PROVO, Utah – Jake Retzlaff ran for two touchdowns and threw for 167 yards to lead No. 19 BYU to a 30-18 victory over Houston on Saturday night.

LJ Martin added 87 yards on a season-high 22 carries and Chase Roberts had three catches for 76 yards. BYU (10-2, 7-2 Big 12, No. 19 CFP) forced four turnovers, including two late in the fourth quarter, ending a two-game losing streak.

Despite the win, BYU will not play in the conference championship game. Iowa State and Arizona State meet on Saturday in the Big 12 Championship Game.

“We were close to being in a conference championship game,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “The boys are thirsty for it and hungry for it. … We have some goals that I think we can achieve. We’re so close now.”

After a winning season for the third time in the last five years, the Cougars likely face a bowl game next. It’s a significant milestone for a team that won five games and didn’t qualify for a bowl a season ago.

“This is my first bowl game, so I’m really excited about it,” Martin said. “It just feels good to win. You never want to be on the losing side.”

Zeon Chriss threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston (4-8, 3-6), which finished the season with three straight losses.

“I thought we played extremely hard,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said. “When you play the No. 19 team in the country at their place, you have to play smart the whole game and we didn’t do that the whole time.”

Houston scored its first offensive touchdown in three games when Chriss hit a 3-yard keeper late in the first quarter. BYU answered when Talan Alfrey grabbed a ensuing onside kick and ran 58 yards untouched to tie the score.

BYU took a 14-10 lead midway through the second quarter when Sione Moa made a tackle and scored on a 6-yard run. Retzlaff threw a 52-yard pass to Roberts and then found a 13-yard QB keeper one play later to extend the Cougars’ lead to 21-10 with nine seconds left before halftime.

Chriss cut the deficit to 24-18 with a 1-yard keeper with 8:34 left. Houston had a chance to take the lead after a forced three-and-out, but Jack Kelly took the ball away from Chriss on a fourth down sack. Blake Mangelson recovered the ball at the Houston 18.

Retzlaff scored on a 7-yard run with 2:52 left to secure the win.

“We were able to commit a little bit more and execute what was said,” defensive end Logan Lutui said.

Houston cornerback AJ Haulcy and BYU receiver Darius Lassiter were both ejected after a scuffle in the end zone following Retzlaff’s second touchdown run.

Takeaways

Houston: A promising start on offense quickly fell apart in the final three quarters. Houston forced three turnovers but couldn’t move the chains or control the ball well enough to seriously threaten BYU.

BYU: For the first time this season, BYU lost three fumbles in a game. The unusual series of turnovers, coupled with numerous dropped passes, kept the Cougars from pulling away from Houston late into the night.

Trickery backfires

Houston found itself in trouble early after two trick plays backfired.

BYU’s first drive ended in a fumble when Martin and Keelan Marion collided on a handoff and the ball bounced up and fell into the hands of Carlos Allen. The junior nose guard rumbled 57 yards downfield to the BYU 14. Houston immediately turned the ball back to BYU when Tyler Batty intercepted a pass from receiver Joseph Manjack IV.

“When we have chances to score, we have to score and take advantage of them, and we didn’t do that,” Fritz said.

Houston later decided to attempt an onside kick after Chriss’ first TD run. The ball went straight to Alfrey and he ran the other way for BYU’s first touchdown. It provided a moment of redemption for Alfrey, who a week earlier had the ball bounce off his leg on an onside kick against Arizona State, leading to a Sun Devils recovery.

“It just makes sense that he would be the one to get the ball and run it the other way for a touchdown,” Sitake said. “I like the fact that these guys are going to work hard and try to find ways to get better. There was never a lack of effort.”

Impact on the survey

BYU will likely move up a spot or two in the upcoming AP Top 25 poll.

Next

Houston’s season is over.

BYU will wait to find out where the bowl game is.