View From the Stands: BYU @ Boise State

BYU and Boise State faced off in another classic on “the Blue” Saturday night. The game was filled with questionable officiating, sloppy play, and missed opportunities. Let’s revisit my key points from the preview and look at some other critical moments from the game.

Let Rypien work his magic:

Rypien looked like the San Diego State version of himself. It had very little to do with BYU’s defense and more to do with missing open guys. A fourth quarter drive where Rypien missed Modster twice is the perfect example. If Rypien would have completed either one of those passes, the game likely would have been over. Rypien missed a bunch of open guys and made some questionable decisions. For the most part, the offensive line did a nice job protecting Rypien. However, he had multiple opportunities to extend plays with his legs, but was hesitant to do so.

Don’t abandon the run early:

The run game was okay, but it was another story of missed opportunities. The Broncos were running the ball effectively during the first drive of the third quarter and had a chance to make a statement. But Mattison muffed an exchange and ruined what was a great drive. Mattison finished the game with 89 yards on 25 carries, but failed to break off a big run.

Who will BYU start at quarterback:

There was part of me that thought the coaches would through Mangum a bone and let him start in his hometown. Wilson looked like a promising true freshman and played the whole game for the Cougars.

Be disciplined on defense:

The Bronco defense took an interesting approach. They gave the Cougar receivers a huge cushion and let Wilson have anything he wanted underneath. They stopped the run like expected, in attempt to make Wilson beat them with his arm. I can’t say I completely agree with the approach, but the Broncos walked away with the victory.

Hit the quarterback:

The Broncos had seven sacks and did it with limited blitzing. BSU did an excellent job of hitting Wilson early and often.

What was up with the officiating?

So many obvious calls missed, tons of reviews. It made for an upset crowd. BYU’s offensive line had no answer for the Broncos, the refs could have called another dozen holding calls on the Cougars.

All of the injuries...

At one point in the game, the Broncos were without seven defensive starters and their most dynamic receiver. If Hightower and some of the defensive contributors can’t go against Fresno State on Friday, it is going to be a long night for the Broncos.

Vegas Line: Boise State -14. The Broncos won by five, but they should have been able to beat this spread.

Prediction: Boise State 28-BYU 10. I don’t feel too bad about this prediction, if the Broncos would have capitalized on turnovers and held on to the ball, they would’ve won comfortably.