BYU’s win over SUU raises questions
On September 9th 2023, the BYU Cougars had an impressive and much improved win over the Southern Utah T-birds 41-16. While the game went a lot better than the 14-0 win over Sam Houston, there’s always things to improve for the cougars. We’ll list positives and negatives.
The passing game got a massive resurgence from new quarterback Kaden Slovis and his receivers. 8 different receivers got at least 1 reception. The leading receiver was Tight End Isaac Rex, who had 112 yards and a touchdown. Who has tied the tight end touchdown record at BYU with Gordon Hudson at 22 touchdowns. Rex has been underutilized in the offense besides the red zone situations. But Slovis has favored Rex more than past QB’s Hall and Wilson. So not only will Rex surpass the tight end TD record, but could be one of the top weapons for the cougars.
Kedon Slovis showed what BYU fans expected from the transfer. Going 22/32 with 5 touchdowns and 348 passing yards. Slovis was able to spread the field but feed his key receivers. Rex, Lassiter, Hill, and Roberts both had at least 3 receptions and a touchdown.
Among the various statistics generated in BYU's recent game against Southern Utah, one concerning figure stands out, and it's making Cougar fans uneasy as the schedule ahead promises more formidable opponents. Southern Utah, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team, managed to limit newly-minted Power Five member BYU to just 46 rushing yards while gaining 84 yards on the ground themselves. This statistic hints at potential troubles for BYU, particularly as they face teams like Arkansas and the nine Big 12 opponents, all of which are expected to have stronger run defenses than what the Thunderbirds brought to the game.
While BYU secured a 41-16 victory over Southern Utah, there are valid concerns about whether such a limited rushing attack will be sufficient against more challenging adversaries. What's particularly concerning is the underwhelming performance of BYU's rushing game. The team averaged just 2.0 yards per carry in this game, with their supposed workhorse running back, Aidan Robbins, managing only three carries for 6 yards, all in the first quarter. Through two games, Robbins has accumulated just 29 yards on 10 carries, while BYU has rushed for a mere 158 yards on 57 carries (2.6 yards per carry) against two relatively weaker teams on their schedule for 2023.
While the struggles in the running game are concerning, there's a silver lining in the form of freshman LJ Martin, who led the team with 27 yards on six carries. However, the inconsistency in the running game raises questions about the effectiveness of BYU's offensive line, which was highly touted in the preseason.
On the defensive side, BYU allowed Southern Utah to gain significant yardage, with quarterback Justin Miller completing 16 of 30 passes for 235 yards. This indicates that the Cougars' pass rush remains a concern, as they've managed just one sack in two games.
In summary, BYU has now won six consecutive games dating back to last year, but these recent performances have been far from dominant. If they can pull off another victory in SEC territory, the concerns stemming from these uneven showings in early September may be overlooked. However, there's no denying that improvements in the rushing game and pass rush are essential for BYU to succeed against their tougher opponents in the coming weeks.
