BYU vs. Georgia Tech: 5 Game Observations

The Brigham Young Cougars took care of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in impressive fashion. BYU put on a show for the Cougar faithful. Among all the great plays and big performances, were the observations to BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL’s 5 Things to Watch for.  

1. Option stoppers? 

The Cougars are still the kings of stopping the option. Georgia Tech had just 117 rushing yards, which was nearly one-third of the Yellow Jackets’ normal production. Georgia Tech averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. Their longest run of the day was 22 yards. The Yellow Jackets did not score a rushing touchdown for the first time since 2010. The Cougar defense made five tackles for loss.

2. Road weary?

BYU showed no signs of fatigue. If the travel had any detrimental effect, it was not evident. The Cougars were ready physically, mentally, and emotionally. BYU came out of the gates quick with a touchdown on the game’s first possession. The defense didn’t allow a score until the final 30 seconds of the third quarter.  

3. Time of possession. 

38:59. That number says it all. BYU held onto the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game. More importantly, the BYU offense finished drives with touchdowns. This kept the defense fresh physically, and kept the pressure off the defense to keep points off the board. Jamaal Williams had a lot to do with the time of possession domination. He didn’t have an impressive yards per carry average (3.8), but it was enough to keep the chains moving and the BYU offense on the field.  

4. Kickoff returns.

A personnel change was made, and it had a huge difference. On the game’s opening kickoff, JD Falslev returned the ball 44 yards to the BYU 45-yard line. All three of his kickoff returns were 42 yards or longer. While many may prefer Cody Hoffman, it is hard to argue Falslev was a bad decision after the results on Saturday.  

5. Jamaal Williams encore?

Williams had quite the encore. He was a workhorse carrying the ball out of the backfield. His 28 carries were nine more than any Cougar has had in a game this season. He topped 100 yards for the second time this season (107). He was a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield with 3 receptions for 54 yards. Williams’ biggest contribution was his 4 touchdowns (3 rush, 1 receiving), which ties the school record for most touchdowns in a game by a freshman (Harvey Unga 3 rush, 1 receiving vs. San Diego State, 2007). His first score came on a fourth down on the first possession and helped set the tone for the game.  

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