BYU leans on its defense as the Cougars outlast SMU

In a game that felt as though BYU could never hold on for the win, the Cougars outlasted the Mustangs as they entered Ford Stadium as double-digit underdogs and left with a victory.

The 18-15 final score can't even begin to tell the full story of this game, and I won't give you the full rundown of the perfect storm of emotional torment that the Cougs put me through, but let me share the most important details and give you a proper perspective that numbers on a page are incapable of displaying.

The Cougars entered this game in complete control--on both sides of the football. Briefly ignoring a Jake Retzlaff fumble in the Cougars' opening series, BYU was dominant to open the game, allowing -18 yards (that's negative 18 yards, and that's not a typo) of offense in SMU's first two drives and scoring a quick touchdown on a bobbling snag from tight end Mata'ava Ta'ase.

That's when Preston Stone, SMU's QB1, was swapped with the more mobile Kevin Jennings, and the Mustangs began to move the ball forward. It wasn't long after that moment when the seat on my couch became much less comfortable.

The Mustangs chipped away at BYU's 7-0 lead with a trio of field goals--two of which were from beyond 50 yards out, and all three were pure. SMU entered the halftime break with a 9-7 lead thanks to their offensive resurgence, but BYU's offense helped the Mustangs find their groove in this game.

In the second half, SMU kicked another pair of field goals, and BYU's 4th-string running back, Enoch Nawahine, ran in a score to put the Cougars ahead once Keanu Hill nabbed a 2-point conversion. Sitake's crew marched the ball down the field as time dwindled on a 15-15 ball game in the 4th quarter of play. A Miles Davis chunk-yardage running play on 4th and 1 was essentially the killing blow to SMU as the Cougars kicked a field goal to take an 18-15 lead they would retain until the final whistle.

Game Notes: BYU vs. SMU

1. BYU's defense was nails all from start to finish.

The credit for this win belongs to the defensive unit. In Jay Hill's first game at the helm, the Cougars defense was undeniably incredible, allowing zero points from touchdowns and forcing two takeaways (including a filthy INT from cornerback Marque Collins).

Not enough can be said about this defense, as it felt they were constantly on the backfoot from the jump, yet found the grit to maintain composure even when the offense gave them no reason to believe in a comeback. Hats off to the defense, this W is yours.

2. The offense must be better.

From playcalling to execution, the offensive output was unacceptable in this game. When starting running back, LJ Martin went down in the opening quarter, the offense turned to stone. Immobile, rigid, and predictable, the Cougars became addicted to 3-and-out possessions, and it was a habit they simply couldn't quit.

Much of the blame should be placed on questionable play-calling and offensive scheming. Head-scratching decisions seemed to arrive from the play callers more frequently than I could even begin to express. BYU left points on the board several times tonight, and they weren't put in a position to succeed. It's not all OC Aaron Roderick's fault, however, as I believe some personnel were also deserving of blame...

3. Jake Retzlaff is not there yet.

3 turnovers on the night absolutely took the wind out of BYU's sails, and each was directly pinned to quarterback Jake Retzlaff's chest. A careless fumble on the opening possession was frustrating, but a pair of interceptions from BYU's signal caller were unforgivable.

The first interception was carelessly lofted into the air as Retzlaff desperately heaved the ball upfield in an attempt to avoid taking a sack. Immediately following the Cougars' longest offensive play of the game up to that point--a never-say-die catch and run from Darius Lassiter in his first game of the year--throwing that pick was a fundamental mistake that shouldn't be made by a player of his experience.

The next interception was evidence of a deeper problem in Retzlaff's offensive tool-kit: his lack of field vision. On a shovel-pass-type play, the ball was thrown directly into the chest of a defensive lineman who Retzlaff simply never saw. Jake missed easy reads in favor of tougher, less optimal targets throughout the game, and it begs the question of how much he's missing while scanning the defense.

His QBR was superior to Jennings, his SMU counterpart, but BYU's QB1 needs to improve on this performance, as his mistakes paired with poor play calling for the perfect concoction for an abysmal offensive performance.

The Cougars won this game, and an underdog victory always feels great. I'm worried this may be a short-lived high as conference play grows closer with every game. Hopefully BYU can iron out some major wrinkles still present in their game plan before its too late.

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