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A Pass Rush That Broke a Record, Then Took the Second Half Off
A weekly, unique recap show for each college football team that played a game. This unique look at what occured has a forward-looking approach and gets you what you need to know. For hardcore fans, casual onlookers and the gambler looking for an edge. Check out the Depth Dossier!
This is the Depth Dossier: the BYU Cougars, Week 9.
A pass rush that set a record in the first half completely disappeared in the second, and it still took a blown call from the Big 12 for BYU to escape with a 27 to 20 win.
BYU stayed unbeaten in conference play, though it wasn't pretty. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown, took a costly second-half interception, then answered by sneaking for a fourth and one conversion from his own 14-yard line before hitting wide receiver Legend Glasker for a 53-yard bomb to set up the clincher. Running back Sione Moa scored twice from a yard out, including the game-winner with two minutes and nine seconds left, even though he couldn't get much else going on the ground. Arizona State's freshman quarterback, Jake Fette, nearly stole it, throwing two second-half touchdowns to erase a 14-point hole before BYU's defense made one more stop to close things out.
Let's talk about that pass rush, because it explains the whole shape of this game. BYU's front had six sacks in the first half alone, the most by any team in the country in a half this season, and then got zero sacks in the second half. Fette looked like a freshman getting hunted early and like a completely different quarterback once the pressure disappeared, and that's exactly how Arizona State clawed back into it.
Then there's the controversy everyone's going to be talking about. Bachmeier fumbled near the goal line, was initially ruled down by forward progress, and the call got overturned to award Moa a live recovery and a touchdown. The Big 12 admitted afterward the review was wrong. Moa shouldn't have been allowed to advance the ball, and BYU should have just kept possession at the two-yard line. It didn't end up costing BYU the game, but it makes a one-score win look shakier than it should.
The run game was the quiet disaster here. BYU managed just 47 yards on the ground, way below its season average, working out to less than a yard per carry. Moa's two scores covered up a brutal day running the ball without running back LJ Martin, and it's becoming clear BYU's offense is leaning on Bachmeier's arm out of necessity, not choice.
A couple of individual battles canceled each other out. Arizona State's Reed Harris, the conference's leading receiver, got held to one catch for four yards, while BYU had to survive 170 all-purpose yards from Arizona State's Cardae Mack. And give credit to head coach Kalani Sitake for going for it on that fourth and one from his own 14 instead of punting. That sneak sparked the 95-yard drive that sealed the win.
Now, over to the depth chart, where there's real injury news to track. Tight end Roger Saleapaga left the game hurt, and there's no word yet on how serious it is, so that's one to watch heading into Utah week.
The defensive line keeps getting deeper by the week. Keanu Tanuvasa climbed to about two-thirds of the snaps, Viliami Po'uha and Tausili Akana both moved up to about half, and Hunter Clegg, Nusi Taumoepeau and Braxton Lindsey all grew into bigger rotational roles. After a six-sack half, it's easy to see why the coaching staff keeps feeding that group fresh bodies.
Linebacker snaps trimmed again. Cade Uluave and Isaiah Glasker both dropped to around three-quarters of the snaps, and Ace Kaufusi shrank down to spot duty, which stands out given that the pass rush vanished from that side of the ball in the second half.
In the secondary, Jayven Williams moved into a near every-down role and Tommy Prassas climbed to about three-quarters of the snaps, while Kennan Pula grew into more of a rotational piece and Matthias Leach faded to spot duty. That group is still sorting itself out behind safety Evan Johnson.
Moa's still the lead back on paper, but two and a half yards a carry on a heavy workload raises real questions about whether BYU can run the ball at all without Martin back healthy. Up next is Utah, and BYU needs that pass rush showing up for all four quarters, not just two.
This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.