Zach Wilson Joins Elite BYU QB Company With Career Performance Over UCF
Dec 23, 2020, 12:10 AM | Updated: 8:18 am
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 22: Zach Wilson #1 of the Brigham Young Cougars takes to the field prior to the game against Central Florida Knights at FAU Stadium on December 22, 2020 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
BOCA RATON, Florida – If Zach Wilson played his last game as a BYU Cougar on Tuesday night, what a way to go out.
The junior signal-caller was excellent in BYU’s 49-23 Boca Raton Bowl victory over UCF.
Wilson threw for 425 yards, a career-high, in the win to cap off an 11-1 season for the Cougars.
Through the first half alone, Wilson tossed for 330 yards, setting a BYU bowl record for the most passing yards in a half. He was 17 of 21 on his passing attempts in the first half.
Zach Wilson in Boca Raton put him alongside BYU greats
The 330 yards ranks tied for fifth in BYU football history for passing yards in any half. He joins names like Jim McMahon (1st Half – 372, UTEP 1980), John Walsh (2nd Half – 361, Fresno State 1993), McMahon (1st Half – 354, Colorado State 1980), Ty Detmer (1st Half – 334 San Diego State 1991), and Christian Stewart (2nd Half – 330, Cal 2014).
Zach Wilson joined Jim McMahon and Max Hall as the only QBs in #BYU Football history to win two bowl games as a starting QB.#BYUFootball @kslsports
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 23, 2020
Wilson joined Jim McMahon and Max Hall as the only quarterbacks in BYU history to win two bowl games as a starter. The Draper, Utah native also joins McMahon, Ty Detmer, and Hall as the only BYU quarterbacks to start in three bowl games during their careers.
The Boca Raton Bowl performance was Wilson’s second career 400-yard performance.
His 425 yards passing earned him Boca Raton Bowl Offensive MVP honors and set the bowl game record for most yards in the game, passing Riley Ferguson from Memphis in 2016.
Boca Raton Bowl MVPs
Offense: @zachkapono
Defense: @KeenanPili7
Special Teams: Caleb Christensen#BYU #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/PZsBF8Ji4H— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 23, 2020
Zach Wilson is now No. 9 all-time in BYU career passing yardage, passing Steve Sarkisian and Marc Wilson.
BYU Football Player Notes
Tyler Allgeier passed 1,000 yards for the season with 1,040 yards in his 10 games played in 2020. He is only the 16th BYU player to run for more than 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Jamaal Williams had 1,408 yards in 2016. Allgeier had six 100-plus yard rushing games this year, including the last four games he played this season.
Tyler Allgeier to the 🏠#GoCougs #BYUFootball #BYUvsUCF https://t.co/DxUoWbCgFs
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 23, 2020
Allgeier’s 173-yard performance is a new career-high for the former preferred walk-on running back.
Freshman tight end Isaac Rex finished the night with two touchdown receptions in the win. The fifth multi-scoring game of the year for the talented newcomer who had the difficult task of replacing Matt Bushman at the beginning of the season.
Red is now tied for No. 3 in the nation with 12 touchdown catches. He shares the No. 1 ranking among tight ends with Florida All-American Kyle Pitts, who opted out of his team’s Cotton Bowl game against Oklahoma coming up in a few weeks.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
