Brigham Younger Cougars quarterback Jaren Corridor (3) comes off the sector after the Cougars’ loss to the Notre Dame Preventing Irish at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
A sluggish begin, an uninspiring first half and a few miscues, psychological breakdowns and iffy teaching selections couldn’t preserve the No. 16 BYU Cougars from delivering wins over Wyoming and Utah State the previous two weeks.
That form of play and training doesn’t beat the mighty Notre Dame Preventing Irish, nevertheless. Particularly not on a heat Saturday night time in Las Vegas, when a number of bounces went their manner and the Cougars reverted again to the habits that price them towards Oregon three weeks in the past.
After sleepwalking by means of the primary half and falling behind by 12 factors Saturday, BYU put collectively a strong second half in entrance of 62,742 followers at Allegiant Stadium and a nationwide tv viewers (NBC), however that wasn’t sufficient towards a high quality opponent.
“We even took a timeout so we had time to consider it. Disheartening that we weren’t capable of get that. And credit score to Notre Dame for making the play. However that was irritating, not getting that play performed.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake on the fourth-and-1 play within the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame rolled up practically 500 yards of offense and dropped the Cougars to 4-2 with a 28-20 victory in its annual Shamrock Sequence recreation.
Notre Dame has now defeated BYU 4 straight occasions and leads the sequence, 7-2.
“Pleased with the best way the fellows performed, however we've got to get higher and prepare for the following one,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake stated. “Credit score to Notre Dame. They performed a terrific recreation.
“Such a cool expertise tonight; the power within the stadium from either side (was nice). Numerous noise. The surroundings was particular. We occurred to be on the unsuitable aspect of it.”
This time, it was the Cougars begging for forgiveness from their followers — 1000's of whom paid exorbitant ticket costs to mingle with the Irish devoted — for a sequence of errors that saved them from pulling off a light upset as four-point underdogs.
“I feel (the loss) was on account of us beginning off sluggish,” stated BYU linebacker Max Tooley. “I don’t have all of the solutions, however I simply know it's got to vary.
“We have to come out within the first half and make an announcement early, kill them early, and we simply haven’t been ready to do this.”
Nonetheless, after trailing 18-6 at halftime and looking out inept on either side of the ball, the Cougars by some means discovered one thing within the second half and made a recreation of it.
“Simply grateful to all of the followers who made the journey and introduced a number of power,” Sitake stated. “I apologize it didn’t go the best way we wished it to, however we recognize and love them.”
The sport got here right down to a 4th and 1 play from the Notre Dame 27-yard line for the Cougars, who have been trailing 28-20 however seemingly had all of the momentum.
However slightly than give bruising tailback Chris Brooks (14 carries, 90 yards) the ball or put it within the fingers of greatest participant Jaren Corridor, BYU gave it to scat again Lopini Katoa, and he was stuffed on the line of scrimmage with 3:37 seconds remaining.
Ball recreation.
Effectively, virtually.
The Cougars had an opportunity to cease the Irish and provides the ball again to their offense — which had simply 67 yards within the first half however completed with 280 — however rolled snake eyes after they completely, positively wanted a cease.
Logan Diggs’ 33-yard run on 2nd and 17 just about iced it for the Irish.
“Within the second half, we got here again and made it a battle, however when it comes right down to it we simply didn’t do sufficient, and we gotta study and be higher subsequent week,” Tooley stated
Requested what the “thought course of” was on the 4th and 1 name, Sitake snapped that it was “to get the primary down.”
Then he acknowledged that “coaches must critique themselves” and determine what one of the best play could be in case the scenario arises once more.
“We even took a timeout so we had time to consider it,” Sitake stated. “Disheartening that we weren’t capable of get that, and credit score to Notre Dame for making the play.
“However that was irritating, not getting that play performed.”
Corridor stated the Cougars caught to the identical play they'd known as earlier than they took the timeout. To be truthful, Katoa had made a play earlier within the recreation, choosing up a third and 18 scenario with a 20-yard scamper, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t succesful.
It's simply that Brooks was operating as laborious and nicely as he has all season — and Kody Epps was having a profession recreation.
So the Irish completed the one-score recreation in victory formation, having proved the pregame phrases of operating again Audric Estime to be correct: Backside line was Notre Dame’s gamers have been a bit higher than BYU’s — particularly because it appeared that Corridor was not his regular self.
Corridor opened the sport by vastly under-throwing Gunner Romney, a wobbler that the Irish intercepted and finally changed into a area objective. Corridor completed 9 of 17 for 120 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer ranking of 139.3.
However though Corridor insisted he was OK — “opposite to standard perception” — all through the sport, after admitting to be feeling the consequences of a shoulder harm suffered within the 38-26 win over Utah State earlier within the week, he didn’t play like he has the primary 5 video games.
Nonetheless, the Cougars had an opportunity, even after Notre Dame drove 75 yards to open the second half and scored on a Michael Mayer — do not forget that title, he will probably be taking part in within the NFL subsequent yr — landing reception to go forward 25-6.
BYU appeared cooked.
However Corridor discovered his passing contact, delivering a 53-yard landing cross to Epps, and the slumbering offense lastly bought going. The Cougars’ protection, pushed round many of the night time and laughably unable to cease Mayer, bought a three-and-out and Katoa’s drive-saving run spurred BYU on.
Brooks’ 28-yard landing run lower the deficit to 25-20, and the Cougars started lamenting a first-half missed PAT and a security.
“We are able to’t be too cussed. We bought to study from this and be higher. I challenged the gamers to study from this,” Sitake stated.
“We're going to undergo some adversity clearly as a result of we aren't taking part in the kind of soccer that we would like. … If we do this, then I actually like our possibilities.”
The concept it was going to be an extended afternoon/night time manifested itself on the primary play, as TaRiq Bracy bought a straightforward interception. That was BYU’s first turnover for the reason that opener at South Florida, when Corridor was picked off in the long run zone.
Credit score BYU’s protection for holding the Irish to a area objective, however the tone had been set — and Corridor’s arm appeared as if weeklong fears that he wasn’t 100% have been correct.
After an alternate of punts, BYU bought a 42-yard punt return by Hobbs Nyberg, simply the Cougars’ greatest play of the primary half. Arrange on the Irish 26, BYU survived a Hinckley Ropati fumble on his first-ever carry as a Cougar, and marched in for a landing.
Sitake gambled on 4th and objective from the two, and Corridor discovered Epps for the rating on a well-designed play that had Epps large open after he feigned a block.
Justen Smith, filling in for the struggling Jake Oldroyd, missed the PAT — which got here after a delay of recreation penalty on the Cougars.
That was the one penalty dedicated by both staff within the first half, but it surely loomed massive. Two different occasions within the first half the Cougars needed to take a timeout as a result of they didn’t have the correct variety of gamers on the sector.
“Yeah, that's all teaching. That's on me and our teaching workers. So the truth that we didn’t have it organized and we had issues (isn’t good),” Sitake stated.
“It's Sport 6, and we're struggling to place 11 guys on the market within the recreation. A pair occasions we had 10. We gotta determine it out, and that's all on coaches.”
Mayer grew to become Notre Dame’s all-time receptions chief for a decent finish along with his first landing catch. He completed with 11 catches for 118 yards.
Notre Dame drove to the BYU 4 on its subsequent possession, solely to have Keenan Pili cease Estime on a fourth-and-1 try.
The Cougars took over with a little bit of momentum, but it surely was short-lived. Corridor was sacked for a security by Jack Kiser, partly as a result of he couldn’t discover an open receiver downfield.
The Irish promptly drove 79 yards for one more TD, nevertheless, with Jayden Thomas ripping the ball away from BYU’s Jakob Robinson for the rating from 30 yards out. The 2-point conversion try failed and Notre Dame took an 18-6 lead into halftime, which appeared insurmountable with the best way BYU’s offense was taking part in.
Notre Dame racked up 259 yards and was 6 of 9 on third down within the first half, whereas the Cougars have been 0 of 4 on third down and had simply 67 yards. Corridor was 3 of 8 for 11 yards and the TD, for a passer ranking of 65.3.
Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne was 13 of 17 for 163 yards and two TDs within the first half, with a passer ranking of 195.8. He completed with 262 yards and three TDs, and a passer ranking of 185.4.