a fly ball than a running back out of the backfield running a wheel route. Katoa absolutely laid out for this one. Full body extension and not even the slightest bobble either. Just an incredibly athletic play in a bowl game with tons of media attention due to a certain future #2 overall draft pick at QB.
9. Dax Milne 78-Yard TD vs Houston (2020)
This was a defining game in BYU’s makeshift 2020 COVID schedule. After 4 easy wins against lower G5 opponents this was a chance to prove themself on the road against a quality opponent. After conceding an early field goal it only took one play for BYU to get on the board. Zach Wilson found Dax Milne down the sideline who mossed his defender leaving him helpless on the ground and he walked in for a 78 yard TD. That throw traveled 56 yards through the air (rough math) showcasing Wilson’s arm strength as well as his accuracy as he put the ball right on the money and hit his receiver in stride.
https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30128619
8. Parker Kingston Double Pass TD vs Arizona (2024)
This is a huge moment in the 2024 season. Big Noon Kickoff came to town, Gus Johnson was on the call, and BYU laid out the red carpet for a massive national media montage. BYU had a chance to really make a statement on national TV. After a slow start to the game the offense really got rolling. This gadget play was set up so beautifully, Kingston had tons of room to settle into the throw and LJ Martin snuck out of the backfield uncovered. This gave the game some serious fireworks which never went away as there were a slew of big plays the rest of the way and BYU really made a statement on the national stage.
7. Jake Retzlaff to Darius Lassiter TD vs Oklahoma State (2024)
One of the best finishes in 2024. OK State was a popular pick to win the Big 12. Even though their record was bad, this was still a very talented team. Ollie Gordon was one year removed from winning the Doak Walker award and Bowman was a 7th year senior with tons of experience. This game was back and forth all night but neither team had more than a one score lead all night. OK State had just completed a demoralizing 17 play, 76 yard drive that took 8:26 off the clock where we saw them convert FIVE 3rd or 4th downs. With only 1:18 on the clock and after a few short yardage plays, Retzlaff exploded for a 27 yard run into OK State territory. Two plays later he hits a streaking Lassiter coming back in across the middle who breaks one tackle and then snaps the ankles of the last defender while walking in for the game winning touchdown.
6. Fred Warner Pick-Six vs Boise State (2016)
Boise State came into this game ranked #14 in the country, undefeated, and nearly unbeatable on their home blue turf. BYU’s offense was sputtering, defense had already given up 2 touchdowns, and momentum was firmly with the Broncos. But midway through the second quarter, Fred Warner flipped the script. BYU had finally gotten on the board with a field goal. On the BSU’s first play after the field goal, Warner read the quarterback’s eyes, jumped the route, and picked it off near the sideline. What followed was pure effort and instinct — he broke multiple tackles, somehow stayed on his feet, and tightroped the sideline for a dramatic 55-yard touchdown. The pick-six gave BYU the lead and reignited belief in a game they had no business staying in. It was a gritty, clutch moment from one of the best defenders of the Sitake era.
5. Zach Wilson to Micah Simon – The Tennessee Miracle (2019)
This was BYU’s first-ever trip to Neyland Stadium, facing an SEC blueblood in front of over 90,000 fans. With under a minute left in regulation and BYU trailing by 3, the game looked all but over. Tennessee’s defense had mostly had their way with BYU’s offense. They had just pinned BYU at their own 8-yard line with only 1 timeout and 1:10 on the clock. On 3rd and long, Zach Wilson uncorked a deep ball to Micah Simon, who hauled it in between two defenders and took it 64 yards all the way to the Tennessee 16. Just like that, the Cougars were in business. They kicked the game-tying field goal as time expired, then won in double OT. But it was Simon’s miracle catch that made it all possible — a gutsy, shocking, and unforgettable moment on a massive national stage.
4. Parker Kingston Punt Return TD vs Kansas State (2024)
September night game at LES? White out game with the team rocking the ‘96 throwback uniforms? This game was a pivotal moment of the season. BYU was undefeated, including against SMU (at that time it was a good P4 road win, not much more). K State came into the game as the defending Big 12 champion, and was penciled in as one of BYU’s biggest games of the year. From the opening kickoff, it felt like everything was breaking BYU’s way — big stops, timely turnovers, and a crowd that grew louder with every swing of momentum. That’s when Parker Kingston put the nail in the coffin. He initially misjudged the punt, drifting too deep and awkwardly adjusting late — a moment that could’ve spelled disaster. But he recovered cleanly, slipped a tackle and took off down the sideline behind a wall of defenders for a 90-yard touchdown. He really ran about 150 yards when you consider picked the ball up on the right sideline and crossed the whole field before finding his path down the opposite sideline. It was the crescendo of a game where the energy just kept snowballing in BYU’s favor — a dazzling, game-changing moment that lit up the night and capped off one of the most complete team efforts of the 2024 season.
3. Will Ferrin Walk-Off Field Goal vs Utah (2024)
After a two-year hiatus, the Holy War was back — this time in Salt Lake City. This was the first meeting as conference opponents in 14 years. BYU was riding its best start to a season since 2020. Utah, once pegged as conference favorites, were in the midst of a 4 game losing streak and riddled with injuries. The game was a slugfest from start to finish, with neither team pulling away and every possession feeling like a fistfight. BYU’s defense came up clutch late in the fourth quarter with a critical stop, giving the offense one final shot with the game tied and time running out. After a terrible start to the drive, due to Utah’s defensive line just dominating up front, BYU caught a break with a fresh set of downs after a holding penalty. Retzlaff found Chase Roberts down the field for a chunk play into Utah territory. He found Lassiter one play later, and Ropati finished off the drive with a 14 yard run down to the Utah 25 setting up Ferrin with a makeable field goal distance. With just seconds left, a smiling Will Ferrin lined up a 44-yard attempt in a hostile Rice-Eccles Stadium. With ice in his veins, Ferrin split the uprights right down the middle as time expired. A walk-off game winner on the road against a bitter rival makes this one of the most satisfying, pressure-packed moments of the Sitake era.
2. Puka Nacua Juggling TD vs Boise State (2022)
It was a must-win game. BYU had lost four straight and was limping into Boise with their season on the ropes. The Broncos, meanwhile, were rolling — undefeated at home and fighting for a Mountain West title. But BYU showed fight. The game was tight deep into the fourth quarter when Jaren Hall led one final drive, down three, with time running out. On 4th and goal with the game on the line, Hall threw a fade route to the back corner of the end zone — and that’s when Puka Nacua made one of the wildest catches you’ll ever see. Blanketed by the defender and with one hand pinned behind his back, a spinning Puka got his free hand on the ball, bobbling it multiple times before securing it while falling to the turf. Touchdown. Game-winner. BYU snapped their losing streak and stunned Boise on the blue turf.
1. Tyler Allgeier Punch-Out vs Arizona State (2021)
Arguably the most replayed BYU football highlight of all time. This game was massive, we had an elite matchup of two nationally ranked teams. ASU came to town led by future heisman winning QB Jayden Daniels (LSU – 2023) and a solid supporting cast. What more can you ask for? BYU got out to a hot start, leading 21-7 at halftime. From there things started to stall. ASU scored 10 unanswered in the 3rd, and BYU’s two possessions had both been 3 and outs.
After two chunk plays Jaren Hall tried to do too much after avoiding a sack and threw a bad interception straight to ASU’s linebacker. Tyler Allgeier (on the ground at the time of the pick) outruns the linebacker down the field, leveraging himself on the defenders back and throws a perfectly placed punch directly into the ball which jars it loose. Jaren Hall easily recovers the ball in bounds giving BYU possession back with a fresh set of downs. This play shifted the momentum for the rest of the game, and got the crowd so active and engaged that it later caused numerous false starts due the noise level. The skill required to chase down the defender, perfectly time and place his punch, all while directing the ball back in bounds where it could be recovered makes this the top play from BYU football in the Kalani Sitake era.
From walk-off kicks to jaw-dropping catches, these moments captured everything we love about Cougar football. As Kalani Sitake’s era continues, there will no doubt be more plays to add to this list. Until then, we’ll keep replaying these moments and remembering why BYU football Saturdays are so special.
