BYU Football

Virginia led BYU in many different offensive categories, but the Cougars led in the one that mattered, beating the Cavaliers 41-33 on Saturday.

Virginia held the ball for 40 minutes, 55 seconds compared to 19:05 for BYU. The Cougars made the most of their time on the field though, with quarterback Taysom Hill totaling 269 total yards.

It was a solid effort from both teams, and Virginia quarterback Matt Johns did well in relief for the injured Greyson Lambert, throwing for 139 yards.

You can find the box score here, courtesy of NCAA.com.

Passing Offense

The numbers for BYU aren’t going to be eye-popping because the Cougars only held the ball for a little more than 19 minutes in the game. The passing offense played well though, with Hill making some big connections. He finished with 187 yards on 13 completions and also had two touchdowns with no interceptions.

Rushing Offense

The rushing game was also solid for the Cougars, with Hill and Jamaal Williams both going over 60 yards. Hill broke off some strong carries and finished with 72 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while Williams finished with 68 yards and one touchdown.

Pass Defense

The pass defense could have played better for the Cougars, but the interception from Robertson Daniel gave them momentum in the first half. They allowed Lambert to throw for 188 yards and Johns to throw for 139, but it wasn’t as bad as the numbers appear.

Lambert was able to find open holes in the secondary in the first half, but the Cougars made plays when they needed to. BYU will need to improve in the secondary, but overall, it was a good performance.

Run Defense

The rushing defense didn’t play bad in this one either. Lambert had 49 yards on the ground, but he got 37 of those on one play in the first half.

Khalek Shepherd performed well for Virginia with 73 yards on 14 carries, but the Cougars defense made plays when it mattered. The linebackers from BYU made some big stops against the run in this one.

Special Teams

This unit played very well for the Cougars. Punter Scott Arellano averaged 55 yards per punt and booted four punts inside the 20-yard line.

This allowed BYU to set up Virginia with some poor field position at times, and the kicking game was solid as well. Kicker Trevor Samson was 2-of-2 on his field goals.

Also, we can't forget the big play in the fourth quarter by Adam Hine on the kick return for a touchdown. That play shifted momentum and was probably one of the biggest moments of the game.

Coaching

Virginia outcoached BYU in the first half and found ways to contain Hill. The Cavaliers were able to sustain drives and got pressure on the quarterback.

In the second half, the Cougars had a much better game plan. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae found ways to get Hill going, and the defense was able to make stops when it needed to.

BYU jumped out to a huge lead in its home opener behind the arm and legs of quarterback Taysom Hill, but after looking stellar for nearly the entire first half more or less sleepwalked through what became a far-too-close 33-25 win over Houston on Thursday night.

Hill gained 360 yards of total offense and was responsible for a pair of touchdowns, as BYU led 23-0 but then saw turnovers help keep Houston in the game. The Cougars (3-0) ran 96 plays and gained 523 yards, but were never able to put their opponent away in a game that could have done a lot to impress the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Final stats from BYU's win can be found here.

Take a look at our grades and analysis of the Cougars' win below.

BYU Cougars Game Analysis

Pass Offense: Taysom Hill looked a little overexcited to throw in front of the home crowd, especially early, as he was high and long on a lot of his passes. He finished with 200 yards on 21-of-34 passing, with one touchdown and two interceptions, but both picks were freak plays. One was tipped at the line and caught by a defensive lineman, the other torn out of receiver Mitchell Juergens' arms by a Houston defender.

Run Offense: BYU ran for 323 yards on 62 carries, scoring three touchdowns on the ground. Hill ran for 260 yards and a TD on 26 carries, while Jamaal Williams ran for 139 yards and two scores on 28 carries. While the Cougars threw a lot early, once presented with a lead to protect they churned it out on the ground and were effective all night.

Pass Defense: Houston's John O'Korn had a lot of time to throw all night, and most of his receivers seemed to have a great cushion to catch the ball. If not for a number of drops by those wideouts, O'Korn would have thrown for more than the 307 yards and three touchdowns that he accumulated. BYU's secondary hit hard when receivers went over the middle, but Houston kept throwing.

Run Defense: With Houston down a lot early, it abandoned the run. But before that it wasn't getting anywhere because of BYU's front seven, which held Houston to 10 yards on 13 carries. That includes a safety by Zac Stout for the game's first points, tackling Ryan Jackson for a four-yard loss.

Special Teams: Houston was completely responsible for missing two extra points and muffing a field goal, but where BYU was most successful on special teams was preventing Houston returner Demarcus Ayers from ever getting loose on kickoffs. BYU's one gaffe, though, was an odd one: faking a punt near midfield early in the second half and not even coming close to converting on a run by punter Scott Arellano.

Coaching: BYU's staff called a good game on offense, though it might need to convince Hill to throw the ball away more often instead of taking hits on short runs. Defensively, early pressure and blitz packages helped establish the lead, but after that the play-calling seemed more of the prevent nature.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

For the past 90-plus years, BYU and Utah have built one of the most heated rivalries in college football. The "Holy War" has been an annual meeting between the two, and with the game taking a break until 2016, neither team has a true rivalry contest on its schedule.

Luckily for the Cougars, Texas took last year's 40-21 loss in Provo personally.

BYU ran all over the Longhorn defense last September, and although now-UT coach Charlie Strong was still at Louisville, he's seen the tape (over and over) and won't let it happen again.

“That’s all we hear about is BYU,” defensive end Cedric Reed said, via Jeff Call of the Deseret News. “We’ve got BYU marked on our calendars.”

In a way, this will be the Cougars' rivalry game for 2014. Of course, they have Utah State on the schedule, but the Aggies have always filled the "little brother" role for BYU. And, despite a big game in Boise coming up, the Broncos are on the decline, and it may not be much of a game.

It's usually great to have a big-named, power-five team preparing for you like you are its rival. You want teams to treat you like you have the upper hand.

But at the same time, coach Bronco Mendenhall has struggled with preparing his teams for heated rivalry games. Considering he has gone 0-4 in the last four years against Utah, and 6-3 all-time, it is no shock to see him try to downplay the significance of Saturday's game.

“That will be the story all week, of what happened last year,” Mendenhall said, via Call. “But, man, I don’t think from a coach’s perspective that will impact the outcome of the game at all. … Ultimately, we still have to get prepared to play a football game.”

So prepare you shall. Especially when Strong has "Believe You're Unbeatable" signs in the UT locker room and some Texas fans are rewriting the Bible:

In all seriousness, Strong and his team are preparing for this game like none other. They don't consider losing as an option. Unless Mendenhall does the same, it will be very, very hard to leave Austin with a win on Saturday night. 

"Now [the Longhorns] look at us and they know we're not the underdogs no more," Cougar running back Jamaal Williams said, via ABC 4 Sports. "They know they've got to play us like we're a big team and we are a big team so it's going to be a great game."

Is it too early to start the Taysom Hill Heisman Trophy campaign?

The BYU signal-caller was absolutely surgical in the 35-10 victory over the UConn Huskies on Friday night in East Hartford, Connecticut. Hill threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns. It was a career-high five touchdowns in one game for the Idaho native.

There were considerable questions heading into the game for Bronco Mendenhall's team. 

The suspensions of Jamaal Williams, Devon Blackmon, Jordan Johnson and Robertson Daniel did not make the long trip to Connecticut easy. Williams is the team's best running back, and the duo of Daniel and Johnson start as the corners in the Cougars' secondary.

However, the combination of Hill and Alge Brown led a dominating rush attack. BYU also relinquished only 282 yards through the air versus the quarterback tandem of Casey Cochran and Chandler Whitmer. 

BYU will look to use this game as a launching pad forward with the hopes of playing in a big bowl game. 

Final stats from the game can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com.

Check out our first-half and final game grades for the Cougars. Additional analysis for different position units will also be addressed. 

BYU Cougars Game Analysis

Pass Offense: Hill was clicking on all cylinders from the start of the contest. He went a sizzling 17-of-20 in the first half, making decisive throws and smart decisions. 

The talented signal-caller finished 28-of-36 for 308 yards and three touchdowns. Although he sputtered a bit in the third quarter, it was patently apparent Hill has improved in his mechanics throwing the football. He certainly looked more comfortable in the pocket as opposed to a year ago. If he continues on this trajectory, he'll be in the hunt for postseason honors. 

Run Offense: Unsurprisingly, a large chunk of the rush attack fell on the shoulders (and legs) of the aforementioned quarterback. He led the team with 97 yards on the ground. Alge Brown and Paul Lasike also contributed with a combined 76 yards on the ground. 

In the absence of Jamaal Williams, the group rushed for 197 yards on 35 carries. The 5.6 yards per carry average was buoyed by a strong effort of the offensive line. 

Pass Defense: Without its two starting corners, BYU did do an admirable job. It only allowed 282 yards through the air on the evening. 

There were a few busted coverages, but the unit didn't allow many big plays. If anything, Mendenhall has to be pleased with the possibility of building depth within the unit. This game will give experience to some of the younger members of the secondary. 

Run Defense: The BYU defensive front led by Bronson Kaufusi did a very nice job against the beleaguered UConn front. The Cougars held UConn to 72 yards on 32 carries. This equates out to a 2.3 yards per carry average. 

BYU did a fantastic job of plugging the holes up front. Gap integrity was sound, as was the tackling of the ball carriers across the board. 

Special Teams: The effort was decent for the most part. Mitchell Juergens looked explosive and dangerous as a returner. He gives BYU a nice element in that capacity. 

Kicker Trevor Samson missed a chip shot 33-yard field goal in the second half. Punter Scott Arellano looked good with his rugby style punting. He had a long of 51 yards. 

Coaching: Mendenhall called a very good first half. The offense looked dynamic, and the defense held UConn to seven points. In the third quarter, the staff got a bit too conservative with the play-calling. 

If one considers penalties a sign of coaching, Mendenhall's grade could be significantly lower. BYU was victimized by 15 penalties for an eye-popping 150 yards. There's simply no excuse for this lack of maturity and discipline. 

Mendenhall's team did win by 25 points. It'd be difficult to give him a grade worse than a "B."

BYU's home opener against UConn is right around the corner, and led by junior quarterback Taysom Hill, the Cougars could have a stellar season. It's not surprising that a QB is stealing the spotlight in Provo, as BYU has long been known for being a "quarterback factory" of sorts.

If it were possible to build the ultimate Cougar quarterback, using the four main physical groups needed to be a quarterback—eyes and mind, throwing arm, torso and body, legs—how would it turn out?

Eyes and Mind: Ty Detmer

There's no doubt that Ty Detmer had the mind of a quarterback. His ability to pick apart defenses and make quick decisions is unparalleled by any other Cougar. As an undersized, six-foot-nothing player, his size was always a disadvantage. He made up for it through his IQ for the game.

“[Detmer] was the smartest player I ever played with and his knowledge was only rivaled by possibly Norm Chow," said former BYU receiver Eric Drage (via the Deseret News). "He was by far the best leader I've ever been around."

Arm: Jim McMahon

Jim McMahon has long been known at BYU for his fiery personality and leadership ability, but he should always be remembered for his throwing arm. If you've forgotten how dominant Jim McMahon was during his BYU tenure, take a minute to watch the video above. 

Jimmy Mac had a gun attached to his shoulder, which helped him shatter 38 NCAA passing records. There are more than a few great pocket-passers that have played as a Cougar, but I would choose none before McMahon.

Body: John Walsh

After having a brief, mediocre NFL career instead of staying at BYU for his senior season, many Cougar fans aren't fond of John Walsh. He was a basic pocket-passer, similar to many others that played under LaVell Edwards.

But he had the frame of a quarterback, which separates him from the others. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he had the size to break tackles, but the strength to make good—and accurate—throws.

Legs: Steve Young

As an NFL legend and Hall of Famer, Steve Young is one popular guy in the football world. But, despite being a quarterback, his arm isn't what people remember him for.

Young had the mobility of a tailback during his career. He had the agility and speed of a young rookie, but a veteran's knowledge of when or when not to run. There's no doubt that Young is BYU's top mobile quarterback of all time, and if Taysom Hill can get close, it will be quite the achievement.