By Derek Stell
With a score that looked more like a college basketball game, BYU made key mistakes and dropped a heartbreaker to Tulsa Saturday, 55-47.
Offense was not a problem for either team. The Cougars racked up 694 total yards, compared to Tulsa''s 595 yards. Max Hall passed for 526 yards, completing 34 of 57 passes with four touchdowns, while Tulsa''s quarterback Paul Smith was 21 for 35, accumulating 454 yards and five touchdowns.
The Cougars'' struggles came on defense. Tulsa receivers had no problem shredding BYU''s secondary for big yardage plays.
After Max Hall connected with Austin Collie for a 45-yard touchdown that knotted the score at 14, Tulsa receiver Brennan Marion blew past every Cougar and caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Smith on their first play from scrimmage. Only ten seconds had come off the clock between scores. Tulsa also had 37,43 and 45-yard touchdown passes.
The Cougars also had trouble with Smith. He ran the ball, optioned the ball and came out of the pocket to throw. He was all over the place and BYU could not find an answer for him.
BYU could not keep itself out of penalty trouble for a third straight game. The Cougars took 14 penalties that set them back 138 yards. Tulsa only had four penalties for 31 yards.
The toughest of those penalties for the Cougars to swallow came in the form of two consecutive false starts on guard Travis Bright after BYU drove to the Tulsa 12 yard line with less than three minutes remaining. Looking to tie the game and with an extra ten yards to go, BYU was forced to pass on every down while Hall threw four consecutive incomplete passes.
Turnovers also hurt the Cougars'' chances of beating the Golden Hurricane. BYU turned the ball over four times, including a Hall interception that was returned 49 yards by Tulsa''s Roy Roberts for a touchdown.
BYU started the game well enough with a Harvey Unga touchdown on their opening drive. But, Tulsa followed that with two consecutive scores. The teams traded touchdowns for most of the opening half.
The Cougars took the lead just before the half when Hall threw a touchdown to Matt Allen, putting BYU up 34-31. The extra point was no good, and that''s where it ended for the moment.
Coming out in the second half turned out to be a bad idea for the Cougars. Hall threw an interception on the opening drive of the third quarter that was returned for a touchdown. That score put Tulsa up 38-34. Tulsa would not trail again.
The Cougars continued to battle from behind and got themselves in a position to tie, if they could get a touchdown and two-point conversion. The consecutive false start penalties put a damper on that. On fourth and twenty with 2:28 showing on the clock, Hall dropped back to pass and his arm was hit as he threw. The ball harmlessly fluttered to the ground.
BYU was able to force a three-and-out series from Tulsa and got the ball back with 40 seconds remaining. The Cougars started from their own 16. Hall completed a pass to Collie for a first down. On the next play, Hall found tight end Andrew George across the middle. George caught the ball, ran two steps and was tackled by Tulsa''s Chris Chamberlain. George fumbled the ball and Tulsa recovered. The play was reviewed, but not overturned.
The Cougars, now 1-2, will try to even their record at home in LaVell Edwards Stadium this coming weekend to face the Air Force Falcons in BYU''s annual homecoming game.