Cougs Daily

Postgame Awards From BYU's Convincing Win Over Southern Illinois

Casey Lundquist

BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker
BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker / BYU Photo
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On Saturday night, BYU beat one of the top FCS programs, Southern Illinois, in convincing fashion 41-13. Today, we're kicking off a new series and handing out postgame awards.

Player of the Game - Jake Retzlaff

The main headline heading into Saturday night was the BYU quarterback competition.Retzlaff answered the bell, throwing for a career high 348 yards and 3 touchdowns. Perhaps most importantly, he didn't have any interceptions.

Regardless of the level of competition, Retzlaff looked like an improved quarterback. He was making better decisions, he was making big-time throws, and he was in control of the offense.

Retzlaff's career night earned him the first Player of the Game award.

Play of the Game - Jake Retzlaff to Jojo Phillips

After a long, methodical drive to start the game, BYU scored on a chunk play on the second drive of the game. Jake Retzlaff took a deep shot and hit Jojo Phillips in stride for the score. Everything about the play was picturesque:

  • The blocking was perfect - Retzlaff had a clean pocket to throw from
  • The route was perfect - Phillips separated from the cornerback with ease
  • The throw was perfect - the ball traveled just over 60 yards in the air and hit Phillips in stride; Retzlaff made a big-time throw look effortless

Newcomer of the Game - Jack Kelly

Jack Kelly led BYU in tackles in his first game in a BYU uniform. Kelly showed flashes of his pass-rushing potential as well, finishing with a quarterback hurry. On the play where he was credited with a hurry, Kelly was in the backfield right after the snap.

Freshman of the Game - Viliami Po'uha

This one was hard to pick. There were a lot of true freshmen that got playing time against the Salukis. One true freshman made a standout play near the end of the game: Viliami Po'uha. The true freshman defensive end had a third-down stop. Po'uha looked fast and physical on that play.

Coach of the Game - Fesi Sitake

BYU's wide receivers were great against the Salukis. Besides a drop from Parker Kingston early in the game, the wide receivers lived up to the preseason hype. They were fast, physical, and able to create separation. They were also deep. Six wide receivers had a reception against Southern Illinois.

Comeback Player of the Game - Isaiah Glasker

BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker
BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker / BYU Photo

An award given to the player that missed a large chunk of last season due to injury. Isaiah Glasker got the start at linebacker for BYU. Glasker has been a standout over the last few Fall camps, but an injury limited his availability in 2023. Glasker showed glimpses of his potential against Southern Illinois. He had one tackle for loss and he blew up another run play by getting into the backfield in a hurry.

Linebackers coach Justin Ena has raved about Glasker's potential. If Glasker can reach his potential, he could become a star in BYU's defense.

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Casey Lundquist

CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.

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