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PROVO — As 22 point favorites going into their match up with Conference USA foe Middle Tennessee State, it should come as no surprise that BYU put it on the Blue Raiders.
It was the game BYU needed to be sandwiched between the rivalry game loss against Utah last week and the very tough test in Logan that awaits next week for the Cougars.
Rabid BYU fans are also able to put their pitch forks away for another week as Taysom Hill had his most well-rounded performance of the season. Hill had been hovering around 30 percent completion on the season before turning in a much more accurate 14 of 19 for 177 yards through the air and an interception. It also helped that Hill didn't have to scramble all night long and had much better protection from his offensive line than in previous weeks.
Hill did all of this while maintaining the brilliant breakout rushes that have made him so special. He turned in 165 yards on the ground on 18 carries, breaking off big plays of 41 and 50 yards respectively.
The problem is, the problems. The game turned out to be the sloppiest game of the season for BYU. Yes, they managed to get the 27-point differential, but also lost four fumbles of five fumbles they put on the ground — two of which were inside the MTSU 5-yard line on consecutive drives.
Related:
Taysom Hill leads BYU past Middle Tennessee, 37-10
Taysom Hill ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns and completed 14 of 19 passes for 177 yards in BYU's 37-10 victory over Middle Tennessee on Friday night.BYU also coughed up two lost fumbles from a usually-reliable JD Falslev on punt returns. Getting inside the 20-yard line and being unable to convert points was one of the big rips on BYU from the first three weeks of the season, and early on, they still hadn't fixed that issue.
Hill also managed to throw another interception. The five turnovers should be a tremendous concern to Robert Anae and Bronco Mendenhall. The Cougars have only had three takeaways all season long. They gave three fumbles away in the first half against the Blue Raiders.
Back to the positive — the defense. What an outstanding performance. After giving up 10 points in the first quarter, the defense managed its first safety since 2011 on a Kyle Van Noy special. The cougar "D" held the Blue Raiders to a measly 212 yards of total offense and stymied the running game to only 2.5 yards per rush.
Now the game prep turns to another Friday night game next week when the Cougars travel to Romney Stadium and a very tough Utah State squad who will be much more difficult if BYU decides to turn the ball over five times again.
