In the week leading up to BYU football's season opener against FCS opponent Southern Illinois, there was one question on everyone's mind: who would the starting quarterback be? CougConnect reported at one point that Jake Retzlaff had locked down the job, but the coaching staff almost immediately undercut that report, asserting that both Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon might start and that we could even see a two-quarterback system implemented early on. To hear the coaches describe it, there was a serious quarterback controversy in progress.
Thankfully, the two-quarterback system never needed to be implemented. The Cougars cruised to an easy 41-13 win over SIU that was more lopsided on the field than it looked on the scoreboard. Here are some thoughts from an important momentum-building game:
The Good:
It seems weird to say this, given that we're talking about a season-opening blowout against an FCS opponent, but this game was the defining moment of Jake Retzlaff's BYU career to this point. Jake was handed the keys to the offense for this game, but he was also clearly on a short leash. His backup, Gerry Bohanon, is a veteran who won a Sugar Bowl at Baylor. Had Jake come out and played poorly, he might have been benched for Bohanon very quickly. This was his one and only chance to gain a firm hold on the starting job, and did he ever seize it! He completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 348 yards and 3 TDs with no picks, posting a passer rating of 197.11. But more important than the raw numbers (which are, incredibly, almost identical to Kedon Slovis's stats against SUU last year) is how confident, smooth, and in-control Retzlaff looked. The final score doesn't really do justice to how well he played. His deep ball looked great, he made the right reads consistently, and he didn't make any major mistakes. A couple of overthrows, including one dead duck that fluttered over the head of a wide-open Ethan Erickson in the end zone, can be attributed to first-game jitters and the inherent pressure that comes with knowing you're playing for your job. As he gets more comfortable and the offense settles in, good things seem to be ahead for Jake Retzlaff. It feels great to say that really for the first time since their 5-2 start last season, the Cougars know they have a legitimate starting QB.
Fesi Sitake's wide receivers rooms have always been deep and talented, but this one might take the cake. The Cougars' WR2, Darius Lassiter, missed this game due to an NCAA eligibility rule, and his absence wasn't even really felt. Lassiter is a really good WR. The fact that he wasn't missed in this game is a reflection of how much depth this WR room has. Chase Roberts looked every bit like an all-conference talent as he effortlessly racked up a team-high 108 yards on 7 receptions. Veteran Keelan Marion looked solid, and young talents like Jojo Phillips, Parker Kingston, and Cody Hagen got a chance to get some serious playing time. Phillips' 57-yard TD in the first quarter was possibly the highlight of the game. There are still some position groups on this team with question marks, but the WR room is as good as—or better than—it's ever been in the Sitake era.
The offensive line is one of those position groups that still has some questions around it, but there have definitely been improvements in that area since TJ Woods replaced Darrell Funk as O-line coach. The most noticeable improvement has come from Caleb Etienne, a once-polarizing player who slid in and out of the starting lineup throughout the 2023 season and certainly didn't look like a P4 starter at any position by season's end. It came as a surprise to most when Coach Woods announced relatively early that Etienne would not only start, but start at the all-important left tackle spot; through one game, at least, Etienne has validated that decision. According to Pro Football Focus, he was BYU's highest-graded offensive lineman and third-highest-graded player overall against SIU.
BYU's defensive line was expected to be a strength this year, featuring an established star in Tyler Batty and returning veterans like John Nelson, Isaiah Bagnah, and Blake Mangelson. Against SIU, they delivered a pair of sacks (one each from Nelson and Bagnah), which represents 1/5 of the total sack output from last year's team. It's great to see Nelson healthy again, and this D-line should cause some problems for opposing QBs this year.
Finally, I can't close this section without mentioning the heroic fighting spirit of BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who suffered a heart attack on Thursday, was discharged from the hospital on Friday, and attended the game on Saturday! Coach Hill is a defensive genius, but more importantly, he's a player's coach who wants to be there for his guys. Reportedly, he is actively prepping for next week's SMU game and will call the defense in that matchup (Kalani Sitake officially took over his duties for this one, even as Hill was on the headset for part of the game). Cougar Nation has grown to love Coach Hill, and his tenacity is a wonderful example.
The Bad:
The offense wasn't perfect against SIU. Perhaps that's to be expected in game 1, but there were a couple of concerning areas. In particular, the tight end room as a unit had a pretty forgettable night outside of Mata'ava Ta'ase's third quarter TD. Keanu Hill, ostensibly BYU's TE1, was a nonfactor in the passing game. He looked out-of-sync and lost at times, and the Cougar offense really needs him to find his rhythm. The Cougars' running back depth is another area that needs improvement. LJ Martin is a star in the making as BYU's RB1, but the rest of the BYU backs had a pretty forgettable night running the ball. With Martin potentially still limited by a lingering shoulder issue, the likes of Hinckley Ropati and Miles Davis will need to step up and produce at a higher level. I did like what I saw from Davis in the receiving game, but both he and Ropati have to be more explosive between the tackles.
The defense had a solid night overall, but I was a little concerned by how easily SIU quarterback DJ Williams ran the ball. He finished with 121 yards on the ground, which was over half of SIU's total offensive production for the game. It felt like there was absolutely no effort to put a spy on him for most of the game. He wasn't much of a threat in the passing game, but he gashed the Cougars repeatedly on the ground. The Big 12 has some great dual-threat QBs this year, and the BYU linebackers and safeties will need to step up and do a much better job of containing the QB run game.
It's always risky to draw conclusions from a game against an FCS opponent, but all you have to do is look at last year's matchup with SUU (46 rushing yards?!) to see that this team has improved significantly, especially on offense. The most absurd stat from the entire game might be that in 2023, it took the Cougars until midway through game 3 to rush for as many yards as they did against the Salukis on Saturday! I don't expect groundbreaking results from BYU this year, but I do think that bowl eligibility is comfortably in play at this point. Next up, the Cougars face newly-minted ACC opponent SMU. The Mustangs followed up an unexpectedly ugly performance against Nevada with a blowout of FCS Houston Christian. They're 2-0, but they face some serious questions, especially on defense. This is a chance for Jake Retzlaff to really show what he can do as an underdog. I expect BYU to win that matchup; I think the Mustangs are still benefiting from being overrated in the preseason, and I think the Cougars were definitely underrated. After this Friday, BYU should be 5-0 all time against SMU.