Week 7 - Thurs, Oct 9, 2014 - #16 BYU (5-0) @ #14 UCF (5-1) - Orlando, FL - 6:00 p.m. EST - ESPN2

UCF beat PSU in Ireland to start off the season and has looked pretty solid this year, especially on defense, despite losing QB Bordles to the NFL draft. They dropped a tough fought battle @ Mizzouri but that remains their only loss on the season. Their MO is defense though and they will provide the stiffest test for the Cougars this season. This game was moved pre-season to Thursday night to showcase these two teams and ESPN guessed right...a showdown of two top-20 teams to start off the Thursday night double-header, followed up by Oregon @ UCLA on the west coast.

While Taysom’s numbers have been gaudy and the offense this season has been a revelation of sorts, the Cougars’ defense, often unheralded, has quietly been one of the best in the country. This is mostly due to the fact that they’ve stayed healthy this season in the secondary and are 2-3 deep in the front 7. They never get tired. This proves critical in the latter stages of their games. BYU wins the toss and elects to defer. The defense doesn’t disappoint and forces a quick three and out. BYU has been doing PR by committee but true freshman Dye has been turning heads in practice and been trustworthy so far in games. Sadly, he botches the punt here and sets up UCF with great field position. UCF scores 5 plays later and takes an early 7-0 lead. For the second week in a row, BYU struggles out of the gate offensively. Rumors are that Taysom tweaked his ankle in practice but is still playing. He seems a little hobbled but nothing too noticeable. Irregardless, BYU’s offense only musters 48 yards of total offense through the first 15 minutes and the Cougars trail 10-0 after one quarter.

In the second quarter BYU goes to what it calls the “bomb squad” attack by going to 4 and 5 WR sets and slinging the ball all over the field. This opens the floodgates. After a couple short completions to Mathews and Leslie, Kurtz beats the DB on a double move to score a 58 yard TD. Later on in the same quarter, Hill “pitches” (technically a throw) to Blackmon on a fly sweep and he scores on a 33 yard TD “catch”. BYU enters the half up 14-10 and they never look back.

Taysom sticks with what’s working and throws the ball over 50 times that night. The UCF D cannot guard BYU’s top 5 WR’s and cover Hill on scrambles...it’s impossible. This is Kurtz’s national “break out party” too...he's finally healthy and the kid we heard about all fall camp finally shows up. Hill throws two more TD passes (Kurtz 15 yard fade, Apo 22 yard post route) and JSwag gets into the end zone once late in the fourth (22 yards). BYU’s D plays possessed in the second half and limits UCF to 22 rushing yards and only two second half first downs. ESPN commentators mention how they’ve never seen a team fly to the ball like this, maybe ever. Craig Bills gets his first INT of the season on UCF’s only good drive of the second half that was set up by a good KOR and the Cougars go on to win comfortably, on the road, on the east coast, against a top-15 team...maybe this year is “the year”? BYU 35 - UCF 10.

Co-Players of the Game - Hill 30/51, 377 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int, 14 rushes, 112 yards, Kurtz 9 rec, 158 yards, 2 TD’s