Zach Wilson

Overall, he played a pretty solid game. His ability to evade chasing defenders in the backfield is something that we haven't had at BYU for as long as I can remember. There was one specific play in the 2nd half where he spun to his right to evade a defender that was closing in on him from behind that was absolutely outstanding. I don't know how he knew he was there. He is awesome at extending plays. The offensive line did a great job today of not holding while Zach improvised to give our wide receivers more time. Zach still misses a couple of throws a game, but dude has moxie and is going to continue to be great for this team. 

Ty'Son Williams

Over the past couple of games he's had 20 touches per game, and guess what? We've won those two games. 20 touches is still not enough. This guy is a gamebreaker. He is incredibly shifty and has had several plays where he's turned a "no gain" into a 8-9 yard gain. I love this guy and am thrilled that we have him. He's been the best player on the offense to this point in my opinion. He should consistently get 20-25 touches moving forward. Stay healthy Ty'Son!

Wide Receivers

Wow! What a great game from this unit. Milne made a great catch, Shumway made a great catch, Simon had another solid game, Romney made a great play. Really a solid game from this group. Hifo is always a threat on the end around and has great speed/agility. No drops that I can remember. Our guys may struggle to get separation from elite defensive backs, but they are surehanded. Their play has greatly improved from previous seasons. 

Tight Ends

It was great to see MLP back in the action. He is a great complementary piece to Bushman, and arguably our 2nd best receiver when he's out there. We need more of MLP. A pretty pedestrian game for Bushman for his standards, but teams really try and take him away completely. He's a monster. Really excited to have Holker back in a few years.

Offensive Line

I loved the game that these guys played today. There were running holes all game long, they gave Zach adequate time to make plays, and they are just plain nasty. It seemed that we had relatively few penalties as well. I don't specifically recall any false starts today, and a limited number of holding type penalties. These guys are young, and they're GOOD. Offensive Line U is back baby.

Defensive Line

I still wish we would bring a little more pressure, but overall this group did pretty well today. Tonga was an absolute monster. He was feasting on the USC center all game long. Guy is unblockable. Additionally, Mahe, Fautea, and Tuiti-Mariner have all proven that they can play and provide quality depth. The defensive tackle positions are solid. I really wish we had one elite defensive end that could be counted on for a sack every game. Yes, I know those are hard to find, but I have been a touch disappointed with that position. The offsides penalty today on Kaufusi made me scream some words that can't be posted on this family-friendly board.

Linebackers

We essentially were playing our 2nd string linebackers today, and boy did they deliver. Chaz Ah You looks like the next KVN/Fred Warner out there. Making plays all over the field, great in coverage, had the huge tipped ball to seal the win on the Dayan pick. Tooley looks like he will be solid for years to come, and Wilgar made an unbelievable athletic play on his interception in the 1st quarter. Hopefully Pili gets healthy, he's looked good in his limited action as well. FUTURE IS BRIGHT for this group. 

Defensive Backs 

Dayan, Dayan, Dayan, this guy has been the MVP of the defense to this point of the season. A game sealing interception and a touchdown today. Guy plays with a lot of swagger and doesn't back down to anybody. I love his game. He's a sure tackler and is all over the field. I think he has a chance to play in the NFL. Austin Lee is equally phenomenal. He saved a touchdown with sheer effort in the 1st half (I think the 1st half...) when he ran down the tight end. They kicked a FG. Saved us 4 points. He's been great in coverage and is just a smart player. His development has been fun to watch. Gallow and Herron have both shown ability, but have both been beat pretty badly. That happens though with young corners. They're talented. They will improve. These are the best WRs we will see all year. Decent outing today given the competition.

Coaching

It felt like BYU won today in spite of some poor coaching choices. Kalani challenging the spot on the Dayan 4th down run was a complete waste of a timeout. I don't know why we tried to go for it there in the first place, I know, hindsight is 20/20, but Oldroyd is money, take the points. The playcalling was strange as well, don't know why we ran the same exact play twice in a row. 

Next Week

I'm feeling optimistic! Hopefully we can make it 3 straight games against power 5 programs, but I think Washingon is the best of the bunch and will be a great test. Peterson is certainly the best coach of the bunch. It will be a tough game, but the way we've played, I don't think a win is out of the question.

GO COUGS!!!