Key BYU Questions Answered In Win Against Southern Utah

PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 41 to 16 victory over Southern Utah University.

After a slow start, the Cougar offense exploded in the second quarter giving BYU a 27 to 3 halftime lead.

Let’s break down the win over the Thunderbirds with some key questions answered.

Who was the MVP for BYU football?

Kedon Slovis is the obvious choice here after a huge performance through the air.

He threw for 348 yards on 22 completions.

The BYU QB accounted for five touchdowns on the day, including one rushing touchdown.

Slovis passed for four touchdowns to four different receivers vs. Southern Utah.
The Cougars last recorded that note with Jaren Hall finding four different receivers vs. Idaho State in 2021.#BYUFootball

— BYU Game Notes (@BYUGameNotes) September 9, 2023

It was critical for the Cougar offense to show some life before heading out on the road to play Arkansas, which they did, although the ground attack was absent. More on that later.

For a second consecutive week, Chase Roberts led BYU in receptions. He’s become a favorite target of Slovis.

I love to see Slovis frequently targeting Roberts and tight end Isaac Rex, who had 112 receiving yards on four catches.

The BYU quarterback did a great job of getting the ball to his playmakers.

What was the most impactful play of the game?

I thought the first touchdown pass of the game for Slovis was critical on many levels.

First, the offense had struggled early in the first quarter.

Starting off the game with a punt and then an interception was not ideal, especially after the performance offensively against Sam Houston.

On the third drive of the game, BYU found its rhythm.

The Cougars went 85 yards in nine plays which culminated in Rex touchdown catch.

After a slow start, the #BYU 🏈 offense is rollin’

Nice to see them find a rhythm. #BYUFootball @kslsports

— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) September 9, 2023

That was the first moment this season where you saw a glimpse of what this passing attack could look like.

They’ll need to continue this type of passing prowess when they get into Big 12 conference play.

What was the most interesting stat from the game?

Slovis and the cougar passing attack broke out in a big way.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rushing game.

BYU only rushed for 46 yards against Southern Utah.

They averaged two yards per rush on 23 carries.

Aidan Robbins only carried the ball three times for six yards.

True freshman LJ Martin was the most productive back for a second straight week, but he only had 27 yards on six carries.

It’s hard to blame one particular unit for the rushing struggles, but they need to get some answers on the ground quickly with the schedule getting more difficult.

When was the game won for BYU football?

After forcing BYU’s offense to a quick three-and-out deep in their own territory, the Thunderbirds special teams made a mistake that closed the door for good.

AJ Felton couldn’t get out of the way as the ball punted by Ryan Rehkow made contact.

True freshman Marcus McKenzie jumped on the fumble, giving BYU the ball back.

WHAT. A. SEQUENCE.

📺 @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/ve45ii5YX6 pic.twitter.com/xP6C2IcREO

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 9, 2023

On the ensuing play, Slovis connected with Chase Roberts for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

The game wasn’t in doubt before that sequence, but the fumbled punt return ended any changes for a Southern Utah upset.

You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter.