PROVO -- BYU's Freight Train wasn't the only thing that came off track in last week's 45-40 loss to Virginia. During a horrendous first quarter, BYU's offense was nowhere to be found.
Trailing 21-0, the Cougars had just 22 yards and a pair of first downs. Quarterback Kevin Feterik had as many interceptions (two) as he did completions. Rushing leader Luke Staley was limited to seven yards, and it all came on one carry."It wasn't necessarily demoralizing," said wide receiver Margin Hooks. "From that, we showed a lot of willpower and fight."
Indeed. BYU broke from its funk over the final three quarters to finish with 475 yards of total offense and 25 first downs. Feterik wound up throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns, while Staley added 79 yards and two scores.
The barrage was almost enough to lift the Cougars to victory. A holding penalty foiled BYU's final drive, which ended with an interception in the end zone.
"Now," said Hooks, "we need to pick up where we left off after the first quarter."
On Friday (7 p.m., KSL, Ch. 5), BYU renews its rivalry with Utah State after a one-year hiatus. If recent history is any indication, the Aggies are a welcome sight for the Cougars. BYU has won 13 of the past 14 meetings between the rivals and has scored 40 or more points in 12 contests since 1972.
LaVell Edwards, however, is expecting a tough and physical game at Romney Stadium.
"(Utah State) has all the elements to have a good football team," said Edwards. "It'll be a real test for us to see how we come back, rebound."
While BYU's offense righted itself in the final three quarters of the Virginia game, the defense wasn't as fortunate. With middle linebacker Rob Morris sidelined with a lower abdominal strain, the Cougars had trouble slowing the Cavaliers' running game. Thomas Jones led the charge with 210 yards rushing as Virginia easily surpassed the 55.5 average BYU surrendered in wins over Washington and Colorado State.
"When you talk about Rob Morris' game, they don't talk about his pass coverage. It was a huge factor (not having him against Virginia)," said defensive end Byron Frisch. "As middle linebacker, he's quarterback of the defense. He brings leadership. He brings motivation. He brings a lot more things than just a guy out there making tackles."
It didn't help that Morris' replacement in the middle -- fellow starter Jeff Holtry who moved over from the outside -- left the game with a concussion in the first quarter.
Holtry is expected to play Friday, while Edwards said Morris is making significant progress. His status for the game, however, likely won't be made until just prior to kickoff.
Like the rest of his teammates, cornerback Heshimu Robertson is eager for BYU's defensive unit to reassemble. Virginia, he explained, exploited the absence of Morris. Utah State will likely try to do so as well. Running back Demario Brown is among the nation's top 20 runners. He's lost yardage just once in 62 carries this season.
"We felt a lot of pressure (against Virginia)," said Robertson. "There was pressure because we didn't get to do the things we wanted to on defense." Edwards reiterated that there's nothing anyone can do about the Virginia game now. BYU's focus has shifted to Utah State.
"This is very important for us," said Edwards. "We have to re-establish ourselves and get our confidence back."