KJ Jefferson Jr. (1), the quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks, throws the ball whereas enjoying the BYU Cougars in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
Puka Nacua had simply scored his third landing to chop Arkansas’ result in 38-35, and BYU had the Razorbacks in a third-and-10 state of affairs after quarterback KJ Jefferson threw two incomplete passes.
The sellout crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium, which included about 1,000 Arkansas followers, was at full throat, a lot in order that Arkansas coach Sam Pittman wanted a timeout to beat the play clock and quiet the group.
What occurred subsequent is emblematic of how the day turned out for the Cougars, who as much as that time had matched the SEC workforce yard-for-yard — Arkansas with 418 and BYU with 416.
“They put up 52 factors. That’s simply not ok protection. So Monday we can be trying on the movie. It will be a troublesome few days with some trustworthy conversations with ourselves and the coaches and everyone. We gotta step up. We didn’t do the job immediately.” — BYU linebacker Ben Bywater
Jefferson discovered Ketron Jackson deep over the center for a 30-yard acquire. After the Hogs went again 10 yards attributable to a holding penalty, they transformed on a third-and-8 with an 8-yard move to Matt Landers to maintain the drive alive. Six performs later, Landers caught his third TD of the day on third-and-goal from the 5.
On the BYU sidelines, head coach Kalani Sitake hung his head in disgust.
“Even in (that) second within the second half, when the group as into it, making loads of noise, they needed to take a timeout, it was third and lengthy, however we simply didn’t get off the sphere,” Sitake mentioned.
After a three-and-out by BYU wherein Isaac Rex caught a 3-yard dump-off move from Jaren Corridor on third-and-12, Arkansas wanted simply two performs to go 68 yards and put the sport on ice.
In a 10-minute information convention after the sport, Sitake mentioned the dearth of defensive execution on third down — Arkansas completed 12 of 15 — principally falls on the coaches, “however there may be some accountability on the gamers, too.”
As was reported by the Deseret Information Saturday, Sitake mentioned he isn't ruling any “choices” for the protection transferring ahead, together with the opportunity of him taking on the defensive play-calling. He’s accomplished that earlier than in his seven-year tenure because the Cougars’ head coach, he mentioned, in a considerably shocking revelation.
Clearly, defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki, who got here with Sitake from Oregon State’s workers, is going through the warmth because the Cougars flip their consideration to Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. MDT recreation towards 6-1 Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia.
As he has mentioned many occasions the previous seven years and particularly this season, Sitake mentioned the problems are fixable. However are they?
What if the gamers simply aren’t ok? Star linebacker Payton Wilgar missed the second half with a decrease leg harm, some backup defensive linemen didn’t play attributable to harm, and senior free security Malik Moore was held out with a fractured hand.
However the Cougars had been as near full energy on protection as they've been shortly, they usually not solely missed tackles, they regarded a step sluggish and took unhealthy angles at different occasions. It appeared to this observer that Arkansas merely had higher, greater and sooner gamers.
“They put up 52 factors. That’s simply not ok protection,” mentioned BYU linebacker Ben Bywater. “So Monday we can be trying on the movie. It will be a troublesome few days with some trustworthy conversations with ourselves and the coaches and everyone. We gotta step up. We didn’t do the job immediately.”
High quality groups with four- and five-star athletes, Notre Dame and Arkansas, are 23 of 31 on third down the previous two weeks towards the Cougars. That’s gotta be a document.
“There have been occasions once we had been enjoying fairly good protection. We simply bought to get off the sphere. I imply, all of us noticed it,” Bywater mentioned. “Proper earlier than the half, we had an opportunity to sack (Jefferson), they usually turned it right into a (36-yard) play. So, for us, the schemes (are OK), say something you need, however on the finish of the day we gotta get off blocks, we gotta make tackles. I put the blame on myself, and the gamers. We gotta be higher.”
Bywater, who was the one defensive participant chosen to talk to the media after the sport, mentioned “everybody was trying inward” at themselves within the postgame locker room.
“I do know everyone on our (protection) left some performs out on the sphere, loads of alternatives that had been missed,” he mentioned. “Fortuitously, soccer is week to week, and we get to exit once more subsequent week at Liberty and show ourselves.”
Sitake mentioned the gamers gave “nice effort,” but in addition famous they need to “execute higher with (their) assignments and the basics of the sport.”
Can that be taught, or is it a matter of expertise and bodily attributes? A case could possibly be made that in BYU’s three losses to Energy 5 foes, it has been overmatched on protection within the personnel division.
“I'm the pinnacle coach. I gotta determine this out,” Sitake mentioned. “When you could have among the stuff that we now have, I be ok with what we are able to get accomplished in between now and subsequent week. I'm going to return and assess and assessment after which make choices as the pinnacle coach.”
What sort of choices? He didn’t elaborate. Whereas the offense might say that they'd begin hitting on all cylinders as soon as they bought again the injured receivers or a more healthy Jaren Corridor, there is no such thing as a secret weapon in hiding for the protection.
Neither Kyle Van Noy, nor Fred Warner, nor Sione Takitaki is strolling by means of that door. Linebacker Max Tooley is a candidate, certain, however there is no such thing as a surefire playmaker in sight, no sure NFL-bound participant on this protection.
That’s a mirrored image of subpar recruiting, as a lot as anything. The Cougars appear particularly missing on the defensive position.
“We didn’t do it immediately. There are lot of query marks on the defensive aspect of the ball. I made loads of errors myself, so I'm excited for one more week, for us to get all the way down to enterprise and make extra alternatives occur subsequent week,” Bywater mentioned.
Whether or not it will likely be with completely different gamers, or a unique defensive play-caller, stays to be seen.
Cougars on the air
BYU (4-3) at Liberty (6-1)
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT
Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, Virginia
TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU
Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM