Nine Takeaways from BYU's Win Over Baylor
The freshman attending their first BYU football game made a core memory on Saturday night, as BYU knocked off a top 10 opponent for the first time since 1990. It has taken me some time to process what might be my favorite BYU game I’ve ever attended, but now that I have, here are my takeaways from BYU’s season defining win over no. 9 Baylor.
1. Hello Chase Roberts
There was a crater-sized hole left in this BYU offense without the presence of wide receivers Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney. Following the first drive, BYU was forced to punt on four straight possessions and was in desperate need of a spark. Enter freshman Chase Roberts. He was unguardable at times, finishing the game with 8 catches, 122 yards and one of the more acrobatic touchdown receptions you will ever see. His post-corner route during the final drive was filthy, and gave Cougar fans a glimpse of what he could be going into the Big12.
2. BYU's legion of lockdown
BYUs pass coverage was nails all night long. The secondary effectively shut down 85% of the field, holding Shapen to 5/13 on passes that weren’t short throws to the middle of the field. Ammon Hannemann and D’Angelo Mandel quietly had the ultimate defensive back performance. They were targeted once combined on 24 pass attempts. That’s the definition of lockdown.
Of course, coverage is a lot easier when a quarterback doesn’t have time to throw. BYU was able to get pressure on Shapen on 31% of his drop backs, holding him to 0-6 passing on those plays.
3. BYU, the… tackling juggernaut?
Poor tackling has plagued BYU for years now. For reference, BYU was the 33rd worst tackling team in the country in 2021 according to PFF, grading out at 59.1 out of 100. BYU posted a grade of 89.1 against Baylor, their highest since 2015. They missed four tackles on 60 attempts. Four! Max Tooley was a man possessed, leading the team with seven solo tackles and at least one tight end casualty.
4. Blimey, Grimey was stymied
Sometimes at my day job, a file won’t open and I incessantly start clicking on it, thinking if I just click it enough times, the problem will be solved. That’s what it felt like watching Baylor’s offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes call plays down the stretch. He called 18 runs in the final 22 plays, waiting for a seemingly inevitable defensive collapse that never came.
BYU’s front held Baylor to 2.9 yards per carry, almost 4 yards under last year’s average. After all the talk surrounding the defense this offseason, stuffing back-to-back runs from the 5 yard line in OT against the same offensive line that embarrassed them the year before was pure poetry.
5. Jaren Hall the Gamer
What can I say? The guy is a winner. In one stretch during two of BYU' two-minute drills, Hall was 7 of 10, with 132 total yards and a touchdown. His arm talent is special. His leadership is unquestioned. I cannot wait to see where he can take this team.
6. I believe in Jake Oldroyd
Arizona 2016, Tennessee 2019, USC 2019, Utah 2021. These were all games where Jake Oldroyd made a game winning, clinching, or tying field goal in the final minutes to send BYU to victory. 'Jake the Make' has won a lot more games for BYU than he has lost, and he didn’t lose this one either. At least four kickers missed game winning field goals in the NFL on Sunday. One of them missed two. Sometimes the kick doesn’t go in. It happens.
The shot of Jaren Hall embracing a clearly emotional Oldroyd perfectly sums up my feelings. I believe in Jake Oldroyd. He will have other chances this year, and I am confident he will come through.
7. I'm not worried about BYU's rush offense
BYU's running game was not good. In fact, it was worse than last year against Baylor. While that is disappointing, it's not anymore of an indicator of BYU's rushing attack than last years game was. BYU's offensive line is special, but they went up against an equally special defensive line. Imagine being asked to move a 368 pound human being. Imagine trying to move a 368 pound anything. That was BYU's task on every single run play, and it ultimately resulted in a stalemate. I'm not worried. That is likely the best rush defense BYU will play all year.
8. The BYU ROC is a game changer. Literally.
There is something almost mystical about a night game at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Dating back to 2019, BYU has won 12 straight night games in Provo, and there’s a reason.
I’m not sure that BYU wins that game without the ROC. For the second time in two years, a team committed multiple false starts in crucial moments in the area of the field patrolled by the BYU student section. Those penalties culminated in the game-clinching fourth down stop and subsequent field rush.
It can feel a little silly as a fan, to feel so passionately about something when we don’t have a direct impact on the outcome, but that’s the thing. Fans do have a tangible impact on winning games. Just ask Baylor’s offense.
9. We are in the good old days
If BYU can continue to win games, this team has the potential to do things that are too scary for me to talk about here. Instead, let’s take a second to appreciate what BYU has already accomplished. They are 23-4 in their last 27 games (for reference, Alabama is 25-2). They’ve won 7 of their last 11 games against ranked opponents, and 9 of their last 11 against P5 teams. There has not been a stretch like that in BYU history. So enjoy it Cougar fans. We are in the good old days.
