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| Micah Hannemann scores a touchdown on a 46-yard interception return in the first quarter. (Photo by BYU Photo) |
BYU defensive lineman Corbin Kaufusi blocked a Utah State field goal with 11:12 to play in the second quarter. That gave the ball back to BYU with a comfortable 21-7 lead. Fifteen minutes of play later BYU had turned the ball over five times, and trailed 27-21. It was too much for the injury depleted Cougars to overcome.
The game began with Utah State receiving the ball. The Aggies marched down the field with ease. A 36-yard touchdown pass to an open target who had gotten two steps behind the defender made it 7-0 Utah State. It appeared that even Utah State would be able to expose the Cougars' troublesome pass defense.
A quick three and out by BYU raised concerns that it was going to be another long night of inept offense.
That all changed less than a minute later. Utah State was facing a 3rd down and 1. The play call was a quick wide receiver screen. Micah Hannemann jumped the play and intercepted the pass with nothing but green grass in front of him. His 46-yard return made it a tie game, 7-7.
Inspired by Hannemann's aggressive play, the entire Cougar defense came alive. On Utah State's ensuing possession, Fred Warner made a huge hit with a textbook tackle. That was followed by Butch Pau'u getting a tackle for loss as Utah State tried to run a reverse (Pau'u would leave the game early with an injury). On third and long, Warner made another big play, and sacked the Aggie quarterback setting up 4th and 22.
BYU still wasn't able to do anything on offense, but it was starting to show a glimmer of hope. Jonah Trinnamann got open deep, but the pass was overthrown. Talon Shumway nearly made a very difficult catch on the sideline, and on 3rd and 15, Micah Simon made a 14-yard grab. Nevertheless, it was still a three and out possession that ended in a punt.
Utah State had a three and out as well, thanks to a Kaufusi sack on 3rd down.
At this point, BYU took control of the line of scrimmage on offense. BYU ran the ball on five of its next seven plays, and moved to the Utah State 26-yard line as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second half, the Cougars dialed up a reverse pass that left full back Brayden El-Bakari wide open near the 10-yard line. He made a shifty move to get past one Aggie defender and bulled his way into the end zone.
It was now 14-7, BYU.
Utah State started in a hole on its next possession following a block-in-the-back penalty on the kickoff. The Cougar defense forced another punt after just three plays.
On the third play of BYU's next possession, quarterback Beau Hoge went deep to Beau Tanner. He caught the ball falling out of the end zone, and it was ruled an incomplete pass. Following replay review, the call was reversed and ruled a touchdown. BYU now held a commanding 21-7 lead.
The Aggie offense put a drive together that reached the BYU 21-yard line, but an incomplete pass on a 3rd and 1 forced the field goal attempt that was blocked by Kaufusi.
Everything was going BYU's way. It was something that hadn't been seen yet in 2017. It was a relief, that BYU was controlling Utah State the way Power 5 schools had. Maybe things were going to be alright, or maybe not.
A very fortuitous bounce on Hoge's next pass gave Utah State seven points. The ball bounced off the back of a Utah State defender, and went directly to another Utah State defender at least five yards away. That interception was returned for a touchdown.
It was now a seven point game, 21-14, with 11:02 to play in the second quarter.
The turnover, didn't slowdown BYU. The Cougars came roaring back. Ula Tolutau picked up 11 yards on first down. Hoge ran for seven, but took a hit that knocked him out of the game. Koy Detmer, Jr. came in and completed his first pass for six yards, and a first down to keep the drive going. BYU continued to push Utah State around and ran the ball down to the Aggies' 32-yard line.
Facing 3rd and 1, BYU jumped early. That penalty moved the ball back five yards. Not respecting BYU's third-string quarterback, Utah State played run and tackled Tolutau for a loss of three to force a punt.
The BYU defense forced a punt without allowing a first down. Utah State's deep ball on third down was incomplete.
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| Ula Tolutau carries the ball against Utah State (Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo) |
BYU took over just six yards away from mid-field. Tolutau couldn't be stopped. He picked up eight yards. Then five yards. On his third consecutive run, he picked up seven, but Utah State knocked the ball loose before he hit the ground. The Aggies got their second turnover of the night.
Utah State had to punt again three plays later, after another deep pass on third down was incomplete. However, the BYU offense was in complete meltdown mode. A shotgun snap on second down was a little high, and it went through Detmer's hands. The ball rolled all the way back to the BYU 2-yard line. BYU had to punt out of its end zone.
Two plays later, Utah State tied the game. The third time was the charm as Utah State completed a perfectly placed long ball, in the end zone, to beat Troy Warner's tight coverage.
It was now a tie game with 1:11 to play before halftime. BYU had two timeouts. Tre Dye picked up nine yards on a first down run. That got BYU excited and into hurry-up mode. A field goal before halftime would get the lead and momentum back on BYU's side.
Detmer made a very poor read on the next play. He missed a wide open receiver streaking down the sideline, and threw an interception to the safety in the middle of the field. The Aggie defender did not move from where he was before the snap of the ball. This third turnover of the half allowed Utah State to kick a field goal and take a 24-21 lead into the locker room.
BYU received the second half kickoff. Any notion that the break in play was going to allow the Cougars to regroup and regain control of the game was lost on the first play. Tolutau fumbled, again, and Utah State was there for turnover number four.
The Cougar defense made a valiant stand and moved Utah State back two yards in three plays. The Aggies still came away with three points, and extended the lead to 27-21.
BYU came right back, and continued to do nothing but run the ball. Only when forced into a passing situation, 3rd and 8, did BYU throw it. Detmer threw another interception. There was 11:24 to play in the third quarter.
That made five turnovers from the 11:12 mark of the second quarter to the 11:24 mark of the third quarter. Notwithstanding this avalanche of turnovers, BYU was still in the game.
The Cougars were down just six points, and Utah State moved back 10 yards after the interception (five-yard penalty, five-yard sack). The Aggies did pin BYU at it's own 7-yard line following the punt, but the Cougars offensive line was still getting the better of the Aggies defensive line. Fearing what would happen if Detmer put the ball in the air, BYU ran 10 consecutive run plays, and moved the ball 51 yards to the Utah State 42-yard line. Facing 4th and 4, BYU felt confident it could move the pile and get the first down.
Utah State rose to the occasion. Tolutau was stuffed for no gain.
The Aggies were unable to capitalize. A holding penalty on first down was too much to overcome, and they punted the ball back to BYU.
There was now 3:20 to play in the third quarter. Despite five turnovers, BYU trailed by just six points. With the way the Cougars had controlled the line of scrimmage, the game was still very winnable. The resiliency of the Cougar D was commendable.
The Cougar offense came right back, and kept pounding away. Austin Kafentzis gave Detmer a break at quarterback. Kafentzis was able to pick up a first down with an 11-yard run. Two plays later, he picked up seven more yards, but while trying to be a hero and pick up a few more, rather than getting two hands on the ball while being gang tackled, he had the ball knocked out. Of course, Utah State recovered.
The avalanche wasn't over, yet.
This time, Utah State turned the turnover into a touchdown. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Aggie quarterback scrambled for a touchdown, but Utah State failed to convert the two-point try. That left the score 33-21.
BYU still had some fight left in them. Detmer hooked up with Trinnamann for a 39-yard gain. He got knocked out of bounds at the Utah State 6-yard line. Tolutau had an easy run into the end zone on the next play, but it was called back on a holding penalty. That killed the drive. BYU had to settle on a field goal to close the gap to 33-24.
Utah State was able to take a good chunk of time off the clock, but Fred Warner made a huge tackle-for-loss on a 4th and 1 to get the ball back for BYU with 6:23 to play.
Down two scores, time was becoming a factor. Facing a 4th and 2 at the Utah State 40-yard line, and under four minutes to play, BYU had to go for it. Utah State blitzed everybody, and Detmer made a really ugly throw to the outside.
Not giving up yet, the Cougar defense didn't give up a first down, and BYU had the ball again. Looking for a miracle, Detmer kept on dropping back to pass. He threw his third interception of the night, and it was run back for a touchdown.
That officially put the game out of reach, 40-24.
BYU had 210 yards rushing, with Tolutau accounting for 102. Utah State had 288 yards of total offense.
Hoge was having a nice game before he was forced to leave. He was 5 of 9 for 95 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Pass Efficiency rating was 195.3. He also had three rushes for 25 yards.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Micah Hannemann 46-yard interception return for a touchdown.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Fred Warner, 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass break up
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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