BYU Won On Saturday. Why? Freshman Quarterback Zach Wilson
Nov 27, 2018, 2:55 PM
Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Zach Wilson (11) makes a pass as BYU and Utah play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Is it possible for both Utes and Cougars fans to chalk up Saturday’s rivalry game as a win even though the final score was 35-27 in favor of the Utah? KSL Sports’ Scott Mitchell made that argument in his recent Helmets Off podcast.
Easy for a former Utah quarterback to say, right? Mitchell has seen enough from BYU to say the team should have a brighter future.
“Now, I understand there are no moral victories in football,” said Mitchell as he pointed out positives and things that could be classified “wins” from the Cougars’ tough loss.
Zach Wilson hits his stride
The biggest win for BYU? Zach Wilson, the Cougs’ freshman quarterback. Wilson threw for over 200 yards and had 73 rushing yards. He appeared unphased at Rice Eccles Stadium in what might have been the biggest game of his college career thus far.
Where is BYU as a program?
In an episode of Helmets Off, Mitchell pointed out that Utah and BYU are in much different places when it comes to the growth and development of their programs. Utah is set to take on the University of Washington for the PAC12 title while BYU is 6-6 on the year and started a freshman quarterback midway through the season.
.@Utah_Football Prepping For First Appearance In Pac-12 Title Gamehttps://t.co/Exd4r4YrQv pic.twitter.com/Pb1u7FZJUb
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 27, 2018
“(BYU) is really trying to find their identity as an independent team,” said Mitchell.
He pointed out that the Cougars, headed by Kalani Sitake, have struggled to figure out who they are and what their program is about.
During an episode of Rivals Podcast recorded before the game, former BYU defensive end where Jason Buck said a win would mean job security for Sitake. Listen below:
Mitchell said it appeared that BYU has finally found their quarterback, which is a huge step in developing a winning team. Wilson showed up big against the Utes without much of a supporting cast around him.
“This guy (Wilson) is talented and we are just seeing the beginning of how good he can be,” said Mitchell.
Helmets Off is available wherever you get your podcasts or on the KSL TV App.
