BYU center Connor Pay didn’t hesitate Wednesday night after a practice at the Indoor Practice Facility when he was asked where the offense’s confidence level is at right now as the Cougars continued preparations to face one of the country’s top defenses this week at Boise State.
“We are confident,” Pay said. “We are confident. … It has been a little bit of a weird year offensively, but it was good to establish the run last week, get us back in the 240 range in rushing yards.
“Mentally, no, there is no drop-off. Right now, we are all locked in to go play Boise State. This is a must-win game for us to kind of get this up-and-down season back on track.” — BYU center Connor Pay
“As an offensive line, that is our responsibility, and so that gives us confidence to go in and try to establish the run against Boise,” Pay continued. “When you can do that it kinda opens up the passing game. So we are confident right now.”
The Cougars (4-5) ran for 244 yards — 5.5 per carry — in the 27-24 loss to East Carolina, but Boise State (6-2) is an entirely different animal on defense than the Pirates, Pay and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick quickly acknowledged.
The Broncos, who have won four straight, are second nationally in total defense (232.2 yards per game) and are No. 13 in run defense, giving up just 98.6 yards per game on the ground. They are No. 1 in passing defense (133.6 yards per game) and No. 7 in passing efficiency defense (106.53).
“Very good defense,” Roderick said. “They don’t have a lot of weaknesses. Statistically, they are top 10, top five in (almost) everything. They are long and athletic and very good at what they do.”
Against ECU, the Cougars clearly turned to their running game in an attempt to control the clock and keep their much-maligned defense off the field. Whether they can do that in the expected rain and snow at Albertsons Stadium Saturday (5 p.m. MDT, FS2) remains to be seen, but prospects don’t look good on the blue turf.
Ground-oriented Air Force rushed for just 175 yards in a 19-14 Boise State win in Colorado Springs, while New Mexico, San Diego State and Fresno State all failed to surpass 100 rushing yards; last week Colorado State was held to 3 rushing yards in a 49-10 plastering.
“They are really good at defeating blocks. They fit every run play. They fit exactly where they are supposed to be. They are in the right gaps,” Roderick said. “So you have to block and win your individual matchups. That’s really it. There is no other secret sauce here, other than you just gotta win your individual matchups.”
Losing those one-on-one matchups in the run game is what cost the Cougars dearly on two fourth-down plays against ECU, as quarterback Jaren Hall and running back Miles Davis were stuffed in what were arguably two of the most important plays for the offense this season.
“It has been a strange year, but we will keep working through it and communicating as a staff about how we are going to proceed with that,” Roderick said. “It has been a tough year.”
As far as the weather is concerned, the offensive coordinator said both teams have to play in it and bad weather is nothing new to the Cougars.
“We are just preparing for the worst, weather-wise, and then if it is better than that, then that will be great,” Roderick said.
Obviously, BYU has much bigger problems to deal with than the weather, on both sides of the ball.
But Pay said there has been “no mental wear down” as the losses have piled up.
“Mentally, no, there is no drop-off,” he said. “Right now, we are all locked in to go play Boise State. This is a must-win game for us to kind of get this up-and-down season back on track.”
On offense, the Cougars will be missing several starters Saturday, which doesn’t bode well considering BSU’s defensive prowess. Receiver Kody Epps (shoulder) is out for the season, leading rusher Chris Brooks will likely miss at least one more game with a hamstring issue, and receiver Gunner Romney has been practicing this week but probably won’t play, according to passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake.
In all, BYU has started 19 different players on offense and 23 different players on defense. Offensive stars Davis, Puka Nacua and Chase Roberts have also missed games with injuries.
“The next man has gotta be ready to go, and I think the guys have stepped up,” Sitake said, referring to receivers such as Roberts, Brayden Cosper and Keanu Hill. “It is tough, but it is something I have seen almost every year and just something that you plan for as a coach, is those injuries.”
Sitake said if another receiver or two goes down, Terence Fall, punt returner Hobbs Nyberg and freshman Parker Kingston are next in line for playing time. He said Kingston has shown promise but is “really raw” in learning the playbook. Talmage Gunther is battling an injury.
“It is tough times right now, and we got a hole we are trying to climb out of,” Sitake said. “And the message is, the best way to do it is just work, keep working, trust the process.”
And play with confidence, which apparently is one of the few traits the Cougars don’t lack.
Cougars on the air
BYU (4-5)
at Boise State (6-2)
Saturday, 5 p.m.
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
TV: Fox Sports 2
Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM