Analysis: Chosen starting QB Jake Retzlaff rolls and BYU secures its objectives in romp over FCS Southern Illinois

As season openers against overmatched, lower-division opponents go, Saturday’s 41-13 romp over Southern Illinois was pretty much what the BYU Cougars needed to snap a five-game losing streak and enter September with many more positive feelings than they did a year ago.

And it appears, for now, that starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff has what it takes to lead the team to wins, with the caveat that the schedule toughens considerably from here on out.

Hanging 41 points on the defensively retooling Salukis is one thing. Doing it against the likes of any of the nine Big 12 teams on the Cougars’ schedule is another.

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So consider the win on a picture-perfect late summer night satisfying, but with the notion that a lot of improvement is still needed, as head coach Kalani Sitake said.

“It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t even our best, but there were some moments that we had some really good things going,” Sitake said. “I think the leadership, the experience, showed up. Just really proud of the team and the way we played.”

Making his fifth straight start but first with the title of QB1 for the foreseeable future, Retzlaff did everything he was asked to do and then some in putting together his finest performance as a Cougar.

The self-proclaimed “BYJew” most importantly took care of the football — no turnovers — and made only a couple of poor throws.

Did he do enough to have the ‘or’ designation between his name and Gerry Bohanon’s removed from the depth chart?

Absolutely.

“It was a lot of fun to play football again. That’s what I got to say about it. The guys around me played incredible at every position,” Retzlaff said, noting how the Cougars rushed for 179 yards and passed for 348.

“That is a total team effort if I have ever heard of one.”

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Getting the nod over Gerry Bohanon an hour or so before kickoff when Sitake acknowledged the worst-kept secret in Provo, Retzlaff was 20 of 30 for 348 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a sparkling passer rating of 197.1.

Three of his incomplete passes were on target but dropped. New tight end Keanu Hill didn’t look for the pass soon enough on another.

Retzlaff said he was told the job was his when fall camp ended a week and a half ago and joined the effort to keep it a secret.

“You want to know how long we successfully kept it under wraps?” he said, pumping his fist.

Sitake said it was a close competition that went back and forth.

“Both those guys, we feel good about. … When we put it out there, Jake won the spot, and the special thing about it is Gerry was so supportive, and he is a special human being,” Sitake said.

“He is awesome, and they have a great relationship. We went with what we felt was right and who earned it.”

Bohanon got in for some late-game mop-up duty Saturday but didn’t attempt a pass.

So the sellout crowd of 63,712 went home happy, but with an uneasy feeling that the next time they are in LES, for a visit from predicted Big 12 power Kansas State, a crisper effort in some aspects of the game will be needed desperately.

For instance, the Cougars weren’t great on special teams, as a punt snap was bobbled, three kickoff or punt returns were bobbled and a chip-shot field goal was missed.

That plays OK against an FCS team, but not against the bigger, faster and stronger athletes in the Big 12.

Heck, that might not even work the next two weeks, as BYU travels to SMU and Wyoming in consecutive road games. The Mustangs were up 42-7 at halftime on Houston Christian before prevailing 59-7; The Pokes lost at Big 12 newcomer Arizona State but will surely be sky-high for BYU’s visit.

Other mildly distressing developments: BYU did not play well in the second quarter for what seems like the umpteenth straight time, and the Cougars’ defense struggled to contain SIU quarterback DJ Williams.

Granted, defensive coordinator Jay Hill yielded play-calling duties to Sitake after suffering a heart attack on Thursday, and BYU allowed just 231 total yards.

But Williams broke contain several times and ran for 121 yards on 15 carries. His 38-yard touchdown jaunt in the third quarter made the second half a little more interesting than it had to be, cutting BYU’s lead to 31-13 at the time.

“There were some scary moments (on special teams),” Sitake acknowledged.

After a first half filled with missed opportunities, BYU’s offense clicked its first two possessions of the second half to seemingly put the game away. Touchdown drives of 75 and 38 yards (which came after BYU’s Tanner Wall blew up an SIU fake punt attempt), gave the Cougars a 31-6 lead.

Retzlaff threw touchdown passes to LJ Martin and backup tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase as BYU went on 75- and 38-yard TD drives to open the third quarter.

The Keanu Hill experiment — the highly successful receiver is now a tight end — didn’t start well, as the Texan caught just one pass, for 7 yards on five targets.

With fellow veteran receiver Darius Lassiter not playing to satisfy terms of an NCAA eligibility waiver, Chase Roberts emerged as WR1. The redshirt junior caught seven passes for 108 yards, including a couple highlight reel grabs.

Lassiter will be eligible for the remainder of the season and will make his debut Friday in Dallas against SMU.

Redshirt freshman JoJo Phillips also made his 2024 debut a memorable one, getting behind SIU’s defense for a 57-yard bomb from Retzlaff that was as good as anything Zach Wilson — who was in attendance — threw in 2020.

Another aspect to work on: BYU dominated the first half but had just a 14-6 lead to show for it. BYU outgained the visitors 278-108 in the first half but probably should have had a bigger lead at the break.

First, SIU’s touchdown — a 5-yard run by Williams — came after a 43-yard gain in which receiver Keontez Lewis appeared to have dropped the long pass.

After the replay was shown a bit late on the big screen, Sitake tried to get a timeout so officials could review the call, to no avail.

“I probably need to get in better position to get timeouts. I ran out of breath for no reason because they didn’t give it to me until after the (next) play was done,” Sitake said.

Five plays later, Williams found the end zone. He was easily SIU’s biggest rushing threat, picking up 41 yards on nine carries in the first half and finishing with 115.

Defensive lineman John Nelson chalked it up to Williams’ craftiness and the fact that it was a first game, with a few new players in different spots.

BYU twice went away with no points after deep drives into SIU territory. Will Ferrin missed his first field goal attempt of the season, from 36 yards out, which should have been a chip shot for a guy who had no misses inside 40 yards last year.

Retzlaff had tight end Ethan Erickson open in the end zone a couple plays before the field goal attempt but overthrew him.

On BYU’s next possession, Retzlaff absorbed a 9-yard sack to force a third-and-18. He found Phillips for a 13-yard gain, but on fourth-and-5 threw behind Roberts.

Ferrin and Retzlaff did redeem themselves just before halftime, as the quarterback drove the Cougars 43 yards in five plays to get into field goal range, and Ferrin booted a career-high 50-yarder as time expired in the half.

First half offensive highlights included a 13-play, 65-yard touchdown drive on BYU’s opening possession and a 57-yard bomb to Phillips on BYU’s second possession.

That gave BYU a 14-0 lead, but the misfires on its next two possessions made the half closer than it should have been.

Retzlaff was 10 of 17 for 188 yards and the TD in the first half, for a passer rating of 171.1. His longest completions went for 24, 57, 36 and 18 yards.

“There is a lot of room for improvement overall as a team,” Sitake said. “We will just get better, but we know what the fix is and we will work on it.”