PROVO, Utah – BYU football heads into week three against Wyoming with a 2-0 record.
For a team that many prognosticators projected to win five games or less, the 2-0 start is a positive. However, as Kalani Sitake noted, they didn’t improve enough from week one to week two.
“We didn’t make a good enough improvement, in my opinion, from week one to week two,” Sitake, a ninth-year head coach, said. “Now we need to make up for it from week two to week three and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Most of that lack of improvement was tied to the offensive side of the ball in the 18-15 win at SMU.
Starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff shined in week one against Southern Illinois. The following week in Dallas, Retlzaff had three turnovers.
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Retzlaff, who emerged as the “clear-cut” starter at QB out of fall camp, had similar turnover problems in losses a season ago.
“Take care of the stinkin’ football”
Sitake was asked if he considers Retzlaff’s performance a one-off compared to his performance against Southern Illinois.
“No, there’s no one-offs,” Sitake said.
The head coach, who has always remained consistent in having players battle for their jobs every day, then followed up with a strong message for Retzlaff.
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“Take care of the stinkin’ football. That’s what it comes down to.
“I’ve said it over and over and over again. I don’t want guys to play tight and feel like they can’t take a chance, but the football belongs to everybody. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to the team. It belongs to the program. It’s not just one player. It’s not his ball. It belongs to all of us. So they need to start thinking about it more like that.”
During his six games as BYU’s starting quarterback, Retzlaff has thrown five interceptions and lost four fumbles.
Jake Retzlaff on staying aggressive
“We never talk about avoiding things because your mind doesn’t process that,” Retzlaff told KSL Sports. “It only processes what you say. It doesn’t matter when you say, ‘Not this!’ Or ‘for this!’ So, I believe in protecting the football. That’s something I can tell myself. I believe in ball security. That’s something I can tell myself and making plays.”
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick praised some of the highlights from Retzlaff’s performance in the win over SMU. However, he notes that ball security is critical.
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“The most important thing is we were always in a good position to win the game. No one has a license to just make mistakes at any position indefinitely, but we were always in a good position to win the game. He did make a lot of good plays in the game as well,” Roderick said. “There are some things in that game that were outstanding, but yeah, I’ll just say no has a license to play poorly forever. But he did a lot of good things as well.”
Will the license for Jake Retzlaff remain in place?
Could the license from Retzlaff be revoked, causing BYU to turn to backup Gerry Bohanon?
“We have trust in Gerry. But we didn’t think about changing in that [SMU] game,” said Roderick. “We were always in a good position to win. It felt like a couple of those mistakes were very preventable. We need to protect the ball better for sure. But there was a lot going on. Sometimes it isn’t always perfectly readily obvious to everyone who’s watching.”
Despite the struggles, Retzlaff, a former two-time JUCO transfer who has faced adversity during his college career, is enjoying the opportunity to be BYU’s starting quarterback.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that A-Rod has put in front of me, and I know the coaches are all behind me,” said Retzlaff. “Being able to run out with this group of guys is second to none. So I’m grateful to be able to do this every week.”
Retzlaff and the BYU offense return to action this Saturday night against Wyoming. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network and KSL NewsRadio.
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Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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JACKSON, Wyo. — Everyone’s favorite grizzly will grace the big screen this month.
Documentary 399 Forever will make its Wyoming premiere at The Center on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13.
The film follows passionate wildlife guides and photographers who dedicated their lives to tracking, teaching, and protecting Grizzly 399, the world’s most famous bear. As they capture her story, they also confront the growing impact of social media on wildlife, work to educate the public, and fight for practical solutions like bear-proof trash cans to keep both bears and people safe.
With mounting pressure to remove grizzlies from the endangered species list, the film explores the heart of a complex and emotional debate: What does it really mean to protect a wild animal?
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Learn more and buy tickets on The Center’s website.
Editor’s note: This episode was originally published on Oct. 12, 2025.
Two cabins in Jackson, Wyoming are what’s left of a set for a Hollywood western filmed in the area during the 1950s. One of them is five miles north of Jackson in Kelly and the other is under the ownership of History Jackson Hole, a museum in town.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with local researcher Samantha Ford and dives into the history of these cabins, the film in which they were featured and why Jackson was selected as the production site.
If you’re a cinephile or a fan of old movies, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
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Previous episodes are available in the audio player below. Watch previous episodes here.
Season two is coming in 2026. If you have a topic or guest idea for an upcoming episode, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
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CASPER, Wyo. — Here is a list of those who filed for a divorce from Dec. 22 through Dec. 29. All filings are reported to Oil City News by the Natrona County District Court.
The log is not a comprehensive document and may not represent all of the divorces in Natrona County. The report excludes sealed cases and confidential parties.
