Greenville, N.C. • What happens when the country’s second-worst offense faces the country’s worst defense?
The punter takes over, naturally.
BYU’s Jonny Linehan was the star of the first half for the Cougars in their game Saturday at ECU, three times pinning the Pirates inside their 11-yard line in the first 30 minutes.
Linehan’s first punt put ECU at its 11. His next two punts pinned the Pirates at their 2 and 1, respectively.
Still, the Pirates drove 78 yards on their third possession and kicked a 42-yard field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
The Cougars had just 93 yards midway through the second quarter, but drove 70 yards just before halftime and tied it 10-10 with a 22-yard field goal by Rhett Almond.
Still thin at running back
BYU played without three key running backs on Saturday, juniors Squally Canada, Kavika Fonua and Trey Dye. Neither back made the trip to North Carolina.
Canada, missed his second-straight game with a lower body injury. Fonua remains out with a leg injury and Dye suffered a leg injury in last week’s 35-10 loss at Mississippi State.
Canada is BYU’s second-leading rusher with 45 carries for 205 yards; Fonua was third (87) and Dye was tied for fourth (31) with Austin Kafentzis entering the weekend.
Sophomore KJ Hall played for the first time since the LSU game in early September.
Other injuries
Linebacker Johnny Tapusoa made the trip but remains out with an undisclosed injury. Fellow linebacker Matt Hadley had season-ending surgery last week and has played his final college football game. Another linebacker, Butch Pau’u, is playing with a fractured hand that is heavily taped and padded during games.
BYU’s second-leading receiver, Talon Shumway, has not played since the Boise State game.
Sophomore cornerback Troy Warner left the game with a foot injury before East Carolina’s first touchdown in the first quarter and did not return. He is the 35th BYU player to miss playing time due to injury.
Briefly
Braden Brown (2008-12), Terence Brown (2005, 2008-11), Tyrone Brown (1996-98), Bobby Griffits (1987, 1992-93) and Peter Tuipolotu (1987-91) carried out the alumni flags for BYU. … Michael Shelton, from nearby Raleigh, N.C., and Kyle Griffits, from Windemere, Fla., carried out the team flags and Va’a Nuimatalolo carried out the American flag. … BYU will return to Greenville for a rematch in 2024, per a series extension agreement announced Thursday. ECU will visit Provo in 2022. … Temperature at kickoff was 68 degrees, with partly cloudy skies. … ECU won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
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