What we learned about BYU from its fortune-turning win over Boise State

After a month of backsliding resulted in a four-game losing streak, BYU found the right answers more often than not in an unexpected but welcome 31-28 win over Boise State.

Here’s what we learned about BYU from the contest, and what the rivalry between these two schools has meant over the past decade.

The Cougars earned an elusive complete team win

Saturday night was BYU’s best overall effort since the Baylor win back in Week 2.

The Cougar offense put up 532 yards of total offense and 377 yards passing against a Boise State defense that entered the weekend No. 2 nationally in total offense and tops in pass defense.

Career nights from guys like Puka Nacua, Jaren Hall and Hinckley Ropati helped fuel that effort.

The Cougars owned time of possession (with a 12-minute edge) and had 27 first downs (to 16 for BSU) while reaching Broncos territory on every possession, while scoring on every one of its second-half possessions until the kneel downs to end it.

The defense, meanwhile, made tangible improvements after a rough month. 

The Cougars gave up 324 yards, after giving up an average of 527.8 yards during their four-game losing streak in October. 

BYU also held Boise State to 104 rushing yards after giving up an average of 259.5 yards per game over the last four weeks.

The Cougars allowed the Broncos to convert just 4 of 10 third downs, and that helped slow a Boise State offense that had just 79 yards of total offense before getting more on track in the second half.

Unlike previous weeks, though, the Cougars’ offensive and defensive efforts complemented each other, as BYU found ways to respond each time Boise State took the momentum.

Special teams also provided complementary efforts. 

That included a crucial 25-yard field goal in the third quarter from Jake Oldroyd and a 38-yard punt from Ryan Rehkow — the Cougars’ lone punt of the game — that pinned Boise State at its own 4 in the second quarter, helping BYU control field position.

That full-team effort helped the Cougars ended their four-game slide, and provide some momentum starting the final month of the regular season.

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BYU-Boise State is a fun rivalry … and hopefully it returns

BYU hadn’t had much luck in winning close games on the blue turf until Saturday night.

This time, the Cougars made the last-minute plays to earn a much-needed win.

BYU has won the last two times the Cougars have played Boise State in Boise, including a 51-17 win during the 2020 COVID year.

Before that, though, BYU had lost five straight to the Broncos in Boise, three times in one-point games and another time by five points.

That made Saturday’s game feel familiar — though this time, the Cougars made the plays at the end to win. 

Puka Nacua’s 6-yard touchdown catch on fourth down with under two minutes to play gave BYU the 31-28 lead, and moments later Jakob Robinson broke up a fourth-down pass to seal the Cougars win.

It’s been a competitive series between BYU and Boise State over the past decade-plus since the Cougars went independent: the Broncos own a 6-5 series edge over that stretch.

Unfortunately, with BYU’s impending move to the Big 12 next year, the series is on hiatus for the foreseeable future.

Can both teams find a way to make this game happen again? Time will tell.

Winning ails a lot of things, especially emotions

This space has been used the past couple weeks to share what some former BYU players and national experts have said on social media after the Cougars’ losses to Liberty and East Carolina.

BYU’s unexpected win over Boise State had social media buzzing again, this time with a much more positive vibe.