Some people call BYU and Wyoming a rivalry. The storied series started over 100 years ago and has now been played 80 times. The Cougars came into the game winners of nine in a row against the Cowboys, looking to make it 10 (sound familiar?).
In the end, BYU accomplished that feat, walloping Wyoming 34-14 at War Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
Regardless of whether you regard it as a rivalry or not, this BYU team found itself in a hostile environment, surrounded by stripes of yellow and brown. And that was just on the bus ride over to the stadium.
From the jump, it was clear that BYU would have a pass-heavy game. The Cougars' first drive consisted of eight passes and one run. They were moving down the field, but the drive ended with an interception thrown by quarterback Jake Retzlaff. The pick marked his 10th turnover in his seven career starts.
Thankfully for BYU, it wasn't long before Retzlaff and the offense got another chance. The Cougar defense picked up right where it left off last week, stuffing runs and keeping an already mediocre Cowboy offense at bay all night.
On a night that saw an astonishing 23(!) players record a tackle on BYU's defense, Harrison Taggart, Raider Damuni, Tyler Batty and Isaiah Glasker led the way with four tackles each. As a whole, the defense ended the night with four TFLs, one sack, five pass breakups and one interception.
The two touchdowns scored by the Cowboys were on fairly steady, sustained drives, though the second was in garbage time against BYU's backups.
The Cougars' second drive went much better than their first. The seven-play, 44-yard drive ended with Retzlaff finding Keanu Hill in the flat for a 20-yard touchdown. Hill had his most productive game of the season, catching three passes for 36 yards and the lone touchdown. His night ended in the third quarter, however, after a route in the middle of the field ended in an egregious targeting penalty committed by Wyoming. Hill stumbled off the field, his helmet hanging onto his face by the chinstrap, and went into the medical tent immediately after.
Two drives later, the Cougar offense once again drove down the field and ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown catch by Kody Epps. Like the first touchdown drive, this one consisted mostly of passes. With the lack of starting running back LJ Martin, as well as backup Hinckley Ropati, the BYU run game struggled to get going early. It was Retzlaff who found success on the ground, carrying the ball 62 yards on just six carries.
The play of the game happened at the very beginning of the third quarter. The score was 14-7 at halftime in favor of BYU. The Cowboys kicked the ball off to open the half, and Keelan Marion housed a 103-yard return for BYU's third touchdown of the night. It was the Cougars' first kickoff return for a touchdown in 10 years.
While BYU's defense continued to do its thing, the offense continued to throw the ball and Retzlaff's stats inflated. Late into the third quarter, Retzlaff navigated the pocket and found Darius Lassiter for a 20-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 27 points. It was Retzlaff's third touchdown throw of the night. He ended with 291 yards on 22 completions and the one interception. His favorite target, though not able to find the endzone, was Chase Roberts. His six catches for 129 yards led the team.
It was a good win for the Cougars. They survived both the trip to Dallas last week and Laramie this week to move to 3-0 heading into conference play. Questions about the offense haven't been completely silenced, but the production was promising. The defense continued to impress and was able to leave the building healthy.
Retzlaff's stats can be misleading as the eye test seems to tell a different tale. On top of the early interception were two others that, had the Wyoming players simply made the play, would be an alarmingly high number in the box score. Retzlaff's tendency to focus solely on receivers downfield continues to linger. However, this game showed that he is capable of making the correct reads, using his legs to earn extra yards, and navigating a pocket that was manned by an offensive line that gave up zero sacks.
The Cougars now prepare to face what should be a top 15 team in Provo next week. Coming off an impressive win at Arizona, Kansas State seems to be one of the early frontrunners for the Big 12 title. BYU will need to figure out how to stop an elite Wildcat offense while also finding a way to put points against what will surely be the best defense it has seen up to this point.