East Carolina Pirates Aapri Washington (22) interferes BYU large receiver Keanu Hill (1) throughout an NCAA faculty soccer sport Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Provo, Utah. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
It was proper there for the taking for the beleaguered Cougars and what was purported to be the power of the group, fifth-year junior quarterback Jaren Corridor and the star-studded offense.
Taking up at their 9-yard line with just below 4 minutes remaining and the sport with the upstart ECU Pirates tied, BYU had an opportunity to exorcise its October demons and hold its fading bowl hopes alive.
Then got here one other nightmare in a month that has been filled with them.
“It simply got here right down to who had the ball on the finish and who had an opportunity to kick the sphere purpose to win.” — BYU soccer coach Kalani Sitake.
The Cougars posted a three-and-out once they completely, positively wanted a drive in maybe a very powerful possession of the disappointing season, and gave ECU and skilled quarterback Holton Ahlers the ball again on the ECU 32.
Ryan Rehkow’s punt got here after a 5-yard penalty for having too many gamers on the sphere when BYU might in poor health afford the generosity.
Ten performs later, after the Cougars had been rightfully flagged for defensive cross interference to maintain ECU’s drive alive, freshman kicker Andrew Conrad booted a 33-yard discipline purpose as time expired to provide the guests a 27-24 win in entrance of 55,525 less-than-thrilled followers at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“Robust sport, backwards and forwards, and so they earned the win,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake stated. “They performed an incredible sport. I used to be actually happy with our guys.
“In comparison with final week, I believed we performed so much higher, however I feel all the pieces is taking a look at the results of the sport, greater than something.”
And now the Cougars are taking a look at their first non-bowl season since that 4-9 catastrophe in 2017, Sitake’s second 12 months. They should win at the least two of their remaining three video games (Boise State, Utah Tech, Stanford), and the Boise State and Stanford video games are on the highway in opposition to groups at present enjoying effectively.
BYU (4-5) is clearly not enjoying effectively, though Friday’s three-point loss to a now 6-3 Pirates group nonetheless apparently indignant about not getting a Huge 12 invitation like BYU and final week’s sufferer, UCF, didn't appear as disastrous as final week’s loss at Liberty.
“It simply got here right down to who had the ball on the finish and who had an opportunity to kick the sphere purpose to win,” Sitake stated.
The profitable kick, a line drive from the center of the sphere, got here after Conrad had missed a 42-yarder with about 10 minutes remaining.
After that miss, the Cougars had seemingly moved the ball deep into ECU territory on a prolonged Corridor run on third and three.
Nevertheless, proper sort out Kingsley Suamataia was flagged for holding effectively behind the play — the flag got here from the linesman for the American Athletic Convention (AAC) crew on the ECU sidelines — and all however thwarted the Cougars’ momentum.
Brayden Cosper’s 12-yard catch on third and 13 bought BYU to the 44, however Corridor was stuffed on fourth and 1. The Cougars had been 0 for two on fourth down and are actually 5 for 20 on fourth down this season.
“It looks as if third and quick and fourth and quick is our nemesis proper now,” Sitake acknowledged. “And if that's the case, and taking a look at analytics and all that stuff, if we're not capable of convert these, we simply can’t hold going for it on fourth down on a regular basis. And that's my job as a head coach. I make these selections.”
That wasn’t the worst misfire on fourth down, nevertheless.
Originally of the fourth quarter, BYU had pushed to the ECU 12, then went for it on fourth and a couple of as an alternative of take the simple discipline purpose and the possible 27-24 lead.
Backup operating again Miles Davis was stuffed for no acquire.
“Yeah, now in hindsight, trying again at it, after all (a discipline purpose might need been the precise determination),” Sitake stated. “…That's my fault. I simply felt like we might get that. I felt like there was some good momentum. … Yeah, that's one thing that I might have performed otherwise and higher as a head coach in that call.”
Requested if he was dissatisfied to not get the ball there, or in that state of affairs late within the sport, BYU’s greatest participant, receiver Puka Nacua, dismissed the query by saying typically it's his job to attract defenders to him so different guys could make performs.
On the ill-fated possession that began on the ECU 9, operating again Lopini Katoa — who had a season-high 116 yards on 20 carries in reduction of Chris Brooks (hamstring) — stated he seemed across the huddle and sensed that one thing large was going to occur with the season just about hanging within the steadiness.
“I felt that everyone wished to make the play and get it performed,” Katoa stated. “It simply didn’t occur tonight.”
Credit score the BYU protection, which carried out higher than it did final week in that 41-14 loss to Liberty, for giving the Cougar offense one other probability after the holding penalty.
ECU drove from the BYU 44 to the 9, however the Cougars stuffed back-to-back operating performs inside their 10 to provide the ball again to Corridor and firm.
Nevertheless, Corridor’s third and two cross to tight finish Masen Wake was off beam and dropped, and the Cougars needed to punt with just below three minutes left.
It appeared that the protection was going to give you one other large cease and drive additional time, however Kaleb Hayes grabbed Isaiah Winstead on fourth and eight when he had assist from security Talan Alfrey, and the flags flew.
After a number of quick runs, Conrad made the game-winner and ECU gamers ran everywhere in the discipline in celebration as the gang booed.
“Clearly it's supposed to harm, and the struggles and adversities are a tricky factor,” Sitake stated. “However, happy with our gamers and the way onerous they performed. Sadly we weren’t capable of get the win, however love these guys, and love their perspective and I believed they performed actually onerous.”
5 penalties for 50 yards harm, as didn't having key defenders similar to linebacker Payton Wilgar, Max Tooley, Lorenzo Fauatea and Malik Moore, the latter of whom is out for the season with a wrist damage.
“No one goes to really feel sorry for us and our injured gamers,” Sitake stated. “… East Carolina is a very good group. … They had been up for the problem.”
And BYU wasn’t, which has been one of many tales of the season. The Cougars have misplaced that “it issue” that carried them to the win over Baylor, which looks as if oh, so way back.
“This (shedding streak) has introduced us nearer as a group,” stated defensive finish Tyler Batty. “… There may be not a single quitter on this group.”
After a 17-17 halftime tie, the Cougars took a 24-17 lead with an 11-play, 75-yard landing drive to open the second half; BYU gained the coin toss for simply the second time this season and deferred to the second half.
Nevertheless, ECU rapidly answered with a six-play, 75-yard drive to knot the rating at 24-24.
The Cougars, three-point favorites, stayed within the sport by unleashing a operating assault not seen since early September, although starter and main ball-carrier Brooks was out.
The Cougars rushed for 244 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and held the ball for practically 34 minutes, but it surely wasn’t sufficient. BYU completed with 388 yards, whereas ECU had 424.
The Pirates’ Keaton Mitchell carried the ball 21 instances for 176 yards and a landing, and Ahlers was 15 of twenty-two for 197 yards and a passer ranking of 143.4.
BYU’s Corridor was simply OK, finishing 18 of 25 passes for 144 yards and two scores. He did probably the most injury together with his toes, operating for 60 yards on eight carries. However it was the one referred to as again by the maintain that BYU followers will bear in mind probably the most.
Of the P.I. name on Hayes that led to the game-winning discipline purpose, Sitake stated he didn’t see it on replay and couldn’t remark, however famous that a number of performs earlier than that an ECU receiver “disrupted our nook” making an attempt to make a choose — it was Hayes — and nothing was referred to as.
BYU’s protection, which gave up 644 yards to Arkansas and 547 to Liberty, nonetheless struggles to get exterior comprise and put strain on opposing passers, however tackled considerably higher and stored the Cougars within the sport with Sitake having taken over play-calling duties from Ilaisa Tuiaki two weeks in the past.
“I feel total, we improved from final week, particularly,” Batty stated.
After getting thrashed within the closing three quarters final week at Liberty, BYU’s protection really got here up with a three-and-out on ECU’s first possession, because of a low snap on first down that resulted in a 10-yard loss.
The Cougars drove contained in the ECU on their first possession, however the drive stalled and Jake Oldroyd was referred to as on to try his first discipline purpose since September. He made the 36-yarder, BYU’s first discipline purpose for the reason that Utah State sport, and the Cougars had an early 3-0 lead.
BYU’s Chaz Ah You, who made his first begin of the 2022 season, suffered a decrease leg damage on the Pirates’ second possession and didn't return. Six performs later, Mitchell ran untouched up the center to provide ECU a 7-3 lead.
East Carolina shot itself within the foot thrice within the first quarter, and all three proved pricey. A roughing the passer penalty on a third-and-long gave the Cougars life and arrange the Oldroyd discipline purpose.
They dropped a straightforward cross on third and two at midfield after which punted the ball away on their third possession. Then they jumped offsides on a third-and-three to provide BYU a primary down after Corridor was strip-sacked and ECU recovered.
The Cougars scored a landing on that possession, with Katoa twice posting 24-yard runs, the second for the rating with 12:56 left within the second quarter to provide BYU a 10-7 lead.
Backup defensive again Carter Krupp saved BYU a landing on ECU’s subsequent possession, chasing down Jsi Hatfield after a 51-yard reception through which a number of of Krupp’s teammates missed tackles on the speedy receiver. Krupp suffered a decrease physique damage with 11:14 left within the sport and didn't return.
Conrad’s 23-yard discipline purpose knotted it at 10 after BYU’s protection stiffened inside its 5.
Nacua one way or the other bought large open ultimately zone and made a sliding catch for a 30-yard rating to provide the Cougars a 17-10 lead with six minutes left within the first half.
Mitchell’s 35-yard run moved the Pirates rapidly down the sphere, nevertheless, and Ahlers’ 1-yard run with 2:42 left within the half tied it at 17-all.
The Cougars took over at their 18, however went conservative and didn’t choose up a primary down, maybe a pricey determination in a sport the place each possession meant so much. Rehkow’s 70-yard punt pinned ECU on the 2 and the Pirates ran out the clock.
East Carolina had 235 yards within the first half, to 208 for BYU. The Cougars had simply 63 passing yards within the first half, however Corridor picked up 43 yards on three carries to punish the Pirates for some fixed blitzing.