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PROVO — The impact of BYU’s tight end corps goes far beyond the two receptions starters Tanner Balderree and Hunter Marshall had in a 28-21 double-overtime win over Mississippi State last Friday.
Offensive coordinator Ty Detmer has preached that he wants to involve BYU’s tight ends more in the offensive attack. Detmer should know how to do that, too; the former Heisman Trophy winner still holds the BYU all-time record for most passing yards in a season, and tight ends played a significant role with names like Chris Smith, who held the NCAA single-season record of 1,156 receiving yards by a tight end until 2005.
Balderree’s mark won’t put him very close to Smith’s record — he finished with just one reception for 25 yards. But in that quarter of the field, he hauled in the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Taysom Hill in double overtime, then watched as linebacker Fred Warner made the save on a defender pass on the final play.
“I wanted to freak out and celebrate,” Balderree said after the game in the earliest hours of Saturday morning. “But something kept me in perspective, saying the game is not over. We might have to do it all over again. I couldn’t let myself get too far ahead, and stay calm.
“It was surreal. I didn’t know what to think at first when we walked in (to the locker room).”
The win set off a dramatic postgame celebration, including students and fans rushing the field with the last-second victory against an SEC foe and the Cougars’ first overtime win since 2009.
Head coach Kalani Sitake’s squad has a habit of playing in close games — which can be both exciting and frustrating. Six of BYU’s seven games have been decided by a touchdown or less; the lone exception was the 31-14 rout at Michigan State on Oct. 8.
“These guys will play until the clock says zero, and then extra downs,” Sitake said. “I’m just amazed with the resiliency of the players.
“Our fans deserved the win. Some of the earlier losses we had were heartbreakers. But the leadership took over on this team, and we were able to learn from it. We tried to motivate our players to keep going, and it’s worked out so far.”
Balderree is one of those leaders. The 6-foot-3 junior from Sherwood, Oregon originally arrived at BYU (4-3) to play on the defensive line, but he switched to tight end in 2015 and played in 10 games while also filling in at fullback.
His role, then, was primarily as an extra blocker on the offensive line — something former BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae utilized extensively with the emergence of inside receiver Terenn Houk.
With the arrival of Detmer, Balderree has had more chances to make plays in the open field. He notched a career-high 62 yards on three receptions in a 55-53 win over Toledo — then scored his first career touchdown against Mississippi State (2-4).
“A win's a win. It’s gratifying to win at home, in double overtime,” Hill said. “We have a lot of respect for the SEC and what they do. But we feel very capable of competing with anybody in the country. I don’t want to overstate the win, but it’s good to get the win.”
That play almost didn’t happen, either. Detmer called the assignment on the first play of the game, but Balderree got held up on a block at the line of scrimmage, and Hill overthrew the intended target.
When the tight end got another chance, he didn’t worry about the block; he sprinted for the right spot on the end zone, and was surprised at how much open space he saw in front of him.
“I was expecting a cornerback in the flat ready to smack me in the knees,” Balderree said. “But he was backed off and no one after him. I expected him to go low, so I sidestepped him, and Nick (Kurtz) had an amazing block to send me into the end zone.”
Marshall, the other tight end who transferred from Snow College over the summer, also had a career night Friday with a 1-yard touchdown reception. The tight ends’ 26 total yards barely measure up to 165 yards passing by Hill (Kurtz had a team-high 62 yards on seven receptions).
But it’s hard to understate their impact. One more example.
As BYU drove in overtime to tie Mississippi State, which led 21-14, Hill took over running — and fumbled the ball. The Bulldogs could’ve recovered and won the game.
But Balderree, who was out of position after missing a block on the same play, scooped up the loose ball and ran it 7 yards. It wasn’t a touchdown, and it was anything but spectacular. But it kept the drive alive, and Hill punched in a 1-yard touchdown a few plays later to force the second extra period.
Another close game, another close win. But this time, the tight ends emerged.
“We kind of wonder why we do this to ourselves,” Balderree said. “But I think we are getting good at it. We had to face some adversity that we weren’t used to. But through trial and error of those first couple of games, this game and other close games recently have helped us figure out how to come together as a team and figure out how to finish.”
