BYU football report card: Cougars make the big plays when needed in win over San Diego State

For the better part of Saturday’s game between BYU and San Diego State, the Aztecs controlled possession of the ball and stayed within striking distance of the No. 18 Cougars.

It was a game plan Coastal Carolina used the week before against BYU to successfully pull an upset.

This time, though, the Cougars made timely plays on both sides of the ball as BYU beat San Diego State 28-14 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Offense

BYU’s 384 yards of total offense were modest gains when compared to the team’s averages this season — the Cougars ran for just 74 yards in the win. BYU made up for that in other ways against a San Diego State defense that entered the contest ranked among the nation’s best in several categories, including first in the country in fewest yards allowed per play (4.05). 

The Cougars averaged 7.2 yards per play while running 24 fewer plays than the Aztecs, and BYU turned a pair of San Diego State turnovers — one in each half — into 10 points.

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Quarterback Zach Wilson again led the way for BYU, completing 25 of 34 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Neil Pau’u had a career-high 117 receiving yards on eight receptions, and Dax Milne added seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown on the Cougars’ first possession. Freshman tight end Isaac Rex shook off an early fumble and had five receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns, including a diving fourth-quarter score to give BYU a two-possession lead.    

The Cougars were without running back Tyler Allgeier and wide receiver Gunner Romney, but Lopini Katoa filled in nicely in the run game, rushing for a season-best 83 yards on 13 carries, a 6.4-yard average. His 43-yard run on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter set up a short touchdown pass that tied the game at 14.

BYU converted 5 of 10 third downs — the Aztecs were allowing opponents to convert third downs just 27.3% of the time entering the game, fourth nationally — and the Cougars scored points on four of five possessions spanning from its first possession of the second quarter through the opening minutes of the fourth. 

That efficiency gave the Cougars enough cushion to earn a gritty win on a cold night in Provo. 

Grade: B 

Defense

BYU’s defensive effort against the Aztecs was defined by a bend-but-don’t-break mentality. The Aztecs put up 399 yards of total offense and had the ball for over 37 minutes and 77 total plays, but the Cougars came up with big plays defensively time and again during the game’s final three quarters after SDSU scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns.

BYU forced a pair of key turnovers. The first came courtesy reserve linebacker Drew Jensen, who intercepted the Aztecs’ Jordon Brookshire on a promising drive that had reached the Cougar 24 with San Diego State leading BYU 14-7 in the second quarter. That Jensen interception turned into a Cougar touchdown minutes later, as BYU scored the game’s final 21 points. 

The Cougars again had a timely turnover on San Diego State’s opening possession of the second half. The Aztecs had used a trio of chunk plays to quickly move inside the BYU 10, but on first-and-goal, Kavika Fonua knocked the ball loose from Kaegun Williams and the Cougars’ Seleti Fevaleaki recovered. The Cougars turned the miscue into a field goal on the ensuing 13-play, 80-yard drive.

Those key stops set the tone for the fourth quarter, when BYU stopped the Aztecs on fourth down three times in Cougar territory, including twice after San Diego State was inside the BYU 10 — the Aztecs were 1 of 4 on red-zone chances in the loss.

The first fourth-down stop came on a fourth-and-2 on the third play of the final quarter, when Zac Dawe and Bracken El-Bakri stuffed Brookshire for no gain at the BYU 28. That set up the Cougars’ final touchdown, and with a two-point conversion, it was a two-score game. 

Later, SDSU marched to the BYU 5 on a time-consuming drive, but the Cougars defense made a goal-line stand, twice keeping the Aztecs from scoring from the 1-yard line. That included on fourth down, when Brookshire slipped at the BYU 3 as he tried to make a cut for the end zone with just under three minutes to play.  

The Cougars then held the Aztecs out of the end zone in the final minute, as San Diego State drove inside the BYU 10 again, only to have the drive end when Brookshire recovered a bad snap for a 13-yard loss. 

Keenan Pili and Isaiah Kaufusi each had nine tackles for the Cougars, who held the Aztecs to 3.7 yards per carry and allowed SDSU to convert only 3 of 7 third downs in the fourth quarter after the Aztecs had converted 7 of 10 in the previous three quarters. 

Grade: B+ 

Special teams

Jake Oldroyd has been Mr. Automatic for BYU this season, and he kept that streak alive Saturday night. The Cougars quickly drove 35 yards just before halftime and Oldroyd nailed a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter — his third 50-yard field goal of the season — to give BYU a 17-14 halftime lead.

Oldroyd tacked on a 29-yard field goal in the third quarter. He’s a perfect 13-for-13 on field goals this season. 

Freshman Ryan Rehkow had another solid night punting the ball, with three punts averaging 43 yards. His 50-yard punt late in the second quarter pinned San Diego State at its 15, and after a three-and-out — the Aztecs’ lone three-and-out of the game — the gains in field position helped set up Oldroyd’s field goal to end the half. 

BYU didn’t do much in the return game, and SDSU had a 23-yard kickoff return and a 13-yard punt return, the only part of special teams where the Aztecs had an edge. 

What mattered, though, was the Cougars’ special teams came through when called upon again — a theme of the season — even if it wasn’t asked to often make big plays.

Grade: B+

Overall

The Cougars needed a good win after the disappointment of picking up their first loss the week prior against the Chanticleers. Saturday’s win over their former conference rivals provided just that.

BYU now waits to see who its next opponent will be. That wait won’t be bitter, as the Cougars picked up their 10th win of the season and will stay ranked. 

Grade: B+