Originally published September 8, 2019.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. OK, everyone’s heart rate back to normal?
Our BYU Cougars just pulled off one of the most statistically improbable wins in program history at the expense of the reeling Tennessee Volunteers, and frankly, considering how they played for much of the game, the effort shouldn’t have succeeded. In virtually every measurable statistical category, Tennessee outperformed BYU, but some gutsy plays by the Cougars down the stretch made the difference. Sometimes, how bad you want to win really does matter. Here are five takeaways from the wild victory:
Offensive woes continue. I’m going to start with the bad, and end on the good (which, incidentally, is really how this game went). I don’t know who came up with the offensive game plan for this one, but frankly, it was atrocious. Tennessee’s run defense is really bad (Georgia State rang up 213 rushing yards at Rocky Top last week), yet BYU's offensive approach was inexplicably and inexcusably pass-heavy. Ty’Son Williams (more on him later) was BYU’s only real offensive threat against Utah last week, so naturally, the Cougars barely gave him the ball in the first half tonight. It’s no accident that Tennessee had a 13-3 halftime lead—the offensive playcalling for BYU, particularly in the first half, often made no sense. Zach Wilson did look like he improved some from last week, but the Cougars’ offensive scheme needs work.
Defense continues to struggle with the fundamentals. It’s not like me to level so much criticism in a win, so I’ll be brief here. I also don’t want to overshadow what was really a good defensive effort by the Cougars (more on that later). Still, Tennessee ran the ball far too easily against what should, on paper, be a very imposing BYU front line. There were missed tackles galore in this one, and Tennessee rolled up 242 yards on the ground.
Ty’Son Williams is the man. OK, now to the positive. With the BYU offense struggling for much of the last two games, Ty’Son Williams has been an inspiration. Tonight, Williams had 17 carries for 92 yards and two TD’s, including the game winner in the second overtime period. Williams was really, really good. It was nice to see him get more touches in this one, especially in the second half, once BYU’s offense was clicking a little better. Williams is an enormous benefit to the team, and he was the X-factor for the Cougars in this one.
Defense came up big when it mattered. Two huge fourth down stops and a massive interception by Kavika Fonua kept BYU in this game. It seemed that, as boneheaded as were some of the defense’s mistakes in this game, the unit always came up with stops when it really counted. The turnover margin was key in this one, as Fonua’s pick led to a Ty’Son Williams touchdown that got BYU back into the game.
Jake Oldroyd is still the hero. The situation was similar—a P5 opponent on the road with the game on the line, and a fresh-faced placekicker wearing #39 steps up to the tee to decide his team’s fate. Oldroyd was heroic in his first-ever game in a BYU uniform three years ago, and he was heroic again tonight, slipping a 33-yard kick through the uprights to send the game to overtime. There’s more, too. Oldroyd is perfect on the season on field goals and extra points. He also had a couple of stellar punts for the Cougars tonight. In every way possible, Jake Oldroyd is excelling at what he does.
This wasn’t the best game a Kalani Sitake-coached team has played, but it certainly wasn’t the worst, and it turned into an entertaining, down-to-the-wire BYU victory. Next up, the Cougars face USC, a young team on the rise with an electric new starting quarterback. BYU certainly isn’t the favorite in this one, but nor is it an un-winnable game. The BYU secondary will look to limit USC’s deep passing game and especially take away touches from star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the defensive line will need to keep lots of pressure on USC’s freshman QB. Meanwhile, the offense will need to figure out a way to move the ball consistently and avoid costly penalties. A heavy dose of Ty’Son Williams seems to be in order. If they can do that, this may well end up an upset win for the Cougars.