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BYU football grades vs. Arizona State: Cougars stay consistent with more high marks

By Jared Lloyd - | Sep 19, 2021

BYU defenders make a tackle during the 27-17 Cougar win over Arizona State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

BYU football beat writer Jared Lloyd gives his grades for the Cougar position units and coaches for Saturday’s game against Arizona State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo:

Quarterback

Jaren Hall turned the ball over for the first two times of the season but he also made a few really good throws and excellent runs. His determination after his second pick turned out to be huge as he recovered the fumble. Baylor Romney’s QB rating is 455.2 after going 1-for-1 for a 3-yard TD that sealed the game.

Grade: A

Running back

Tyler Allgeier’s rushing numbers were a little down (21 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD) but he had the play of the game and maybe the play of the year when he chased down the ASU linebacker after the interception and punched the ball out. Lopini Katoa was also big late in the game (6 carries, 29 yards).

Grade: A+

Wide receivers/tight ends

Gunner Romney made a great diving catch on a deep ball and later got a touchdown, while Isaac Rex caught a pair of TDs including the one that sealed the win. There were a couple more plays that could’ve been made but this was a solid performance.

Grade: A-

Offensive line

This group got tested more in this game than in the previous two as Arizona State was well prepared for the BYU run game. The O-line did open up some nice holes on the last BYU drive, however. Jaren Hall was sacked twice and pressured on a number of other occasions, so the pass protection could’ve been a little better as well.

Grade: B

Defensive line

The Cougar defensive front was really focused on not letting ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels run the ball successfully and overall the guys stayed in their lanes. The blocker-heavy Sun Devil run game, however, had a lot of success as the defensive line wasn’t successful at tying up blockers.

Grade: B

Linebackers

Max Tooley had a big game with 10 tackles and an interception but once again the BYU linebackers missed some tackles that allowed ASU to have quite a bit of success running the ball (161 yards on the ground). The Cougar spy efforts kept Jayden Daniels contained as he only had eight net yards rushing.

Grade: B

Secondary

The Cougars got an interception from Malik Moore, while D’Angelo Mandell had five tackles and a pass breakup. BYU dropped a lot of guys into coverage but ASU also found some holes. In then end, however, Cougars limited the points for the Sun Devils which was the biggest goal.

Grade: B

Special teams

Ryan Rehkow was phenomenal, averaging 52.8 yards per punt and blasting an 83-yard kick to set a new school record. Talmage Gunther made a big hit on the kickoff coverage on the first play, forcing a fumble. Justen Smith was fine on kickoffs and extra points.

Grade: A+

Coaching

The Cougar coaches had to make some key in-game adjustments as Arizona State came in with a good game plan and plenty of excellent athletes. Aaron Roderick had some great playcalls in the second quarter, while Ilaisa Tuiaki’s defense did just enough to keep the Sun Devils at bay.

Grade: A-

 

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