BYU Football: Offense impressive in rain-soaked spring scrimmage
By Shaun Gordon
Fans got a chance to see BYU Football’s new offense in the Spring Scrimmage, and that offense impressed at a ran-soaked LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU football and it’s revamped offense under new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes looked impressive in its first public showing.
During a rainy spring scrimmage which was open to the public, fans were able to watch as the Cougars ran nine series. The offense scored four touchdowns and two field goals while being led by five different quarterbacks.
BYU relied heavily on the run game, mainly due to the weather. Three running backs got the majority of the snaps: Squally Canada, Riley Burt, and Zachary Katoa.
All three ran the ball effectively, especially Canada. He scored three of the Cougars’ four touchdowns, two of those coming from at least ten yards out.
BYU Cougars Football
He’ll likely be the primary runner in the fall, and his spring performance is encouraging.
For the most part, the offense moved the ball methodically, but did flash big play ability, including:
- 35-yard completion from Joe Critchlow to Micah Simon.
- 22-yard run by Tariq Buchanan.
- 19-yard touchdown pass from Critchlow to Simon.
- 20-yard completion from Baylor Romney to Nate Heaps.
Another big play came on special teams, as Dyan Ghonwoloku ripped off an 80-yard kick return to start the scrimmage.
The Cougars’ quarterback battle, though, doesn’t appear any closer to a resolution at the conclusion of spring practices.
Critchlow ran three of BYU’s nine possessions, leading the Cougars to two of their touchdowns and one field goal. Beau Hoge saw two series and led one touchdown drive. Freshman Zach Wilson also saw two series, with one leading to a touchdown.
All three ran the offense efficiently, and both Hoge and Wilson also showed glimpses of their running ability.
The quarterback battle will continue into the fall, where those three favorites will be joined by Tanner Mangum, who was able to participate in position drills at the scrimmage, but not in the scrimmage itself.
Looking to the future, two other freshman signal callers ran the offense for a drive apiece. Baylor Romney drove the offense to their second field goal of the scrimmage, and Stacy Conner led the last drive of the afternoon, but the Cougars weren’t able to put any points on the board in that series.
The defense didn’t provide many standout plays, but one bright spot came on the third drive of the scrimmage, where an impressive goal-line stand held the offense to a field goal.