Former Cougar Critiques BYU LB After Shoe-Throwing Penalty
Sep 29, 2022, 7:10 PM | Updated: 11:13 pm
Cooper Legas #5 of the Utah State Aggies runs out of the pocket chased by Max Tooley #31 and Alden Tofa #51 of the Brigham Young Cougars during the first half of their game September 29, 2022 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – Former BYU defensive lineman Zac Dawe gave some feedback to current Cougar linebacker Max Tooley after his was penalized for throwing a shoe during a game against the Utah State Aggies.
The No. 19 Cougars hosted the Aggies at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Thursday, September 29.
With 2:48 left in the first quarter, Tooley made a nice tackle to stop the Aggies on third down. However, after the play, the linebacker tossed the cleat of Utah State quarterback Cooper Legas. The action drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct flag and gave Utah State a fresh set of downs.
He tossed the shoe, ref tossed the flag 😂 pic.twitter.com/iBWFCn1w5F
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 30, 2022
Following the penalty, Dawe tweeted at Tooley.
“We need to work on your form,” the ex-BYU lineman posted.
@maxtooley23 we need to work on your form😂 @BYUfootball
— Zac Dawe (@zdawe99) September 30, 2022
In 2019, Dawe tossed a shoe during BYU’s win over the Tennessee Volunteers.
Who throws a SHOE! HONESTLY!… (Zac Dawe does)… #BYUvsTenn https://t.co/mswkFuB8kZ @KSL5TV @kslsports pic.twitter.com/n874UiapLv
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) September 8, 2019
After the game against the Vols, Sitake said that he took Dawe out of the contest for a moment and told him to help the player off the ground next time instead of tossing his gear.
Sitake might have the same discussion with Tooley after the 2022 penalty.
Max Tooley just threw a shoe. Pulled a Zac Dawe.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 30, 2022
The Utah State vs. BYU game is broadcast on ESPN, KSL Sports Zone, and KSL NewsRadio.
Utah State vs. No. 19 BYU
This is the last scheduled game between BYU and Utah State, as the Cougars make their transition to Power Five football in the Big 12 conference next year. It is also the 91st meeting all-time between the two programs. The pressure is on tonight as BYU looks to protect their home field and Utah State looks to knock off the Cougars one more time.
BYU (3-1) enters the game on the heels of a late Saturday night victory over Wyoming, 38-24. Quarterback Jaren Hall was electric in the game and with buzz building around his NFL potential, he’ll look to have another big night. Hall did not play in last year’s matchup in Logan.
Running back Miles Davis was the emerging star in Saturday’s win over the Cowboys. Davis rushed for 131 yards in the game, including coming up just short of the end zone on a 70-yard run. Head coach Kalani Sitake said after the game that the running back position would be played more by “committee” moving forward.
Utah State (1-3) has not had the start they wanted to their season. After winning the Mountain West conference in 2021, the Aggies have struggled losing their last three games. Quarterback Logan Bonner is reportedly unavailable to play tonight, according ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Cooper Legas, the hero of the LA Bowl, is expected to start for the Aggies. Utah State is averaging just 15.5 points per game from the offense, while allowing 36.0 points per game on defense.
Last year in Logan, BYU beat the Aggies 34-20 behind a stellar night from running back Tyler Allgeier. With Jaren Hall out, Baylor Romney got the start against Utah State. He was injured at the end of the first half, leading Jacob Conover to take his first snaps as a BYU quarterback in the win.
Could be the last matchup between the Cougars and the Aggies for a while 👀#USUvsBYU #BYUFootball #GoCougshttps://t.co/wYY6p02fMj
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 29, 2022
The Cougars will welcome back some key players tonight against the Aggies. Earlier in the week, head coach Kalani Sitake noted that wide receiver Gunner Romney would be good to go for Thursday night. Romney has not seen any game action this year after suffering an injury during fall camp. Sitake did not have an update for wide receiver Puka Nacua, who played last week and suffered another injury in the win over Wyoming. FB/TE Masen Wake will not play tonight against the Aggies.
BYU also expects to get back a number of pieces on the offensive and defensive lines. Sitake noted that Kingsley Suamataia, Max Tooley, Earl Tuitoi-Mariner, and Gabe Summers would all be available against Utah State. Getting starters back into the lineup is huge this week. Not only is it a short week for the Cougars, but they also need to be preparing for their next opponent: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
