For the BYU football team, September has come to a close with the Cougars sitting at 4-1, which is probably a bit better than most observers predicted when the 2023 season began with that less-than-inspiring 14-0 win over Sam Houston.
Truth be told, after Friday’s 35-27 conquest of fellow Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati, the Cougars could theoretically be anywhere between 2-3 and 5-0, as turnovers have dictated the games they have won and the game they lost. (That 38-27 loss at Kansas included two defensive touchdowns for the homestanding Jayhawks.)
“So I think 4-1 in hindsight is a decent spot to be in. Obviously we would love to be 5-0. But being in a conference, in the Big 12, we can hang our hats high. Being 4-1 is a good spot for us. We need to keep building on that and keep going forward from there.” — BYU linebacker Max Tooley.
After the Cougars were plus-two in the turnover margin against Cincy, winning despite giving up 498 yards and gaining just 295, BYU coach Kalani Sitake acknowledged that a 4-1 record isn’t so bad, given the alternative.
“I am glad we are in a position right now with our record, and even the opportunity going into the bye week where we can still improve,” Sitake said.
Cornerback Jakob Robinson’s pick-six on Cincinnati’s sixth offensive play staked BYU to a 7-0 lead and absolutely rescued an offense that was abysmal through the first 29 minutes. Robinson said “for sure” that the Cougars would have taken a 4-1 mark when the month began, given their schedule.
“I believe in our team,” he said. “I believe in our coaches. As long as we are doing what we need to do, we will get our wins.”
Along with Robinson, linebacker Max Tooley led the defensive effort, posting a career-high 16 tackles. Oregon transfer Harrison Taggart, filling in for leading tackler Ben Bywater (shoulder), added 10 takedowns, as did Utah State transfer AJ Vongphachanh.
After some coaxing, Tooley agreed that 4-1 (1-1 in the Big 12) is not a bad place to be.
“Obviously, going into each season, you don’t want to lose a game. That’s never the goal,” Tooley said. “But like it has been said before, college football is a tough thing. Every week is going to be a different challenge, every team is going to bring something different. They have something different to fight for.
“So I think 4-1 in hindsight is a decent spot to be in,” Tooley continued. “Obviously we would love to be 5-0. But being in a conference, in the Big 12, we can hang our hats high. Being 4-1 is a good spot for us. We need to keep building on that and keep going forward from there.”
As for his big night getting tackles, Tooley was less impressed with himself.
“Honestly, when I first heard I had 16 tackles in this game, I thought they were lying, just because I am naturally pretty hard on myself,” said the Bountiful High product. “I always look for ways to improve, so these wins have been feeling a little bittersweet, knowing there are a lot of plays left to be made out there.”
Receiver Chase Roberts, who had a career-high 131 receiving yards and six catches, including the back-breaker for the Bearcats, said the Cougars are off to a satisfying start because they are resilient, have a solid defense and have confidence in quarterback Kedon Slovis and their coaches.
“I mean, 5-0 would be better,” Roberts said. “We knew we had a great team at the beginning of the season. Whoever we had running the ball, throwing the ball, passing, we knew, just with our coaching, and everything that we have as a school, as a community, that we fight, and that we were going to win some games.”
Just warming up to the idea, Roberts said the Cougars are “going to be a powerhouse in the Big 12,” which might be kind of optimistic for a team that could have a losing record if not for come-from-behind wins over Arkansas and Cincinnati.
The Cougars have done a reasonable job overcoming injuries. Backups have proven capable, and Sitake said Friday night that he expects several players who have been out with injuries to be back after the bye week for the Oct. 14 game at TCU.
“I think everyone has bought in, and next man up (mentality),” Roberts said. “If anyone gets hurt, then we have guys. I am super confident in that, and whatever happens in the season guys are going to step up and make some plays, and you will see that.”
On the other side of the field Friday night, Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield sounded a lot like Sitake did last week after gifting Kansas the Big 12 opener.
“This game came down to two turnovers, one that went for a touchdown for BYU (Robinson’s pick-six) and the other one basically went for a touchdown (after BYU took over at the UC 15 after a muffed punt),” Satterfield said. “That was the difference in the game. … The bottom line is they made more plays than we did.”
Satterfield said Slovis’ completion to Roberts that went for a 59-yard touchdown was “a fluke,” and he wasn’t wrong.
Slovis admitted that the throw was actually intended for Keanu Hill, but sailed on him and Roberts was Johnny-on-the-spot.
“Yeah, that was drawn up perfectly,” Roberts said, laughing. “No (it wasn’t). Glad we could execute and it was a big play to get the momentum going forward.”
The throw to Roberts was part of a remarkable turnaround for Slovis, who completed just one of his first seven throws before going 12 of 17 the rest of the way for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cougars rushed for just 70 yards and will probably stay at the bottom of the NCAA statistics list in that category after Saturday’s games, but Sitake wasn’t dissatisfied.
“I think Kedon can throw the ball, and we have really capable receivers,” Sitake said. “We gotta find ways to put points on the board. I don’t think we are the type of team that can impose its will on people and run the ball against a team that is going to load the box.
“But there are different ways to execute and get points on the board and get first downs. That is the goal for us on offense.”