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HONOLULU -- The final regular season game for the BYU Cougars was a memorable. Quarterback Riley Nelson had a career day, the defense shut down a high-powered offense and the team won for the first time ever on the islands.
Here's a look at how the team did position by position:
Quarterbacks: A
Riley Nelson had maybe his best game as a Cougar in terms of stats and didn't do as much scrambling per his usual but throwing in that pocket was pretty fantastic for a guy who gets ripped for not being as much of a passer. Despite a lot of pressure especially in the first half his completion rating was great and 363 yards, 3 touchdowns and no picks gives you an 'A' every time.
Running backs/Fullbacks: A-
Good balance from the running game a quiet, solid performance. Big chunks of yards in the second half kept the blitz packages in check for Hawaii and opened up that ridiculous 3rd quarter of scoring.
Wide receivers/Tight ends: A
Great catches, sticky hands and yards after the catch that gave their QB the best day of his career so hard not to give them the highest marks possible. Hoffman and Apo have already made a big difference to this team even without a consistent QB situation.
Offensive line: B
The pocket broke down way too much in the first half and an uncharacteristic hold penalty that brought back a big run was frustrating and was probably the reason the offense wasn't able to get anything going int he first half. Definite improvement in the second half brings the grade up.
Overall Offense: A-
Not a complete game but that 3rd quarter was one of the best overall quarter all season for BYU. The Offense with the most yards all season against an FBS opponent still deserves the high marks.
Defensive line: B+
The Cougar D-Line did a good job of holding the Hawaii offensive line in check. The Warriors managed just 17 yards on 16 carries. Mike Muehlmann, who has also seen time as a TE in recent weeks due to all the injuries, registered a sack.
Linebackers: B
Uona Kaveinga, Kyle Van Noy and others made solid tackles, were generally good in coverage and put pressure on the Hawaii passing attack.
Secondary: B+
The coverage seemed to stiffen up in the second half. The 282 yards passing yielded was below Hawaii's season average. For the game, Hawaii converted 5 of 15 3rd Downs. Most of the conversions came in the first half. Joe Sampson recovered a fumble in the third quarter and returned it for a touchdown. Daniel Sorensen delivered vicious hits throughout the game.
Overall Defense: B+
BYU gave up 210 yards in the first half, but was stifling in the second half. Hawaii managed just 89 yards in the final two quarters. The Warriors added a late touchdown to get to the 20 point plateau. For the Game, Hawaii was 5 of 15 on 3rd Downs. Hawaii managed 17 yards rushing on 16 carries. Joe Sampson had a 26 yard fumble return for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Cougars registered two sacks.
Special Teams: C+
BYU's kick return coverages were outstanding. The grade suffers here because of the ongoing inconsistency with field goals. Justin Sorensen missed his first two kicks, including what appeared to be an easier 38 yarder. He did end up connecting from 33 and 37 yards.
