Week 4 - #12 BYU (3-0) @ #10 Michigan (3-0) – Sat Sept 26, 2015 – 8:00 p.m EST – ABC – College Football Gameday

No one had this matchup as the game of the week 4 weeks ago, but with a dearth of other compelling matchups (only other legit site is USC @ ASU), GameDay happily chooses the 2 early stories of the college football season: Jim Harbaugh and the resurrected Wolverine who have catapulted into the top-10 after 3 straight wins and Taysom Hill and the BYU Cougars. Speaking of “catapulting” BYU has also jumped significantly after 2 straight wins vs ranked teams and Taysom’s rising super-stardom. UM opened by barely beating a tough Utah team in SLC on a controversial penalty late, then dismantled Gary Anderson and OSU and then did the same to UNLV the next week.

BYU has proven to be a tough out on defense so far this year, thanks to Bronco taking over the D and the O’s ability to make timely, big plays. Harbaugh cannot stop raving about Bronco and Taysom. There’s even a GameDay special on Harbaugh’s recruitment of Taysom, and his journey from Stanford, to NFL to Michigan to now coach against him. Favorite line: “I’m not sure what scares me more…trying to score against Bronco or trying to stop this guy…” he says as he laughs and punches Taysom in the arm during a joint interview.

This proves to be a tough, Big-10 battle and their lines are giving us trouble. Early on Taysom is scrambling a lot, and thankfully has the speed to pick up yardage. Algie finally starts finding holes and breaks a big one…scampering 22 yards into the endzone. Anae continues to ride his “three-headed” RB core and they are struggling to stop them and when they pack the box Taysom is making them pay.

Big play happens right before halftime when Blackmon (who stole PR duties from Takanaka this week) evades 4 tacklers on a punt return and scampers 63 yards into the endzone for a TD. BYU goes into the locker room up 14-9.

After a few exchanged punts, Taysom finds Kurtz for a 30 yard TD strike in the third, and after UM responds with a TD drive of their own, Langi (who has quietly been D’s biggest playmaker) makes the play of the game, picking up a Warner-forced fumble on a sack and scampering 24 yards into the end zone. BYU wins 28-19.

Co-Players of the Game – Langi – 8 tackles, 3 TFL’s, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery for a TD, 2 sacks. Blackmon – 5 catches 77 yards, 1 TD on PR