Eight Takeaways from BYU's Massive Win Over Arkansas

What did we learn about this BYU football team after winning in the heart of SEC country?

Unbelievable! Incredible! Improbable! BYU walked into Arkansas and did something only BYU fans and Pat McAfee thought they could do: win. While this was a huge win for the BYU football program, what did we learn about this BYU football program on Saturday night? Here are my takeaways from BYU’s win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. But first…

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

We all agree? Good.

This was a massive culture win for Kalani Sitake

This is why we love college football. BYU found themselves down by two scores on two separate occasions. They could have easily folded when it was 14-0 three and a half minutes in and 75,000 Arkansas faithful were “calling the hogs.” Instead, BYU scored 21 unanswered. The Cougs could have, perhaps more easily, folded when Arkansas took that on the chin and rattled off 17 unanswered points of their own to take a 10-point lead in the second half. Lesser teams go into hostile SEC environments in prime time and come away with moral victories. BYU left with an actual victory. Talk about your all-time culture wins.

Credit: BYU Photo

BYU won by making the most of every opportunity

Statistically speaking, there aren’t many reasons BYU should have won that game. Arkansas outgained the Cougars 424 to 281, had 21 first downs to BYU's 17, and possessed the ball for 10 more minutes than BYU, and yet BYU won the football game. How? Football is not a game of volume, it is a game of moments. Just about every time a moment arose that demanded a big play, BYU made one and Arkansas literally and metaphorically flinched.

BYU was a perfect 4/4 in redzone scoring and scored 38 points on 57 plays. BYU’s wide receiver room had 2 catches for 19 yards with a costly fumble in the first half. On BYU’s game-winning drive, BYU’s wide receivers had 3 catches for 56 yards and a ridiculous touchdown catch by Chase Roberts which was the no. 1 play on SportsCenter’s top 10. Eddie Heckard found himself one-on-one in open space with Arkansas’s Dominique Johnson on a crucial third down in the fourth quarter before unceremoniously dropping him for a two-yard loss. AJ Vongphachanh came up with a stop on 4th and 1 which led to a BYU score. I would take those plays over 450 yards of offense every day of the week.

“Duh-nuh-nuh, Duh-nuh-nuh” pic.twitter.com/IcXzMRkqxI

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 17, 2023

Kedon Slovis played better than you think

In a similar theme, Kedon Slovis stepped up when BYU needed him to. Slovis went 3/10 for 23 yards in the first quarter before closing the game 10/15 for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns. Slovis was pressured on 54.8% of his drop backs and was actually better in the face of it, completing 8 of 13 passes for 129 yards. He was 3/3 for 56 yards and a touchdown on BYU’s game-winning fourth quarter drive including a huge third down conversion with his legs and a 37-yard dime to Keelan Marion. That completion to Marion put BYU inside the Arkansas 10 yard-line. As we look around college football and observe some of the other transfer quarterbacks BYU was connected to last December, I am glad BYU chose Slovis.

BYU's pass rush looks legit

The transformation of BYU’s pass rush is the kind of thing you read about in the bible. BYU’s front recorded four sacks, four QB hits, and two forced fumbles against a Power Five offensive line. Keep in month, we're just 10 months removed from recording two sacks, QB hits, and forced fumbles combined against Utah Tech last season. Talk all you want about Arkansas shooting themselves in the foot with holding penalties, especially on that last drive, but they needed to hold because they had no answer for Tyler Batty, Blake Mangleson, and Isaiah Bagnah, even on a four-man rush.

BYU has their starting  on the offensive line

Arkansas came into the game having recorded 10 sacks and 10 QB hits through two games this season. Once BYU made the switch to Brayden Keim at right tackle, BYU’s offensive line allowed only three pressures with zero sacks or QB hits. BYU guards Connor Pay and Weylin Lapuaho had stellar nights in pass blocking, with each recording an 87.8 pass blocking grade according to PFF. There are still issues to be worked out in run blocking, but that, too, showed signs of life when LJ Martin went untouched on a 45-yard house call sprung by a Kinsley Suamataia lead block. Personally, I think Suamataia, Lapuaho, Maile, Pay, and Keim should be the guys going into Big 12 play. That’s not to say individual position battles are wrapped up, but this is the group that gives BYU the best chance to win.

Eddie Heckard, DAWG

Eddie Heckard is the best corner I’ve ever seen at BYU. Yes, I know it’s only week three, but I’m not sure BYU has ever had a play maker like that at the nickel position. So far this season, Heckard has been targeted on 14 of 92 total passes and has allowed a team low 5.3 yards per catch an NFL passer rating of 47.6. He also has a interception, a pass break up, six stops (tackles that constitute a failure for the defense), a tackle for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, only one missed tackle, and a partridge in a pear tree. All the guy does is make plays, and I hope we treasure him while we have him, because BYU hasn’t had very many of him.

It might be time to dust off the blue goggles

As of today, there are only three teams in the Big 12 with a 3-0 record and a win over a P5 opponent: BYU, Kansas and Texas. To be clear, my expectations remain unchanged and BYU’s goal this season is still to make a bowl game. While I know I just said that football is a game of moments, not volume, I would like to see BYU eclipse 400 yards of offense before I dub them Big 12 title contenders. BYU also often has emotional early season wins before laying an egg in the following weeks. However, based on what we have seen around the Big 12 so far this season, there is no reason why BYU couldn’t make some noise in conference play as long as they continue on their current trajectory. We are three weeks in, and BYU is well ahead of schedule. While there are no sure wins in the Big 12, there are plenty of reasons for BYU fans to feel a little blue-goggled on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.