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| Squally Canada scores a touchdown to tie the game 13-13 (Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo) |
In the BYU Cougars' 20-13 loss to the Fresno State Bulldogs, there were four plays that changed the game.
1. Brayden El-Bakri 0 yard run (4th and 1, 4:22 1st Quarter)
BYU was at the Fresno State 43-yard line. The Bulldogs were leading 3-0. BYU had already moved 34 yards on the drive. Getting the first down doesn't put BYU in scoring territory, but the likelihood the Cougars come away with points is very high.
Three of BYU's next four drives ended in scores. Offensive Coordinator Ty Detmer had a good strategy for attacking the Fresno State defense, and after the initial three and out on BYU's first drive, the players were able to execute that strategy. Even with just a field goal on this drive, this becomes a totally different game. For example, trailing 20-16 with 5:43 in the fourth quarter, BYU could have kicked a field goal from the Fresno State 24-yard line to make it a one-point game, and then be in a position to win with another field goal.
2. Illegal substitution penalty (1st and Goal at the 9-yard line, 2nd Quarter)
Quarterback Tanner Mangum scrambled for 13-yards to give BYU a 1st and Goal at the 9-yard line. The Cougars had started this drive at their own 12-yard line. The BYU offense was imposing its will on the Bulldog defense. Then BYU got a little fancy.
Detmer called a play that would have Mangum split out wide like a wide receiver. Somehow in that sequence of events, BYU had 12 men in the huddle. The officiating crew caught it, and enforced the five-yard penalty. Penalties in the red zone have been a recurring theme for BYU this season, and they have usually killed the drive.
Fresno State was leading 10-0 at this point. BYU ended up kicking a field goal. Four more points from a touchdown would have made it a 20-17 game late in the fourth quarter. That turns that 4th and 1 at the Fresno State 24-yard line in the fourth quarter into an easy decision to kick a field goal and tie the game.
3. Squally Canada 4-yard touchdown run (4:28, 3rd Quarter)
Canada's scoring run tied the game 13-13. Clearly, scoring a touchdown changes the score, but this touchdown meant more to the game as a whole. BYU had outscored Fresno State 13-3 since the end of the first quarter. It capped off a 75-yard drive, and validated all of BYU's offensive production up to that point. The Cougars weren't just stuffing the stat sheet. BYU was playing with confidence, and there was a feeling that the Cougars were going to pull out the big road win.
4. Tanner Mangum goes down with achilles injury (Approximately 10 minutes left, 4th Quarter)
Any chances BYU had at victory dissipated when Mangum left the game for a second time. Beau Hoge was able to move BYU into field goal range at the end of the first half, but the fact of the matter was, he was too rusty after sitting out the last four games.
Two plays later, BYU punted for the first time since 6:38 in the second quarter. Hoge completed just three of ten passes on the night. A few had the possibility of being game-changing completions, but they weren't quite accurate enough.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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