The new plan was the same as the old one for BYU’s offense, and the result on December 6th was the same as it was on November 8th. The only difference was that this time they started strong and faded as the game went on; in the first game, they were flat from start to finish. Maybe the most telling similarity was the reliance on Bear Bachmeier’s running game. When that was removed from BYU against Texas Tech, the offense looked lost in both games.
That’s the flaw in relying on Bachmeier to run so much. Its absence hurt the rest of the offense so much that it cost BYU the game. In only one game other than the two against Texas Tech was Bachmeier absent from the running game, and that was against UCF last week. Having a quarterback who runs and contributes like a fullback can be a tremendous boost and benefit to a team. But having it be the keystone to the offense is where BYU went wrong and where it ultimately cost them as much as it helped them this season. The success of it stunted their ability to pass when the quarterback run wasn’t there.
Still, the offense struggled as a whole. Their strengths were clamped down on, with LJ Martin being the most effective option, and even he struggled, fumbling the football once. BYU’s rushing attack, which was the 23rd-best in college football with 194.5 yards per game, struggled even with Martin finding some success. LJ had 19 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown, but the team only rushed for 63 yards.
Aaron Roderick’s offense had done a great job taking care of the football this year, turning the ball over only 10 times, the 11th fewest in the FBS. They turned it over five times against Texas Tech, four by Bachmeier and one by Martin. It adds to the heartbreak that this is likely the last time LJ Martin took the field as a BYU Cougar.
The offense had been averaging 414 yards and 34 points per game and came away from this game with 200 total yards and seven points. A whopping 214 yards and 27 points less than what they had been averaging. The worst part is that the cowardly College Football Playoff Committee will use this as an excuse to give BYU an unwarranted and historic snub. For the first, and I predict the last time, a team with 11 wins, a finish in the top two of a Power Four conference, and played in the conference championship game will be held out of the College Football Playoff.