I live in Japan, and as is the nature of living in a country on the opposite end of the globe from the United States of America, viewing American sports in real time can be a serious scheduling challenge. For most games in the BYU football calendar, the timing actually works fantastically for me, as I'm able to wake up on Sunday morning and dip into college football at a reasonable hour, especially for night kick-offs in the States.
But when BYU and Texas Tech squared off on the giant green rectangle upon which we all congregate and worship every weekend, the game kicked off at noon Eastern Time. Across the Pacific Ocean, that meant I was staying up until 2:00 AM to enjoy the biggest football game in the history of BYU athletics.
The stage was set, my brain was wide awake, College Gameday had me hyped up for some Cougar football, and then I remembered that ESPN and YouTube TV were having a bit of a tiff and I'd be locked out of viewing ABC, the broadcasting host of the afternoon's festivities. Watching as my wife's eyelids had failed to hold up their end of the bargain, I knew it would be radio for me; I cued up Greg Wrubell and KSL radio.
What ensued was a frustrating and disheartening football game that left me wondering why I sacrificed my sleep for the chance of experiencing what could have been one of the most triumphant moments in BYU history. Instead of glee, I was met with aggrivation. Instead of celebration, the game quite literally put me to sleep.
I didn't make it to the second half -- it didn't take a historian to recognize this pattern and know in which direction the game was heading. I called it quits, and as I checked the final score, my conscience was clear. 29-7. A drubbing in the biggest matchup of the weekend, and BYU was the laughingstock I've always feared.
I didn't watch the full game, nor will I, but I felt I owed it to myself to watch the 20-minute highlights on YouTube to partially understand the unbridled torment that the sentient Cougar Nation endured on Saturday.
This is my report.
BYU vs Texas Tech was torture
The Cougars' defense entered the game with so much swagger -- so much confidence. The early sack by Asera and the breakup by Evan Johnson was quinticential Jay Hill defense, and it looked like the team was ready to take control of the game after a slow offensive opening drive.
But then, Parker Kingston lined up to return the Texas Tech punt, and he once again muffed the football. If I'm not mistaken, this is the fourth time he's muffed a punt with BYU, though only the second time the Cougars didn't retain possession. Still, he's been given a short leash as the punt returner due to his uncertain hands, and all momentum from the defensive stop was drained in an instant.
I don't think it's an overreaction to say I never want to see Kingston back to return another punt. Surely the team has more sure hands than his.
I'm seeing way too much of BYU's defense and almost zero offense. I guess the box score backs that up (except for the time of possession), but it's tough to watch the Cougars play on their heels for an entire game. I really thought Evan Johnson was going to have that pick at the end of the first quarter. I, and he, was wrong.
It's tough to see BYU take a chance on a fourth and short from deep in their own territory, only to punt the ball away four plays later. I can't tell if Tech's defense is truly that suffocating, or if OC Aaron Roderick was simply at a loss for how to overcome their intimidation factor. The offense played hesitant, scared, and worst of all, passive.
Jack Kelly and the defense, however, leave me very, very optimistic about their ability to compete for the rest of the season. If the offense can do the bare minimum, BYU's defense seems strong enough to drag the body over the finish line.
Boy, it's tough to watch the Cougars here, even in hindsight. I know exactly what's going to happen, and yet I can't bear to watch it a second longer.
I'll tune back in next week, as the matchup with TCU carries tremendous weight for shaking off the lingering sting of this loss and moving forward with their sights on the College Football Playoff. I'm very afraid we may see BYU turn into the late-season version of themselves from last season, however. An unwatchable game and a brutal loss could turn into a catastrophic failure if Kalani Sitake fails to take down TCU in Provo.