PROVO, Utah (AP) — Jake Retzlaff threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Darius Lassiter with 10 seconds left and No. 13 BYU remained undefeated, outlasting Oklahoma State 38-35 on Friday night.
Retzlaff kept the drive alive with an 8-yard pass to Chase Roberts on fourth-and-7, and set up the deciding play with a 27-yard run up the middle. Lassiter eluded a pair of tacklers for the go-ahead score for the Cougars (7-0, 4-0 Big 12).
“It’s magical. It’s spiritual,” Retzlaff said. “How can you not be romantic about this game?”
Retzlaff threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 81 yards and a score.
Lassiter had a career-high 129 yards on six catches, topping 100 receiving yards for the second time in three games. LJ Martin ran for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns.
They all helped BYU average 7.4 yards per play. The Cougars scored on all four second-half drives.
“Those plays don’t happen by accident,” Retzlaff said. “We were doing that stuff in our walk through this morning. We were running through those plays, and we ran almost all of the plays we run through in those situations and the guys did it really well.”
Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-4) lost its fourth straight game despite gaining 421 yards and averaging 6.4 yards per play.
The Cowboys took the lead on Alan Bowman’s 6-yard pass to Brennan Presley with 1:13 left. That capped a 17-play drive that chewed nearly 8 1/2 minutes.
“It was uncharacteristic of what you see from our defense,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. ”I thought we freelanced a little bit for the sake of trying to make the big play.”
Bowman also caught a scoring pass in the second half. Ollie Gordon II ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and caught a TD pass for Oklahoma State.
Cowboys starting quarterback Garret Rangel left with an injury just before halftime.
BYU trailed at halftime for just the second time this season before scoring on back-to-back third-quarter drives to take a 28-21 lead.
The Cougars ran seven straight plays, culminating in Martin’s 8-yard rush, to even the score. Then, after Tommy Prassas caught a diving interception at the Oklahoma State 44, BYU took the lead on Keelan Marion’s 34-yard touchdown catch.
The Cowboys tied it at 28 when Bowman caught a 16-yard pass on a trick play to open the fourth quarter.
BYU carved out a 14-7 lead a minute into the second quarter when Tanner Wall returned an interception 51 yards to set up a 1-yard run from Martin a play later.
Gordon had back-to-back touchdowns to put Oklahoma State in front. He it on a 17-yard catch where he hurdled over a defender on the way to the end zone. Then Gordon ran for a 2-yard go-ahead score with 32 seconds left before halftime.
“You rush the ball a little bit and it opens up and kind of spreads the defense out and gives you opportunities to do other things,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “Our concepts were excellent, the plan that we had was good, and it worked and players executed.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys rediscovered their dormant running attack, ripping off 269 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. An inability to consistently stop BYU’s offense canceled out those gains.
BYU: An uncharacteristic spat of turnovers and sloppy run tackling put the Cougars in tough spots through the bulk of four quarters. It almost undermined BYU totaling 473 yards on offense.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
A dramatic victory will likely allow the Cougars to move up in the AP Top 25 Poll on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State: At Baylor next Saturday.
BYU: At UCF next Saturday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II (0) hurdles over BYU safety Faletau Satuala (10) to score in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps)
MAGDACESTI, Moldova (AP) — On a frigid evening in a village near Moldova’s capital, President Maia Sandu warned locals of Russian meddling as she seeks reelection and touted joining the European Union as the only way forward.
Her message came days before key votes that could help to determine the country’s future.
Sandu is seeking a second term in office in a presidential election Sunday in which she is opposed by several pro-Moscow candidates out of a total of 11. A “yes” or “no” referendum will also be held the same day on whether to enshrine the path toward joining the EU in the country's constitution.
“This decision will influence our lives not only for the next four years,” the pro-Western president told the crowd from an outdoor bandstand in Magdacesti, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the capital, Chisinau. “This decision will influence our lives for decades to come.”
A campaign flyer handed out by young supporters at the rally said that criminal groups paid 15 million euros ($16.2 million) last month to 130,000 individuals in a major vote-buying scheme “to cause destabilization and chaos” in Moldova, a country of about 2.5 million.
The purported scheme revealed on Oct. 3, which allegedly paid people through Russian banks, was linked to Ilan Shor, an exiled pro-Russia oligarch whose populist Russia-friendly Shor Party was declared unconstitutional last year and banned. It heightened concerns that Moscow was stepping up efforts to undermine the pivotal votes.
Shor, who was convicted in absentia last year to 15 years in jail on fraud and money laundering in the case of $1 billion that went missing from Moldovan banks in 2014, denied allegations of illegally paying voters, saying “the payments are legal” and cited a right to freedom of expression.
Hours before Sandu’s appearance in Magdacesti on Thursday, Moldovan authorities said they foiled another plot in which more than 100 young Moldovans received training in Moscow by private military groups on how to create civil unrest, including using nonlethal weapons to create “mass disorder” around the two votes.
Some received “more advanced training in guerrilla camps" in Serbia and Bosnia, authorities said, and four were detained for 30 days.
A source close to law enforcement, who wasn't authorized to speak to the media about a sensitive national security matter, told The Associated Press that some of the young people implicated had criminal records or hailed from difficult families and were offered several thousand euros to attend.
“We expect Russian pressure to increase, not to decrease, and the closer we’ll be getting to the EU, the bigger the pressure will be from Russia,” said Stanislav Secrieru, the president’s national security adviser. “We’re trying to find the right balance between freedoms and security.”
He added that Moldovan law enforcement had strengthened in the face of “intensive hybrid attacks” against Moldova, a former Soviet republic, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Since then, Moldova has faced multiple crises including errant missiles landing on its territory, a severe energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced gas supplies, rampant inflation and recurring anti-government protests by pro-Russia parties. A pro-Western government has been in power since 2021, a year after Sandu won the presidency, and a parliamentary election will be held next year.
Moldovan authorities have repeatedly said that Russia is conducting a vast “hybrid war” against it — by funding pro-Moscow opposition groups, spreading disinformation, and meddling in local elections — to destabilize the country and try to derail its EU path.
These concerns were echoed by the U.S., U.K., and Canada this summer in a joint statement, which alleged “the Kremlin’s use of criminal groups" were trying to undermine Moldova’s democratic institutions. Russian actors, they said, were carrying out a plot to influence the outcomes of votes and “intend to incite protests” should the outcomes prove unfavorable to Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied that it's interfering in Moldova.
In the bustling Stefan cel Mare park in central Chisinau, Ana Maria, a 30-year-old medical doctor, says the two upcoming votes will determine if Moldovans “are all on the same page” regarding EU integration, but is also concerned about Russian influence.
“I think that most of us have some family member working in the EU, or who lives or studies there, more than in Russia,” she said. “The Russian disinformation is rather worrying. It’s easier to maneuver people that are not well informed.”
In recent weeks, large social media platforms such as Meta and Telegram announced they had removed fake accounts in Moldova that railed against the EU, Sandu, and expressed “supportive commentary” about pro-Russia parties. The large majority of Moldovans speak Romanian as their first language, and the rest speak Russian.
Relations between Chisinau and Moscow significantly soured after Moldova applied to join the 27-nation EU in the wake of the war next door, and was granted candidate status in June 2022, alongside Ukraine, and agreed in June to start membership negotiations.
“We believe that by 2030, the Republic of Moldova will be ready for accession and we will work day and night for this goal,” Sandu said in Magdacesti, “but for that, we need the positive decision of our citizens.”
The latest polls indicate that Sandu is leading the presidential race with more than 35% of the vote, while Alexandr Stoianoglo, a pro-Russian former prosecutor general, trails her at around 10%. However, if Sandu fails to win an outright majority in the first round she could face Stoianoglo in a run-off two weeks later.
The EU referendum also shows a clear majority of more than 50% support the EU path but requires a one-third turnout to be valid. The polls also do not include Moldova's large diaspora, many of whom live and work in the EU.
Several analysts and officials the AP spoke to in Chisinau expressed concerns that the number of voters registered nationally exceeds the latest population data, and that the discrepancy means that more votes are needed for the EU referendum to reach the threshold.
Secrieru said Russian proxies could rally already established networks on the eve of the ballot urging them to boycott the EU vote. “What they think is realistic is to depress participation in order to kill the referendum,” he said. The same source told the AP that tactics could be employed on Sunday to create chaos by disrupting voting infrastructure with tactics such as false bomb threats or cyberattacks.
Iulian Groza, executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms think tank, described the upcoming votes as a “historic moment” in which turnout will be key.
“The choice is clear: either Moldova adheres and continues to advance toward the West, toward accession to the European Union, or is dragged by Russia proxies back into the hands of Russian influence,” he told the AP in his downtown Chisinau office. “What will count very much is the ability of the citizens to mobilize … not to let others to choose their future."
Ivan Chesov, a 68-year-old retired construction engineer, said he believes that Moldova is “closer to Europe” and that people should express their wishes by casting their ballots.
“I think there are chances for the referendum to pass,” he said, “if people wake up and see the reality.”
Back at the rally in Magdacesti as night drew in and the young and old mingled in the cold, Sandu told locals that the EU would help Moldova to develop and modernize and urged them to vote.
“We have no time to wait ... so many years have passed in which Moldova did not develop as it could have developed,” she said.
A man sleeps on a bench in a park in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, two days before a presidential election and a referendum on whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman gestures while speaking inside a campaign tent of Alexandr Stoianoglo, presidential candidate of the Socialists' Party of Moldova (PSRM), on the final day of electoral campaign in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum on whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership that will take place on Oct. 20.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Renato Usatii, leader of the Our Party and presidential candidate, flashes the victory sign to supporters during a rally on the final day of electoral campaign in Chisinau, Moldova, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum on whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership that will take place on Oct. 20.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A mannequin is placed on a barrel in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
People walk by a woman selling flowers in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman walks by an European Union flag made of blue pebbles in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Iulian Groza, Executive Director at The Institute for European Policies and Reforms speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Chisinau, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaks to people in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as she seeks a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Moldova's President Maia Sandu waits while posing for photographs with supporters in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as she seeks a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
People listen to Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaking in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as she seeks a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A girl holds a leaflet showing Moldova's President Maia Sandu while listening to her speaking to supporters in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as she seeks a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Young people ride a bicycle in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A poster of Moldova's President Maia Sandu that reads "I invite you to vote" is placed on the side of the road in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman mops a stage before an electoral rally of Moldova's President Maia Sandu in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, who is seeking a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Moldova's President Maia Sandu speaks to people in Magdacesti, Moldova, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, as she seeks a second term in office ahead of a presidential election and a referendum of whether to enshrine in Moldova's Constitution its path to European Union membership taking place on Oct.20. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
