BYU’s Postgame Defense Report: Cougars crush the Cyclones' offense

BYU’s defense had a big challenge coming into this game. They had to shut down an offense that put up 577 yards of total offense and 45 points at home the previous week. That included a running back who had over 250 yards of total offense and five total touchdowns: Cyclones star Aiden Flora. BYU started off by containing the ISU speedster, holding him to 86 yards on 17 carries.

BYU’s rushing defense was a little bit below par, allowing 102 yards against their average of 75, but that’s still pretty great. The passing defense more than made up for that small difference against the run. BYU came into this game allowing 184.7 passing yards per game but allowed only 98 from Iowa State. That’s a season low in passing yards by the BYU defense. Scoring-wise, the defense was even better, allowing just over two touchdowns a game with 14.2 points per game; they held Iowa State to only 10.

Any time you can hold an opponent to 200 total yards of offense and only 10 points, it’s a good thing. It’s especially good against a Power Four opponent in a Big 12 game against a team that had just had 577 yards and 45 points a week ago. It was a group effort from a swarming BYU defense that, while not flashy, just did its job. No forced turnovers and no one player with large numbers of any kind, but still getting the job done at an elite level is just what Kalani Sitake and Kelly Poppinga needed.

 As a team, the Cougars made 52 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and three sacks. It was such a group effort that only one player had more than one tackle behind the line of scrimmage, and he was a disruptive force all game long. More on him in a moment. Do-it-all safety Faletau Satuala led the team with seven tackles, and linebackers Cade Uluave and Jake Clifton had six and five tackles, respectively.

Defensive Play of the Game

Therrian Alexander has been attacked a lot this year by opposing offenses. Evan Johnson is so good, teams aren’t even throwing at him, so that leaves them Alexander to try and beat in the passing game. Alexander has more than answered the bell for BYU, locking down receivers just as much as Johnson like he did on this fantastic play in breaking up a pass on third and long.

Defensive Player of the Game: Keanu Tanuvasa

Keanu Tanuvasa was disrupting Iowa State’s offensive line all game long. Tanuvasa had four tackles, two tackles for a loss, and deflected two passes at the line of scrimmage. The senior defensive tackle led BYU’s defensive line, and they made their presence felt on almost every single play. Tanuvasa was a huge reason why Iowa State averaged only 3.6 yards per play, and why the Cyclones only converted on third down twice in 13 attempts.

They will need that kind of effort and output from him and the defense next week against Notre Dame. With their own running game not as effective as normal, the BYU defense will need to be able to get off the field against Notre Dame to keep from being worn down and having their gas tank depleted.

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