WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE, COUGAR FANS!! On Friday, a long, LONG wait ended as the Big XII Conference formally extended an invitation to BYU for full membership beginning in 2023. As if the week couldn’t get any more exciting, I haven’t even written about that decision yet because BYU ending a 9-game losing streak to Utah takes precedence!! Here are some thoughts from a historic Cougar victory.
The good
— There was so, so much good in this game. I want to start with the defensive gameplan, which was absolutely brilliant. Ilaisa Tuiaki made some serious adjustments from week 1, and the results speak for themselves. The Utah offensive line looked like a shell of the proud, physical tradition established by Kyle Whittingham. The Cougar front seven blew up the Utes’ offensive scheme completely and made Utah QB Charlie Brewer’s life miserable. Better still, Utah turned the ball over twice and BYU was +2 in turnover margin for the game.
— A specific defensive shoutout has to go to the Cougar secondary, which had an outstanding game. One media narrative coming into this game was that the BYU defensive backs would struggle with the athleticism of Utah’s receiving corps. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. It felt at times like no Utah receiver was open more than seven yards downfield, and the Cougars accomplished this feat while primarily playing man defense. The reliability of the Cougar DB’s in one-on-one coverage allowed Ilaisa Tuiaki to comfortably call blitzes knowing that extra help would not be needed in the secondary. Malik Moore, Isaiah Herron, D’Angelo Mandell, and Jakob Robinson played lights-out in this one.
— The Cougar offensive line was a force to be reckoned with throughout this game. Jaren Hall wasn’t sacked once and usually had plenty of time to make his throws, but more importantly, the line’s dominance allowed BYU to sustain lengthy drives that demoralized and exhausted the Utah defense. Late in the fourth quarter, with Utah trailing by just six and holding all the momentum, BYU put together a surgical drive lasting twelve plays and taking over six minutes off the clock before ending in a field goal that gave the Cougars a two-score lead. And the best part? There was nothing the Utah defense could do about it. Tyler Allgeier ran the ball at will through massive holes created by the O-line, chewing clock and punishing tacklers. By the end, the Ute defensive line looked defeated.
— Speaking of Tyler Allgeier, he had a phenomenal game. He reminds me more and more of Harvey Unga on a weekly basis, which is probably no accident since Unga is his position coach. Like his coach, Allgeier has a powerful, contact-seeking running style that makes him a nightmare to tackle. He was the heart and soul of the BYU offense against the Utes.
— Ryan Rehkow continues to impress. His punting was a legitimate defensive weapon for the Cougars in this game, as Utah was never really able to gain good field position after defensive stops. His punt that pinned the Utes at their own two-yard line in the first quarter was one of the highlights of the game. Rehkow has “NFL” written all over him!
— Finally, my last nod has to be to the crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium. When Chaz Ah You intercepted Charlie Brewer early in the game, it was painfully loud in the stadium. My head was pounding, and I loved it! The pure energy brought by the fans meant that BYU was able to maintain momentum throughout the game. Even when they pulled within six late in the game, the Utes never even got close to taking the crowd out of it. The fans absolutely deserve part of the credit for this win. Also, rushing the field after that last kneel-down was probably the highlight of my BYU fan life.
The bad
How could I write about anything bad after a game like this??…
In all seriousness, BYU didn’t play a perfect game against Utah. As it turns out, the Cougars were simply so much better than the Utes that it didn’t matter—BYU just dominated the game physically, and that overpowering force of will masked some issues.
— The passing game with Jaren Hall at QB continues to underwhelm. It’s not a liability—Hall is an efficient and incredibly high-IQ passer who virtually never makes mistakes. It just…isn’t a weapon. BYU won this game in the trenches, not through the air. I’ll honestly take the former any day, but the Cougars need to figure out how to put a little more air under the ball to be successful.
— Penalties were also an issue. The Nacua brothers (bless them, I’m SO DANG EXCITED they’re on this team) got what was an understandable but still stupid celebration penalty after a late first half TD which effectively cost the Cougars a full touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter. Did it matter in the end? No. Could it have? Absolutely. Max Tooley and Keenan Pili were also both flagged for uncharacteristic late hit penalties. While the call on Pili was suspect, the fact is that referees take those hits very seriously and will often err on the side of caution. BYU needs to address that issue—playing to the whistle is important; playing beyond it can really hurt you.
That’s all I’ll say about the bad. This game was incredible. WHAT A RUSH. I love this team, I love Kalani Sitake and Tom Holmoe and Jaren Hall and Max Hall and all 60,000+ of my very best friends who were in LES Saturday night!! What a special, special game and an amazing end to the second-greatest week in BYU football history (winning the natty in 1984 still gets the top spot).
Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t end this post with a brief thought on the pregame ceremonies commemorating the September 11th terrorist attacks. Hearing ‘Amazing Grace’ on the bagpipes and admiring that great, big flag on the field got me a little misty. I was two years old when those attacks took place, so I don’t personally remember them. But I’m grateful that after all of these years and in spite of everything we’ve been through as a nation, we haven’t forgotten that day, twenty years ago, when our national innocence was ripped away and we realized there are people out there who just hate us because we’re us. It’s a reminder that we need each other—BYU and Utah fans, Republicans and Democrats, Christians, Muslims, and atheists. We are better, safer, and stronger together, and that’s the real power of our shared American identity.
Back to football, and looking ahead, BYU matches up with a fellow ranked opponent next week as #19 Arizona State comes to town. This won’t be an easy game by any stretch—the Sun Devils have looked legit so far. BYU will need focus and determination to avoid an emotional letdown. It has to be business as usual for the Cougars, but this is a 100% winnable game. My prediction: BYU 28, ASU 24