BYU Football Progress Report: West Virginia Edition

PROVO, Utah – BYU football improved to 5-0 after defeating West Virginia 38-24 on a short week at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday night.

BYU Football Progress Report: West Virginia Edition

The game wasn’t as close as the final score suggests. Let’s break it down.

Offense: B

If you take away the three giveaways, it was nearly a perfect game for the BYU offense. Bear Bachmeier completed 72% of his passes for 351 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He added 43 yards on the ground.

Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston both had career nights, going for 161 and 111 yards, respectively.

LJ Martin did what he does, running for 90 yards and two scores on 21 carries.

No one has really worried about BYU’s run game this year, but the passing game finally exploded.

The grade drops, however, because of the turnovers.

Bachmeier threw the first interception of his career on a short screen pass to Carsen Ryan across the middle. The area was a bit congested, and the middle linebacker popped out from behind the center to make the play. Similar to the pick Jake Retzlaff threw in the SMU game last season, I’d credit the defender more than blame the throw. Kalani said in his postgame comments that he wasn’t sure it was the right play call in that moment, either.

The same could be said about the batted-down pitch attempt from Bachmeier to Martin inside BYU’s own five-yard line. The speed option has been a staple of the offense over the years, and the defender made a smart read—deflecting the pitch and recovering the ball just outside the end zone. I don’t think fans need to be too concerned about this going forward. Bachmeier has shown he’s a smart player and will adjust.

Running back Jovesa Damuni failed to secure the ball after taking a checkdown pass from Bachmeier, resulting in a fumble and WVU recovery at the BYU 22-yard line.

All in all, the turnovers offer valuable lessons for BYU to learn from in a win—just in time for a very difficult six-game stretch ahead.

Defense: A-

The 24 points scored by the Mountaineers don’t reflect how dominant the BYU defense truly was. Despite losing star linebacker Jack Kelly to injury—and later his counterpart, Isaiah Glasker—the Cougars allowed just 135 passing yards and held West Virginia to 3.3 yards per carry.

All three of West Virginia’s touchdown drives came in low-leverage situations: one after a three-yard drive, another after a 22-yard drive and the last with just 1:14 remaining in a game BYU led by 21.

The defense’s biggest challenge was the offense turning the ball over deep in its own territory. Fortunately for BYU, Therrian Alexander III recorded his first career interception, and Tanner Wall came up with another near the goal line.

The unit could have folded after losing its leader, but it didn’t, and that should encourage fans moving forward. Max Alford, Miles Hall and Ace Kaufusi stepped in at linebacker and held their own. No, they’re not at the level of Kelly or Glasker, but they’re strong examples of the kind of depth BYU has built as a member of the Big 12.

Special Teams: A-

Outside of a second consecutive missed field goal attempt from Will Ferrin, it was a quiet night for BYU’s special teams. There were no questionable punt return decisions, no turnovers, and the hands team successfully recovered a WVU onside kick attempt in the final minute.

Ferrin’s miss came from 48 yards out on the game’s opening drive. He bounced back later with a 37-yard make and was also part of a successful fake field goal, as punter and holder Sam Vander Haar converted a 4th-and-six with an 11-yard run.

Overall: B+

BYU won by just two scores, but the game was never truly in doubt. According to ESPN’s win probability chart, the Cougars’ chances of winning never dipped below 92.2%. The team responded well to a different kind of adversity than it faced last week, and the offense proved it can stretch the field and take shots downfield when needed.

Overall, it was a strong showing for the Cougars as they head into their biggest test so far—a road game at Arizona on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

Nate Slack is an Executive Producer for Cougar Sports Saturday (Noon–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.