PROVO — BYU head football coach Gary Crowton showed last year that he's not afraid to try for a first down on fourth-down plays.
But a fake punt play that resulted in a completed pass on fourth-and-14 from the Cougars' own 15-yard line in the first half of BYU's 42-21 victory over Syracuse? That takes guts — or a blown play.
Let's just say that the pass from punter Matt Payne to coverage man Chad Barney wasn't supposed to be.
Barney — a cornerback on defense — was set to cover the kick when he heard the Cougar Stadium crowd groan. Wondering if the punt had been blocked, he glanced back to see Payne running with the ball — he got himself open on the left side, hauled in a desperation heave from Payne and gained a first down.
But it all went for naught as the Cougars had an ineligible receiver downfield.
THE LONGEST YARDS: The Cougars stuffed Syracuse on third and fourth downs at the Y's one-yard line late in the first half. BYU then took the ball 99 yards and two feet the other way for a touchdown, highlighted by Marcus Whalen's 58-yard ramble and his subsequent 1-yard scoring dive, going up 21-7.
That nine-play, 99-yard drive is now recognized as the longest offensive drive in BYU football history — and it only took two minutes and 59 seconds.
CELEBRATE: BYU was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for celebration infractions — one after a sack, another following a touchdown. "These are the things I was most disappointed in," said Crowton, adding that "I just want them to be smart about it."
THE OFFICIALS WORD: Thursday night's officiating crew came from Syracuse's conference, the Big East. It's what the home-and-home contract called for, as well as the Mountain West crew that worked BYU's 2000 loss in the Orangemen's Carrier Dome.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DISTRIBUTION: BYU quarterback Bret Engemann completed 35 of 54 passes and involved 10 different receivers — eight by the end of the first quarter alone.
KICKING GAME: The kicking game caused BYU all sorts of headaches Thursday in its 42-21 win over Syracuse. Placekicker Matt Payne missed two field goals and three extra points. Reno Mahe fumbled away a punt in the first quarter.
Coach Gary Crowton offered explanations for those problems.
Earlier this week, the Cougars learned they would be without defensive end/deep snapper John Denney, who has a herniated disc in his lower neck and will be sidelined for two months. Denney had been handling deep snapping chores for PATs and field goals. Gabriel Reid took over for him.
"Gabe's been snapping for punts, not for PATs," Crowton said. "He was throwing it back kind of high and that made Matt lose confidence. We need to get that part of our game squared away. I didn't think that area would break down. It almost cost us."
Crowton said Mahe's fumbled punt was a result of not being able to see the high punts at night. "I need to bring him out here with the punters and have him catch under the lights," he said.
David Christensen replaced Mahe on punt returns.
UP NEXT: BYU hosts Hawaii next Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN. There are 10,000 tickets remaining for Friday's game, according to BYU officials.
QB-BY-COMMITTEE: On BYU's first possession, three different players took snaps from center Scott Jackson: starting quarterback Bret Engemann, Mahe and backup QB Lance Pendleton. Pendleton, a redshirt freshman, entered the game a few other times and he ended up rushing twice for 15 yards and completed one pass for 11 yards. "On Wednesday, I had a gut feeling that I should use him," Crowton said of Pendleton, a fleet-footed player who can run the option. "I felt he was ready to go."
THE INJURY FRONT: Starting free safety Michael Madsen suffered a dislocated shoulder in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Jernaro Gilford (sore knee) did not dress for Thursday's game.
MISCELLANEOUS: Of BYU's 397 passing yards, 175 of those came after-the-catch . . . The Cougars were 11 of 18 on third-down conversions . . . BYU cornerback Chad Barney, who starred at Dixie State College last year, was asked which team he would root for in tonight's matchup between the Rebels and the Cougar JV team at LaVell Edwards Stadium. "That's a tough one," Barney said. "I'm neutral." . . . Tickets for the JV game, which starts at 7 p.m., cost $5.