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Y’all, what a season.

Is it always this way? Are games always filled with a full range of emotions — excitement, nail-biting anxiousness, eye-rolling disappointment and everything in between?

I moved to Utah in mid-September, so I missed the first two football games of the season. My first time covering BYU was the USC game.

I think that game set my bar pretty high for what I was expecting to see throughout the remainder of the season. So, it even saddened me — someone who is by no means a BYU fan — to see the Cougars fall apart in the final minutes of the Hawaii Bowl.

The Cougars’ biggest problem was consistency.

They know what they have to do to win, and did it on occasion, but failed to do it on a weekly basis. And when either the offense or defense was having a decent or even good game, the team struggled on the other side of the ball.

But even though the offense was able to score against the Rainbow Warriors, I think there’s a solid question in whether Zach Wilson will be the best option to quarterback the Cougars next season.

Wilson gave it his all, but also had a hand in the three turnovers that ultimately sealed BYU’s fate.

Fortunately for the Cougars, they learned they have two additional quarterbacks more than capable to lead the team. Will the coaching staff work to get them game ready for the fall?

They will also have to figure out their receiving and running back situations, along with how to get the defense to perform more consistently.

Really, BYU has a lot to work on before the 2020 season, which is looking to be the toughest schedule yet.

More BYU football coverage

A look at Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich’s offense, which looks just like the one he played in when Rolovich quarterbacked the Rainbow Warriors.

BYU quarterback Zach Wilson had his career-best game in last year’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl when he threw a perfect game, and was expected to play a big role at the Hawaii Bowl.

The Cougars rallied to come back from an early deficit, but the Rainbow Warriors were able to end the Hawaii Bowl on their terms — defeating BYU for the first time since 2001, 38-34.

BYU’s defense was playing lights-out in the second half, except when it counted most and gave up two big plays to allow Hawaii to score the game-winning touchdown.

The way the Hawaii Bowl played out was a perfect description of BYU’s 2019 season.

Other voices

Jay Drew of the Deseret News looks into how Zach Wilson’s performance at the Hawaii Bowl could open up the competition for starting quarterback next season.

Freshmen Payton Wilgar and Max Tooley may compete for the same position, but are best friends off the field, the Daily Herald’s Jared Lloyd writes.

Was the 2019 season a success? Sean Walker of KSL Sports takes a look at the season — the highs and lows.

Around campus

• The BYU women’s basketball team will open the West Coast Conference portion of its schedule with two road games — at LMU on Saturday and Pepperdine on Monday, Dec. 30. The Cougars are currently 5-5 after falling to Oregon State, 65-34, before the Christmas break. Coach Jeff Judkins, the all-time winningest men’s or women’s BYU basketball head coach, is two wins away from reaching 400 victories.

• Three members of the 2019 BYU women’s volleyball team were recognized on VolleyballMag.com’s All-America list this week. Senior libero Mary Lake and senior outside hitter McKenna Miller were named to the All-America Third Team while freshman setter Whitney Bower was named All-America honorable mention.