Game 8 View from the Midwest – BYU at Liberty
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Team effort:
This was a complete loss by BYU. Both sides of the ball struggled to do much of anything. Liberty more than doubled BYU in yards gained (547 to 258), first downs (28 to 12), third-down conversions (7 of 11 to 3 of 11), and nearly in time of possession (39:13 to 20:47), on the way to this blowout. The most painful stat is that BYU jumped out to a 14-3, 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter but then let a 38-point run go unanswered to a 41-14 defeat.
-Milestones:
BYU played its 150th game as an independent football team, posting a 95-55 record. With the loss, the milestone of 100 wins as an independent is almost out of reach now. The Cougars would have to win their next five games in a row to reach that mark and the team that’s played the last three weeks has shown no signs of being able to earn that mark.
-Defensive Woes:
BYU isn’t just struggling in their starving for tackles for a loss. They had five against Liberty which puts them at 33 on the year, which would put them at 106th in the nation if those five were added through Week 8 and no other teams’ totals were. This defense is reacting to opposing offenses, not forcing them to play the way the Cougar defense wants them to.
The Cougars are one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the nation. They average only 1.13 sacks a game and only nine through their eight games this year. That ranks them in the 120s out of 131 nationally, virtually at the bottom of the barrel.
-Staff changes:
Coach Sitake may want to make the staff changes before a few staff changes turn into a change from the head coach on down. I know that at the moment he’s a victim of his own success but Kalani Sitake would be the first to say that 4-4 with the best possible outcome left of 9-4 is not the standard at BYU. 11-1 in 2020 and 10-3 in 2021 his teams performed at a great level and there is absolutely no reason that those levels shouldn’t be the expectations for the Cougars every season.
If that means he has to let go of staff members who are friends then so be it. Necessary changes can do wonders for not only the team and unit that is struggling but for the coach himself. I am a big Ohio State fan and bringing a new defensive coordinator has been huge for them this season. I know BYU isn’t Ohio State, they can’t afford to bring in a new guy every year and throw tons of money at whoever they decide they want. But BYU doesn’t need to hold on to coaches who aren’t getting the job done. It is still a head-scratching notion that Coach Sitake was willing early in his career to make changes but isn’t now. Whatever is holding him back on that needs to be put aside otherwise his career may be permanently intertwined with his choices concerning his staff.
-Is it the system?
On the other hand, it could very well be an internal issue regarding the defensive scheme that is causing this trouble for the Cougars. Coach Sitake indicated in the week leading up to the loss to Liberty that he would be taking a more hands-on approach to and be involved more with the running of the defense. Not only did this not work out for the Cougars, but the defense also seemed worse than ever as Liberty only ever had to punt once, just like Arkansas last week.
-Resume Watch:
This team went from playoff dark horse to New Years’ Six hopefuls to shooting for 10 wins and now struggling just to have a winning season. With ECU, Boise State, Utah Tech, and Stanford left, it will be tough to finish at 6-6 and make a bowl game. At this point, my faith in the Cougars is shaken but I’ll be happy to eat some crow if they prove me wrong and rattle off the next five games as wins.
-Austin Collie Receiver of the Game: Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua is the only Cougar on the team that played up their potential in this game. The Cougars are capable of much more than they put on the field in Lynchburg with perhaps the only exception being Puka Nacua. Nacua had seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. He was giving his best and was meeting success as a result.
-It Was Over When:
BYU didn’t score after the first quarter. This fact baffles me. Even against Arkansas, the Cougars kept fighting on offense, moving the ball and scoring, even if defensively they couldn’t stop the Razorbacks. They couldn’t even do that against Liberty. Watching the game it became quickly apparent after halftime that this team was beaten. It could be seen on TV that their hearts just weren’t in it. When amid a three-game losing streak it’s difficult to blame them.
-Rise and Shout Again: ECU
The game against ECU on Friday is a must-win. Yep, it’s come to that. A year before joining the Big 12 the Cougars are faced with a must-win against a team from the AAC, at LaVell Edwards Stadium and likely to be home underdogs. The Cougars are 1-1 against the Pirates with a 45-38 win in 2015 and a 33-17 loss in 2017. ECU is 5-3 after having just beaten UCF.
After 2020 and 2021 I thought and hoped that the Cougars were past the stage where they would be desperate to beat teams they should crush. It’s going to be a long tough experience in the Big 12 if BYU doesn’t make some changes and fast. Corners need to be turned by the end of this season and that’s a tall order for anyone, let alone a team that is struggling and a coaching staff that seems to have no answers. The Cougars need to show now that they really are built for this, so they aren’t doubting themselves all off-season.
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Read about all the BYU games so far this season!