BYU Cougars quarterback Jaren Corridor (3) passes in the course of the recreation towards the Utah Tech Trailblazers at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
BYU large receiver Puka Nacua runs with the ball after a reception towards Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. BYU received 31-28. Nacua authored the Cougars’ play of the yr towards the Broncos. Steve Conner, Related Press
BYU quarterback Jacob Conover takes a snap throughout apply within the Indoor Follow Facility at BYU in Provo on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. With Jaren Corridor nearly assuredly transferring on, Conover is in place to be the Cougars’ beginning QB in 2023. Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates with followers following their victory towards Wyoming Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Provo, Utah. The subsequent time Sitake is greeting followers postgame in Provo the Cougars will likely be within the Large 12. Rick Bowmer, Related Press
This isn’t precisely a information flash to those that have adopted BYU soccer in 2022, however the Cougars’ common season might be compartmentalized into three distinct components, with the ultimate chapter — a yet-to-be-announced bowl recreation — not but written.
“Wanting on the yr as an entire now, 7-5 (file), there are quite a lot of guys that predicted that may occur. And now they're all stunned by it?” — BYU soccer coach Kalani Sitake
There was that promising 4-1 begin with the rousing extra time victory over Baylor, the 0-for-October (4 losses) that completely ruined any hope that the Cougars would roar into the Large 12 subsequent yr with the momentum they might want to compete within the Energy 5 convention, and the encouraging end marked by street wins at Boise State and Stanford when the offense bought again on monitor and an injury-riddled protection lastly — lastly — discovered how one can get some stops and get off the sector.
With the acknowledgement that BYU’s bowl recreation efficiency will issue into the equation when all is claimed and accomplished, how does one describe BYU’s final (common) season of independence?
Was it disappointing, based mostly on all these unfulfilled expectations heightened by 18 returning starters and the return of a top-notch, skilled quarterback?
Was it simply mediocre, with vibes from these 2018 and 2019 seasons when the Cougars barely completed above .500 earlier than Zach Wilson and firm produced a season for the ages?
Or might it's described as acceptable with an asterisk, due to how the crew refused to fold after that terrible October included losses to not solely Notre Dame and Arkansas, however squads the Cougars shouldn't have any enterprise shedding to, Liberty and East Carolina?
For his half, fifth-year junior quarterback Jaren Corridor stated after the 31-28 win over Boise State that got here out of the blue on the Blue that the Cougars “haven’t exceeded expectations” and had been trying to the Stanford recreation and the bowl recreation to change perceptions of how 2022 will likely be remembered.
“You need each alternative you possibly can to kinda make up for that,” stated Corridor, who, together with receiver Puka Nacua, just about rescued a season that was headed towards catastrophe when the calendar turned to November.
Then there may be head coach Kalani Sitake’s tackle the common season, delivered to reporters considerably unsolicited after BYU ran throughout Stanford and beat the now-coachless Cardinal 35-26 when he was requested if the Cougars had been lastly enjoying their greatest soccer.
“Wanting on the yr as an entire now, 7-5 (file), there are quite a lot of guys that predicted that may occur,” Sitake stated. “And now they're all stunned by it?”
Sitake continued: “What I've seen is from the start to finish is there was quite a lot of progress in our program. … We're higher and we're going to this bowl recreation to get our crew prepared for springboarding into 2023.”
Common-season redux: the highs and the lows
Not surprisingly, gamers and coaches typically described the 2022 common season as a roller-coaster trip. Among the many highs had been the wins over Baylor, Stanford and Boise State, a win that improved the Cougars’ file towards Mountain West groups to 3-0.
Corridor, who suffered an ankle harm within the Stanford recreation however stated he will likely be able to play within the bowl recreation, believes the turnaround in November confirmed the crew’s true colours.
“I simply suppose we're a bunch of powerful dudes that may get by arduous issues in life and it simply so occurred that the 2022 soccer season for BYU was a tricky factor for all of us,” he stated. “… Clearly we got here up brief in so some ways. However I feel that’s what makes these wins in these final three weeks really feel so good, is with the ability to battle again and make one thing optimistic out of it.”
In fact, the lowest level was the 41-14 loss to Liberty, adopted by a 27-24 dwelling setback to East Carolina that put the Cougars’ bowl hopes in severe jeopardy. Liberty completed the common season 8-4 and with a house loss to New Mexico State. After upsetting BYU, East Carolina misplaced 27-25 at Cincinnati and 42-3 at dwelling to Houston earlier than edging Temple 49-46 final Saturday to complete 7-5.
One other low level: Virtually any time the Cougars tried a fourth-down conversion. They had been a woeful 6 of 23 (.261) on fourth-down conversion tries, a hundred and thirtieth out of 131 groups within the nation in that class.
Greatest gamers ship one of the best moments
Corridor, who has thrown for 3,171 yards and 31 touchdowns with simply six interceptions, is the straw that stirred the drink in 2022 and simply the crew’s most respected participant. When he was wholesome, he was excellent and the Cougars rolled, with the exception of the Oregon recreation. When he wasn’t — in nearly all of October with a sore shoulder suffered towards Utah State — the Cougars struggled to maintain up as a result of their protection was unacceptably dangerous.
BYU large receiver Puka Nacua runs with the ball after a reception towards Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. BYU received 31-28. Nacua authored the Cougars’ play of the yr towards the Broncos.
Steve Conner, Related Press
Receiver Puka Nacua is the runner-up crew MVP, however can declare to having made the largest play of the yr, the tipping, diving, toe-dragging landing catch that beat Boise State. Nacua missed three video games, however nonetheless completed the common season because the Cougars’ main pass-catcher, with 48 grabs for 625 yards and 5 TDs. He was additionally the fifth-leading rusher, with 25 carries for 209 yards and 5 TDs.
An offensive line led by possible NFL draft decide Blake Freeland at left sort out faltered in among the greater video games — Oregon and Notre Dame — and has to share among the blame for the short-yardage struggles on third and fourth down, however was in any other case stable and enabled Corridor, Nacua and firm to do their factor.
“I'd say (the common season’s spotlight) was simply ending out the season proper,” Freeland stated. “We had been on that shedding streak and profitable three video games in a row now could be massive for us. We tried to take these final three weeks as a one-week season, and simply profitable recreation by recreation.”
Tight finish Isaac Rex caught two TD passes towards Stanford to offer him 21 profession landing catches. He’s now tied with Dennis Pitta and Mike Chronister for No. 9 on BYU’s profession receiving TDs record and is tied with Pitta for second for TD catches by a BYU tight finish, trailing solely Gordon Hudson.
“We've been actually motivated since that powerful October and it has been cool to see the crew simply rally round one another and have quite a lot of enjoyable,” Rex stated.
A fast look forward
Receiver Chase Roberts, the offensive star of the 26-20 double-overtime win over Baylor — which completed 6-6 — with eight catches for 122 yards and a landing, referred to as it a “tough season,” however one crammed with “studying and rising” for the comparatively few contributors who will likely be again subsequent yr.
“I'm simply going to be me, and go carry out, and be that chief, that instance to everybody, in order that going into subsequent yr we have now individuals which are able to go,” stated Roberts, who had 21 catches for 351 yards and teamed with fellow receiver Kody Epps (39 catches, 459 yards earlier than season-ending shoulder harm) to offer Cougar followers hope that the receiving corps will likely be a crew energy once more subsequent yr.
BYU quarterback Jacob Conover takes a snap throughout apply within the Indoor Follow Facility at BYU in Provo on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. With Jaren Corridor nearly assuredly transferring on, Conover is in place to be the Cougars’ beginning QB in 2023.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
“We're going to the Large 12, and we'd like individuals to face up and be a pacesetter, be somebody who individuals can depend on. That’s my purpose.”
Different prime pass-catchers anticipated to return are Keanu Hill (36 catches, 572 yards, seven TDs) and Rex (21 catches, 293 yards, six TDs).
Miles Davis (5.6 yards per carry) emerged because the possible No. 1 operating again for 2023 earlier than accidents derailed a quick begin, whereas Hinckley Ropati got here on late. The Cougars will do effectively to get one other RB out of the switch portal like Chris Brooks, who shined early after which late after a hamstring harm brought about the Cal switch to overlook a lot of the Liberty recreation and the entire East Carolina and Boise State video games.
Any advance projections concerning returning gamers is hard these days of the switch portal, however defensive security Micah Harper emerged to develop into the third-leading tackler (58 takedowns) behind Ben Bywater (87 tackles) and Keenan Pili (62 tackles) and might be the kind of playmaker the Cougars lacked in 2022.
Harper, Bywater, Vanderbilt switch Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Utah State switch Jakob Robinson and defensive finish Tyler Batty are among the many few defensive contributors anticipated to return.
Pili, who carried an enormous load when fellow LB starters Payton Wilgar and Max Tooley sustained season-ending accidents, has a yr of eligibility remaining however was undecided earlier than the Stanford recreation whether or not he will likely be again or not.
“I'm working in the direction of my resolution,” he informed the Deseret Information. “I'm fairly set on what I'm going to do, however I feel that will probably be a distraction for now and don’t wish to speak about it till after the bowl recreation.”
Bowl recreation prospects
When the Cougars misplaced 28-20 to Notre Dame in Las Vegas to fall to 4-2, their hopes of creating it to a New Yr’s Six bowl had been utterly dashed. Would the Cougars have been capable of win that recreation with a wholesome Jaren Corridor? Ought to coaches have trusted backup Jacob Conover?
That’s a debate that may rage on for awhile.
BYU enters the 2022 postseason as a bowl free agent, with no tie-ins. Nonetheless, by its cope with ESPN, BYU will get slotted into one of many 16 bowls owned by ESPN Occasions. A few of these openings have already been stuffed.
Roderick stated on Monday throughout his “Coordinators’ Nook” program that he's listening to that BYU’s probably bowl date is Dec. 17. The ESPN-owned bowls on that date are the New Mexico Bowl, the Frisco (Texas) Bowl, the LendingTree Bowl in Cellular, Alabama, and the Fenway Bowl in Boston.
After the Cougars beat Stanford for the primary time in program historical past, Sitake stated that “discovering out the (bowl) vacation spot is just not actually that vital, and even the opponent, proper now. It's simply extending the bowl prep and getting these additional practices. That's going to be the important thing for our program and our growth, particularly for these youthful guys.”
Clearly, the earlier the bowl recreation for BYU, the much less practices the Cougars can get in. Opposite to well-liked perception, there’s no restrict to the variety of bowl practices groups can have. Nonetheless, NCAA guidelines that stipulate groups can solely apply or maintain athletic actions for as much as 4 hours per day or 20 hours per week are nonetheless in play.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates with followers following their victory towards Wyoming Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Provo, Utah. The subsequent time Sitake is greeting followers postgame in Provo the Cougars will likely be within the Large 12.
Rick Bowmer, Related Press