BYU Football just pulled off a giant upset, toppling No. 6 Wisconsin, in Madison, in one of the most flawless games the Cougars have played in years.
Bandwagon fans are jumping back on the wagon, and Utah fans are trying to find a way to prove that Wisconsin “just isn’t that good.”
All that comes after BYU Football walked away with one of their biggest upsets in program history, knocking off No. 6 Wisconsin 24-21 in Madison.
It’s easily Head Coach Kalani Sitake’s biggest win at the helm of the Cougars. BYU stood toe-to-toe with the Badgers in every facet of the game, and walked out of hostile territory with the win.
Give credit where credit is due. The coaching staff called a marvelous game on both sides of the ball, and the players played a nearly mistake-free game.
That’s the recipe for a big upset, and look what happened.
Some thoughts on the game:
Big plays
In our preview of the game, Lawless Republic noted three keys to pulling off the upset. The first was to make big plays on offense.
The Cougars only had one offensive play of 30 or more yards in their first two games. They had three against Wisconsin.
- Squally Canada’s 44-yard run (first quarter)
- Tanner Mangum to Aleva Hifo to Moroni Laulu-Pututau touchdown pass (second quarter)
- Squally Canada’s 46-yard run (fourth quarter)
Most importantly, the Cougars scored points on every one of those possessions. Two touchdowns and a field goal.
For a team that couldn’t get those big plays last year, it’s a good sign. It’s also a testament to Offensive Coordinator Jeff Grimes’ playcalling.
Turnovers
Another one of our keys to game was to win the turnover battle. BYU only forced one turnover, but it was a huge one. Zayne Anderson’s interception gave the Cougars a short field, and unlike last week BYU capitalized with a touchdown.
Just as big as BYU’s forced turnover was their lack of turnovers. So far, in the Cougars’ two wins they haven’t turned the ball over. They had to avoid any big mistakes to beat Wisconsin, and they did. No turnovers and only four penalties.
Rushing
Our third key was to contain Wisconsin’s rush game. BYU didn’t completely stop the run, but they certainly slowed it down. The Badgers averaged more than 325 rush yards in each of their first two games.
They only had 204 against BYU. For an offense that is predicated on dominating in the run game, that wasn’t enough for Wisconsin to sustain drives consistently.
On the flip side, BYU established the run game and rode it to a win. The Cougars had 191 rush yards, including 118 from Squally Canada on just 11 rushes. He averaged more than twice the yards per carry that Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor had, and they finished with nearly identical rush yards (Canada – 118, Taylor – 117).
Heisman Killers?
Speaking of Jonathan Taylor, this loss puts a huge dent in his Heisman Trophy candidacy. If he dominates the rest of the season and Wisconsin wins most of their remaining games he still has a shot, but this is certainly a setback.
In the season opener BYU effectively killed Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate’s Heisman candidacy. It’s safe to say that no other Heisman candidates want to play the Cougars this season.
The Southam Effect
For the first time in a quite a while BYU has a true weapon at kicker. Yes, Skyler Southam missed his first field goal, but it was a 52-yarder and he had more than enough leg on it.
Not only does he have the distance, but he also had the mental strength to nail the 45-yarder in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the game.
BYU’s true freshman kicker hit the game-winner, while Wisconsin’s fifth-year senior missed his shot to tie the game.
The future is bright in the kicking game.
Enjoy the Ride
This has been a rollercoaster of a season, and we’re only three games in. This is a much-improved team over 2017. They’ll win some big games like this one and lose some head-scratchers like Cal.
But things are pointing in the right direction, and fans should enjoy the moments like this when they come.