Cougs Daily

The 10 Highest-Graded Players from BYU's Win Over Wyoming

Casey Lundquist

Sep 14, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) throws a touchdown pass against the Wyoming Cowboys during the third quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium.
Sep 14, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) throws a touchdown pass against the Wyoming Cowboys during the third quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. / Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images
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On Saturday night, BYU took down Wyoming 34-14 in Laramie. Here are the 10 highest-graded players from BYU-Wyoming according to Pro Football Focus (minimum of 10 snaps played).

1. Jake Retzlaff - 91.8

Jake Retzlaff got off to a bit of a slow start against Wyoming. The first drive of the game for the BYU offense ended in a Jake Retzlaff interception. After the first few drives, Retzlaff started to settle in. By the end of the game, in the opinion of this author, he was displaying the best pocket presence he's shown since he arrived at BYU.

Retzlaff finished 22/36 for 291 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also had 62 rushing yards on 6 carries.

Why did Retzlaff grade so well? Pro Football Focus credited him with a career high eight big-time throws. A big-time throw is defined as "a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window."

He was pressured nine times but he was never sacked. Like we mentioned before, his pocket presence was the best it's been in his career. He converted 16 first downs with his arm. Retzlaff now has 11 big-time throws in 2024, the most of any quarterback in the country.

His performance against Wyoming was a step in the right direction, even though he still has a few areas where he can get better.

2. Chase Roberts - 91.5

Chase Roberts was Jake Retzlaff's top target against Wyoming. Roberts was great, finishing with 6 catches for 129 yards. Wyoming tried five different defensive backs against Roberts, but they couldn't slow him down.

3. Keanu Hill - 85.1

BYU tight end Keanu Hill had his best performance of the season against Wyoming. He had 3 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game on a hard hit - the hit was flagged for targeting.

Hill's injury status is an important storyline for next week's game at Kansas State.

4. Parker Kingston - 82.7

Parker Kingston has always been fast. Against Wyoming, he proved that his skills as a possession wide receiver have improved. Kingston had 2 catches for 30 yards, including an acrobatic reception near the sideline that went for 24 yards.

5. Raider Damuni - 82.6

We highlighted Raider Damuni on our list of top performers after the game. The PFF grades validate what we watched live. Damuni graded in the top six in coverage (3rd), tackling (5th), and run defense (6th). Damuni was also credited with two stops. A stop is defined as a "tackle that constitute a 'failure' for the offense."

6. Harrison Taggart - 80.6

Harrison Taggart has become BYU's most reliable defender through the first three weeks. Taggart does a little bit of everything at the mike linebacker position. Taggart had the best run defense grade by a wide margin with an 89.2. He also had three defensive stops.

7. Bodie Schoonover - 79.4

Bodie Schoonover makes the cut as the highest-graded defensive lineman. Schoonover played only 13 snaps, but he made the most of his opportunities. He had one quarterback pressure and one defensive stop.

8. Evan Johnson - 79.4

Evan Johnson had his first interception in a BYU uniform against Wyoming. He had the highest coverage grade on the defense. He allowed just one reception out of three targets.

9. Pokaiaua Haunga - 79.0

After the game, we thought Pokaiaua Haunga made a case for more playing time after rushing for 35 yards on just 5 attempts. PFF agrees - he was the highest-graded running back for BYU. Haunga also had one reception for 11 yards. His vision and burst immediately stood out when he entered the game.

10. Jack Kelly - 77.6

Jack Kelly had the best pass-rushing grade for BYU. Kelly led the team with three total pressures including one sack and two quarterback hurries.

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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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