MADISON, Wisc. — Saturday was a big day for Cougar fans as BYU marched into Camp Randall and defeated the No. 6 Badgers in what some are calling the upset of the year. Well, at least the upset of the year so far.

BYU went up against college football’s most prolific running back and an offensive line with three preseason All-Americans and beat them at their own game. The Cougar defensive line owned the line of scrimmage and stifled Wisconsin’s powerful run game and forced them to throw the football. Not a position the Badgers like to find themselves in.

While the game was exciting and entertaining there were a few things we learned about BYU in the massive upset and not all of them are necessarily good.

Here are three takeaways from BYU’s upset of No. 6 Wisconsin:

BYU can coach

Everything from demeanor to execution has drastically improved for BYU from last year and it would seem that credit goes to the coaching staff and the changes made in the offseason.

Players are playing more disciplined this season and it’s showing on the field. A play or a series doesn’t work out in their favor and the players aren’t getting down on themselves, but rather bounce back. Both the players and the coaches seem to be having fun and that goes a long way when you’re playing a game.

But there seems to be a distinct difference from this year’s “fun” and last year’s. This year, the fun is coupled with respect for the coaches and discipline on the field.

On top of changing their demeanor, the coaches also schemed a brilliant game on Saturday. Grimes and his offensive staff had Tanner Mangum and Squally Canada and the rest of the offense ready to play.

The play-calling was spot on as the run game cut up the Badger defense and the offensive line created huge lanes for the backs to run through. Something that some may not have noticed, however, was the coaching on the defensive side of the ball.

Not only did the defense keep assignments, but also the coaches were making personnel changes to match what Wisconsin was doing. The BYU coaches weren’t just trying to match up with the Badgers and try to pound the line of scrimmage, but rather they played a chess game switching out defensive lineman, linebackers, nickel defenses and blitzing packages to match the looks Wisconsin was showing them.

The Cougars don’t have the depth the Badgers do, but the coaches made that a part of their game plan and it worked.

If the coaches can game plan and prep the players in practice like they did this week for Wisconsin then the Cougars have a shot at winning a lot of games this season.

O- and D-lines mean business

The BYU offensive line looked like one of the best they’ve had in a long time against Arizona. When Cal rolled into Provo, the line didn’t look quite so dominant and that got fans worried about this Wisconsin game and the rest of the season. In fact, I even said in my article last week that games against Wisconsin, Washington, Boise State and Utah seemed like guaranteed losses for the Cougars. Glad I was wrong and happy to admit it.

The defense also struggled some against Cal giving up 386 yards of offense and 21 points. By the time the clock hit zeroes in the Cal loss, the Cougars did not own the line of scrimmage and that was going to be a huge issue in Camp Randall.

The Wisconsin offensive line averages more than 300 pounds per player and the shortest one stands 6-foot-3. Those boys know how to push teams around and open holes for running back Jonathan Taylor who was averaging 199 yards on the ground per game. The O- and D-lines changed that storyline over the week and completely owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

The defense held the most powerful running offense in the FBS to 204 yards on the ground and only allowed Taylor to gain 117 yards on 26 carries while keeping the Heisman hopeful out of the end zone. The defensive line knocked those big Wisconsin boys off the line and had three tackles for loss, two sacks and one QB hurry.

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line had their way with the Wisconsin defense at the line and opened holes for Canada as he rushed for 118 yards on just 11 carries. The big boys up front for BYU still gave up a sack and six tackles for loss, but some of that likely has something to do with missing Bracken El-Bakri and his blocking out of the backfield.

The O- and D-lines proved they can hang with the big boys, but hopefully their preparation and intensity doesn’t slow down for opponents not ranked in the top 10.

Passing game is M.I.A.

It doesn’t seem fair to take anything away from BYU and their incredible win on Saturday, but their passing game is worrisome.

First let’s give some credit where credit is due. Tanner Mangum played an incredibly clean game. He avoided turnovers, got rid of the ball before costly sacks and made some really great reads down the field. But when the game wrapped up the Cougars only had 120 passing yards and 31 of those came from Aleva Hifo on a trick play that also resulted in their only TD through the air.

Mangum was just 12 for 22 passing with 89 yards and a QBR of 34.1. Receivers weren’t getting separation and the offensive line and running backs seemed to have a tough time picking up blitzes and holding blocks when Mangum dropped back and allowed the Badgers to get four QB hurries and a sack.

If the Cougars hope to continue their success the passing game has to be a factor to open up the run game. Mangum needs time, he needs to make reads, hit receivers and get yards. Again, Mangum played a very clean game avoiding turnovers and keeping the ball safe, but the quarterback needs to both keep the ball safe and move it down field to keep winning games.

Taking down No. 6 Wisconsin at Camp Randall will go on the board as one of the all-time great wins in BYU football history and the team deserved the hard-fought and well-earned W, but the Cougars have a lot of games left and a lot to improve.

The coaches seem to be on the right page, the team seems to be responding and the confidence is definitely improving. After game three of the 2018 season Cougar faithful are more willing to say that BYU football is back. John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. John also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome and it just so happens that these are the three things he writes about.

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