Three Lessons that Need to be Learned from BYU's Road Win at Baylor

Casey Lundquist | Sep 28, 2024

BYU defensive line against Baylor / BYU Photo

Coaches always say it's better to learn lessons after a win than it is to learn lessons after a loss. Fortunately for BYU, they have the opportunity to learn some lessons and leave Waco with a win at the same time. Here are three lessons that need to be learned from BYU's win over Baylor.

1. Don't Take Your Foot Off The Gas

A few minutes into the fourth quarter, BYU was holding on to a 34-21 lead. The Cougars had a 3rd & 7 from the Baylor 33 yard-line. BYU went conservative on third down, opting to run up the middle to set up a field goal. BYU had a chance to win the game on that drive. A touchdown there would have been too much for Baylor to overcome.

Instead, BYU played for the field goal and it nearly backfired.

At that point in the game, BYU had a two-score lead. Even if BYU would have made the field goal, it still would have been a two-score game. On top of that, it was a long field goal at that point on the field. BYU's run setup a 49-yard field goal. To make matters worse, the field goal missed wide right and Baylor got the ball back in good field position.

Winning games in the Big 12 is incredibly hard to do. When you have a chance to put the nail in the coffin - you have to go in for the kill.

The Big 12 was the most volatile Power Five league in the country in 2023 and it looks to be the same in 2024. The Big 12 looks to be the conference of chaos in the future. Any team can win on any given Saturday. 

One of our takeaways from BYU's inaugural Big 12 campaign was that BYU can't afford to take their foot off the gas with a lead. BYU has won four conference games in the Big 12. In three out of four games, BYU has let a comfortable lead turn uncomfortable in the fourth quarter.

BYU took their foot off the gas against Oklahoma State in 2023 and paid the price. Comebacks happen in college football, but it became a disconcerting trend for BYU last season. Fans will remember the blown lead against Oklahoma State, but it nearly happened against Texas Tech as well. BYU had a three-score lead in the second half before going conservative and allowing the Red Raiders to get back in the game. Tech was on the verge of making it a one-score game before Jake Strong threw a costly interception on BYU's side of the field. The Cougars punted the ball away on four out of five possessions in the second half.

Against Cincinnati, BYU was knocking on the door of a three-score lead in the second half. That game ended as a one-score game and BYU needed to recover an onside kick to secure the win.

When BYU gets a lead in the future, they have to deliver the blowout punch. Gone are the days where BYU's opponents will roll over and die - that was common in the Mountain West. The teams in the Big 12 have the talent to change a game in one or two plays.

The Baylor team that BYU beat on Saturday was the same Baylor team that trailed UCF 35-7 in the second half in 2023 and came back to win 36-35.

2. Don't Let the Officials Dictate the Outcome

A critical penalty near the end of the BYU-Baylor game nearly changed the outcome of the game. With 1:43 left in the fourth quarter, BYU needed only one first down to secure the win. On first down, running back Enoch Nawahine picked up five yards to set up 2nd & 5. After the ball, Nawahine extended his arm towards a Baylor defender who fell to the ground. In basketball terms, it was a flop. Nawahine was flagged for an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty.

Kalani Sitake disagreed with the call, saying it was "bullcrap".And he was probably right - it looked like a flop. However, BYU can't put the officials in that position in that situation. Flop or not, the referee was put in a position where he had to decide whether to throw a flag or not.

After the game, Sitake noted that's something that BYU needs to clean up.

"We've just gotta be smart," Sitake said. "We can't put ourselves in that situation. You can't blame the refs, our players have to be smart in that situation."

3. Playing Youngsters in the Secondary Comes with Consequences

Coming into this game, BYU's pass defense had been one of the best in the country. The Cougars ranked third in pass efficiency defense through four weeks.

Against Baylor, the BYU secondary was exposed at times, especially the true freshmen. Sawyer Robertson was the best throwing quarterback BYU has faced this season, and he exposed a few weaknesses in the defense that hadn't been exposed so far this season. The Cougars allowed 324 yards through the air.

BYU allowed three touchdown passes against the Bears. On all three touchdowns, true freshmen were in coverage. On the first, true freshman Tommy Prassas got beat on a back-shoulder fade. On the second, there was a mix-up between true freshman Tre Alexander and the linebackers that turned into a busted coverage. On the last touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, Tre Alexander got beat for the touchdown.

BYU has played a lot of true freshmen in the secondary this season. Their inexperience hadn't really been exposed through four games. At some point, it was going to catch up with the BYU defense and it did on Saturday.

Those true freshmen are going to be great, great players for BYU and to their credit, they have fared much better than most true freshmen defensive backs. Playing so many true freshmen, however, does have consequences and a few of those were on display at Baylor.

Nothing can replace game experience and those game reps will pay dividends for all those players down the road. Forunately for BYU, they get to learn those lessons after a win.