FORT WORTH, Texas – After Now-No. 8 BYU held off TCU 17-10 at foggy Amon G. Carter Stadium Saturday night, Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake said there was a lot to like about the way his team played.
By winning yet another game by one score — which became a theme last year when the Cougars went 12-2 — BYU showed the type of complementary football that defines the program. BYU’s defense, special teams and offense — better late than never — combined to help the team win a game that some past BYU teams would have lost.
There was also plenty to dislike after the Cougars improved to 2-0 in the Big 12, 4-0 overall, and moved into a tie with Texas Tech and surprised Baylor atop the league standings. Utah and Oklahoma State are also undefeated in league play, but have played just one Big 12 game each.
Obviously, a plethora of penalties on the offensive line, several bad snaps, and the inability to get anything going offensively until the final drive of the fourth quarter are issues Sitake and his staff will need to address.
But by far the biggest downside Saturday night was that the Cougars’ already worrying injury situation got worse. Running back LJ Martin (ankle), linebacker Isaiah Glasker (knee) and punt returner and nickel back Cannon DeVries (lower leg) all left the game in the first half and did not return.
Sitake will never use injuries as an excuse, but they have the potential to derail an otherwise promising season. The Cougars are also playing without running back Sione Moa, safety Raider Damuni, linebacker Siale Esera and offensive lineman Andrew Gentry. Damuni should be back “soon,” Sitake said, while Moa and Gentry are almost certainly out for the rest of the regular season, at least.
As for the guys who came down Saturday night, Sitake suggested none were very serious.
“The good thing is (Glasker) was up and moving, so we’ll have to evaluate that. Same thing with LJ, so it wasn’t like those guys were on crutches or anything like that,” Sitake said. “So that encourages me, but you never know until you look at it and evaluate it with an MRI and things like that.”
Glasker was scheduled to have an MRI of his knee Sunday at 1 p.m., his father said. DeVries wore a protective boot immediately after the match.
When DeVries came out, BYU showed some of that depth by moving Mississippi State corner Jayven Williams to outside corner and playing Evan Johnson in the slot corner position (nickel). Williams has proven to be a good depth piece for Lewis Walker’s cornerback room.
Another positive development Saturday was BYU’s pass rush. The Cougars faced TCU’s elusive Jaden Craig four times to double their season sack total to eight. Tausili Akana, Nusi Taumoepeau, Jake Clifton and Braxton Lindsey all recorded sacks.
“I think (Kelly Poppinga) would just let the boys go, let them go after them, and let Tausili and Nusi and Kendal (Wall) and all those guys, and Braxton (Lindsey) go after them, and then bring in the backers every once in a while,” Sitake said. “I mean, Cade (Uluave) and Jake and (Isaiah) Glasker, those guys were doing pretty well too. … We played really tight man coverage and took chances and took chances and it paid off.”
Still, they’re thinning elsewhere, especially at running back if Martin can’t go this week.
“We’re probably going to have to use our depth,” Sitake said for the fourth straight week. “We’ve got a lot of talent on our team and if we need to, we can go pretty deep. So we’ll just have to figure it out. I know the guys are excited to be back home and playing a home game.”
This game will come quickly.
The Cougars will host Iowa State at 8:15 Friday night in a Big 12 showdown that will be televised by ESPN.
The Cyclones (3-2, 1-1) are not the pushover many thought they would be at the start of the season. They nearly upset No. 21 Iowa in Week 2 before losing 16-13 at Iowa City, routing Bowling Green 55-7 and coming within a touchdown of the current number. 12 Utah trailed before falling 31-17 to the undefeated Utes in Ames.
On Saturday afternoon, Iowa State’s offense looked nearly unstoppable in a 45-42 win over West Virginia.
“Nothing will ever be easy, but we have to be ready and excited about the victories and celebrate them, and then we will move on and try to work hard,” Sitake said. “We have one less day of preparation, which means we will be able to play a night game at home, soon against Iowa State. I’m looking forward to that game.”
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