Drink it in, BYU fans. If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to know you're in the good old days before you've left them, wonder no more--the "good old days" are right now. The fans storming the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday night had a whole lot to celebrate: a 7-0 record, a third straight win over Utah, and a season that has gone better than anyone expected, thanks to the heroics of a team that believed in itself when everyone else wrote it off.
The game itself, while more exciting at the end than it probably should have been (more on that later) didn't actually have all that much intrigue. For all the talk about how Utah's veteran QB and nationally acclaimed O-line would be the critical difference-makers, the Utah offense never snapped the ball while holding a lead. Despite being outgained in terms of total yards, BYU controlled the pace of the game throughout and responded quickly and decisively any time Utah posed a threat.
But this was the Holy War, and the energy that always surrounds the rivalry was amped up even further by the presence of Fox's Big Noon Kickoff. This was the second BYU game BNK has covered in as many seasons, and the show delivered yet again this year. The crowd was amazing, as might be expected for the Holy War. Announced attendance for the game was 64,794, making this the largest crowd to fill LaVell Edwards Stadium since the Cougars' upset win over Notre Dame in 2004. The noise clearly impacted the Utes, who committed a host of crippling penalties, including a false start on their first offensive snap that no doubt increased the crowd's energy significantly.
This game was always anticipated to be BYU's first real test of the season (credit to Colorado and Arizona for exceeding my expectations significantly), and it lived up to the billing, stretching the Cougars to their limit as the Holy War always does. But in the end, they won--more convincingly than the scoreboard suggested--and cemented their place as the team to beat in the Big 12. Here are some thoughts from BYU's 24-21 Holy War win over Utah:
The Good:
Fox play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti made himself instantly iconic in Holy War lore with his call of Bear Bachmeier's fourth quarter touchdown run: "There's a Bear on the loose in Provo!" While this wasn't Bear's most eye-popping statistical performance, his poise was incredibly impressive. He was not rattled at all by the rivalry atmosphere, and made several seriously impressive plays. His touchdown run will be what everyone remembers, but his hurdle of safety Jackson Benee was also electrifying, as was the precision strike he threw to Chase Roberts in the end zone to open the scoring. He only passed for 166 yards, but he also rushed for 64 and didn't turn the ball over. If he can play every game like he did against Utah, BYU will probably win a lot of games this season.
LJ Martin continues to be the best offensive resource BYU has, and he put together another great performance against Utah, rushing 26 times for 122 yards. Significantly, his longest rush was just 17 yards--he gained significant yardage virtually every time he touched the ball. An underrated part of Martin's game this year--and a skill he has significantly improved since last season--is his pass blocking, and several of Bear Bachmeier's best plays in this game were made possible by LJ throwing a critical block.
Possibly the biggest surprise from this game--certainly the biggest for Utah fans--was that BYU utterly dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The BYU offensive line opened up massive rush lanes for LJ Martin and protected Bear Bachmeier effectively, but the defensive line really shined. Against a Utah O-line considered one of the best in the nation this year, with multiple players likely destined to be NFL draft picks, the BYU pass rush crashed through over and over. Routinely, BYU's defensive line faced four-on-six matchups against Utah's customary heavy protection and won them. Devon Dampier, already a limited downfield passer, virtually never had time to set his feet and throw. And the Utah running game generated a total of just 6 (six) yards between the tackles. Kyle Whittingham has always been known for emphasizing the trenches, and it was really satisfying to watch BYU so completely control the game at the line.
The BYU secondary is one of the best in the nation, even without the still-injured Raider Damuni. Faletau Satuala, starting in Damuni's place, led the team with 12 tackles. He also had the hit of the night, delivering a vicious but clean shot on the sideline to break up a pass on a late key play. Tanner Wall had a pivotal fourth quarter interception, and Evan Johnson was a blanket in coverage all game, especially on a huge 4th down play in the second quarter. Johnson is one of the most underrated defensive players in the Big 12--like Jakob Robinson last year, he's only prevented from putting up more impressive statistics because smart teams have basically stopped targeting him at all when it can be avoided.
The Bad:
As I said earlier, this game should not have been as close at the end as it was. That was partially the result of a strange decision by the BYU coaches to go for it on 4th and 5 instead of kicking an easy field goal with 2:45 left and the Cougars up 24-14. On the ensuing possession, the Utes marched down the field and scored a quick touchdown, pulling the score to 24-21. They then attempted an onside kick. Had it been successful, they would have been in a prime position to force overtime with a field goal or win with a touchdown (mercifully, the onside kick attempt wasn't close). That wasn't the coaches' worst decision of the night, though--that dubious distinction goes to the Cougars' last possession of the first half, when they totally mishandled the clock in the red zone, leaving a furious Bear Bachmeier to spike the ball and set up a field goal when they might have had multiple shots at the end zone if they had thrown instead of running. It genuinely felt like Aaron Roderick either didn't know how much time was left on the clock, or didn't know that the Cougars were out of timeouts. ARod has done a fantastic job developing Bear this season and (largely) putting him in a position to succeed, but I still have serious problems with him as a game manager. He gives off a bit of an absent-minded professor vibe--a brilliant coach and schemer who doesn't know how much time is on the clock in the middle of the biggest game of the season.
In every phase but one, the BYU defense looked great in that game. Unfortunately, that one phase was a problem--the Cougars' edge integrity was terrible. As mentioned, Utah rushed for just six yards between the tackles, but the Utes actually outrushed BYU 226-202 for the game, and all of that running came on the edges. Speedy Utah receiver Daniel Bray ran for 121 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown that put the Utes up 14-10. Devon Dampier also netted 64 rushing yards for the Utes, primarily thanks to his ability to get out of the pocket and turn the corner. This BYU defense has consistently struggled to set the edge and prevent big run plays on the outside, and in this game, it nearly cost the Cougars dearly. Their edge integrity has to substantially improve.
Three in a row over Utah feels incredible. So does a 7-0 record for the second straight season--the first time in program history that the Cougars have managed that. No BYU team has ever gotten to 7-0 and finished worse than 11-2, and the Cougars seem likely to keep that streak alive. This team is clicking on all cylinders right now and playing an exciting, fun-to-watch brand of football.
Next up for BYU is a road trip to Ames, Iowa, to face the Iowa State Cylcones. ISU was good last year, losing to Arizona State in the Big 12 title game, but the Cyclones have been absolutely decimated by injuries this season--all of their four best defensive backs and their best nose tackle are expected to miss this game. The Iowa State defense should not pose a problem for BYU's dominant rushing attack. I expect BYU to win relatively comfortably.
Assuming the Cougars beat Iowa State, they will go into their second bye week 8-0, and will hopefully be well-rested and energized for their huge road matchup with #14 Texas Tech. That game could well be a preview of the Big 12 championship game--BYU and Tech are probably the two best teams in the conference. The Cougars have one other really tough game on the schedule, which is their road matchup with #21 Cincinnati two weeks after Texas Tech. If they can at least split those two games, the Cougars should be in a good position to play for a Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff. It's crazy to think about a BYU season in those terms, but that's the world of BYU sports that we live in. The expectations are sky-high, and this team's potential is through the roof. I cannot wait to see what Bear and the Big Blue Football Team do from here.