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PROVO – BYU's 2018 football season, which began with promise, is back.
The Cougars have been outclassed 80-27 since their ranking in the Top 25 AP climbed to 20th place two weeks ago, including a 45-20 loss to the state of Utah on Friday night. .
BYU (3-3) has gone from 1-6 in its last seven games against the FBS. The Cougars have more than one home double in 2018, but FCS McNeese State has only won one victory.
Here are three thoughts on the worst defeat of the Cougars against the Aggies since their defeat 34-8 in 1968.
Win the battle of the business figure
BYU's first mistake led to the last one.
Tanner Mangum gave Tipa Galeai an interception in fourth and midfield, and the 6-foot-5, 230-pound junior entered the end zone to give the Aggies a 7-0 lead. they would never have given up.
Before the snowball was over, the state of Utah had a 21-7 lead at half-time – and three turnovers later, the Aggies won a coveted victory over BYU for the first time since 1974 .
"As a team, it's frustrating to watch," said linebacker Zayne Anderson, who scored eight tackles in his first game since Sept. 15 in Wisconsin. "But we must also have the state of mind where we have one.
"I have the impression that we have lost a bit of energy after that … and as a team, we have to keep that state of mind."
If the offense commits the change, BYU's defense may even save the point with separate delivery. That has not been the case since the Cougars imposed two interceptions in a 30-3 home win against FCS McNeese State.
The defense had enough problems to tackle Friday night, head coach Kalani Sitake said. And let's not forget that the best offensive boost of early Cougars was the Aggie penalties. The state of Utah received 12 penalties for 125 yards.
"We missed a lot of tackles," Sitake said. "It will not help you, when you miss attacks, in our defensive scheme. I think Utah State was successful in bringing his guys into space and we were not able to attack them consistently. This allowed them to continue driving.
What balance?
BYU had only 14 rushing yards in the first three quarters, when the Utah state held a 35-13 lead.
Mangum was not the problem for BYU's crime; He completed 27 passes on 46 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, although he committed two gifts by means of a 56-yard pick-six and a fumble to set up the last one. period.
"I think in every game you come up with a game plan. Some parts are heavy for the race, others for the passes, "said Matt Bushman, who caught four passes for 78 yards. "But when you get 21-0 in the first half you have to start throwing the ball. You must take shots, you must take a step back and not run the ball too much. That's what we had to do.
"We have to understand that. We can not keep shooting ourselves in the foot. "
The main signal call must get help from his ground game. The BYU average of four runners averages only 1.0 yards per litter in the first three quarters of the year, and the previously successful run-of-the-mills have been scoured twice for six yards by Aleva Hifo and Micah Simon.
Lopini time
BYU needs to find a running game, but the Cougars' best bet might be rookie Lshini Katoa.
The running back, formerly known as Zach, had a pedestrian night with only eight runs for 24 yards. Quarterback Zach Wilson officially led all running backs with 25 yards on two touchdowns, but he had it all on a 26-yard scrum in the fourth quarter when the match was out of reach.
Katoa carried the charge one night when Squally Canada was limited and left the game early after being injured in the ankle all season. Canada finished with a negative distance on three races.
"We really did not help either in the race. But the truth is they have stuffed us, "said Sitake. "I felt like in three games, we had the identity to run the ball, and we will evaluate everything and find out what we are."
Katoa will probably have trouble early in her career. But it is time for the Pumas to prepare him to be the main running back for 2018-2021 after the running back also had 21 yards and six touchdowns.
Could the move also lead to a shift? Sitake is not committed to having Mangum or Wilson go ahead.
"There are a lot of things we have to evaluate, and every position and every project will be broken down," he said.
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