Close games a key ingredient in BYU's 2016 season


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BOISE, Idaho — When BYU needed to score in its season-opener against Arizona, trailing by two and entering a two-minute drill offense under fifth-year senior quarterback Taysom Hill, the Cougars rallied and drove the length of University of Phoenix Stadium to top the Wildcats on freshman kicker Jake Oldroyd’s first career field goal.

Since that fateful night that opened the 2016 college football season, BYU (4-4) has needed late drives to pull away with wins over Utah, UCLA, West Virginia — and again Thursday night on the road at No. 14 Boise State.

And every time, the Cougars came up with a loss — by a total of eight points.

“It’s frustrating. We could be on the other side, winning and be up there ranked with the big teams,” cornerback Dayan Lake admitted after the 28-27 loss on the blue turf in Boise. “But we lose by 1-2 points and not get ranked. But we keep our heads up, and we all stick together, come out and focus on the next game.”

The Cougars were not without chances to seize the game away from an undefeated Boise State (7-0). After Brett Rypien passed the Broncos to a 14-0 lead after one quarter, BYU charged back to take a 17-14 advantage without a single offensive touchdown.

Lake and linebacker Fred Warner each secured an interception and returned it for a touchdown, putting up the second pick-six of his career.

“I caught it, and just tried to sift through the trash and get all the way home,” said Warner, who jogged 59 yards through traffic and dived at the pylon to score. “I got that for my mom; it was her birthday today, so it was special.”

In a fateful casuality for Warner, his first pick-six also came at Albertsons Stadium — in 2012, when the then-freshman featured prominently in a 55-30 loss on the Smurf Turf with a 20-yard pick-six.

BYU defensive back Kai Nacua (12) celebrates after BYU forced a turnover during the first half of an NCAA football game between Boise State and Brigham Young in Boise on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. (Photo: Nick Wagner, Deseret News)
BYU defensive back Kai Nacua (12) celebrates after BYU forced a turnover during the first half of an NCAA football game between Boise State and Brigham Young in Boise on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. (Photo: Nick Wagner, Deseret News)

BYU currently leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 15 interceptions, and scored on two interception returns in a single game for the first time since Bob Davis and Norm Dixon hauled in a pair on Oct. 21, 1989 in a 49-24 win over Texas-El Paso.

“There’s something about this blue turf; he’s got a nose for the ball,” wide receiver Mitchell Juergens said of Warner. “The pick itself was amazing, and to see him top it off with a dive at the pylon was just Fred being Fred. It was fun to watch.”

BYU’s defense held the Broncos out of the end zone for the entire second half, until Jeremy McNichols broke off 4 of his 140 rushing yards for the game-winning touchdown with 10:37 remaining in the game.

By then, the Cougars had squandered their chances. They scored just three points off two second-half turnovers, and ended the game with a plus-five turnover margin — 5-0 in the column. Taysom Hill, who had just 187 passing yards, snuck in a 1-yard TD run. But it wasn’t enough on a calm, 55-degree night in Idaho’s state capitol.

“Our goal is to get three turnovers a game,” Lake said. “We didn’t end up with the win, but as a group, we got our turnover goals. If we keep it up, we give the offense a good chance to score.”

Three of BYU’s four losses have come to teams currently ranked in the AP top 25, including a 20-19 defeat at No. 19 Utah, and a 35-32 setback to No. 12 West Virginia. Those three games have been decided by a total of five points — the difference between an outstanding season heading into the Cougars’ bye week and a .500 record with two wins to go to secure bowl eligibility and a berth in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego this December.

Jamaal Williams will use the extended recovery time before Nov. 5 at Cincinnati to heal an ankle injury that prevented him from playing even after pregame warmups. Squally Canada, though, filled in for his mentor by rushing for 88 yards on 21 carries, a clip of 4.2 yards per touch.

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But even the Washington State transfer admits frustration over four close losses that are the difference between undefeated and 4-4 — including two wins by three points or less that would drop the Cougars to 2-6 if they went the other way.

“I wish it wasn’t decided on the last play,” Canada said. “But we’ve been there before. It just didn’t go our way tonight when it came down to the last play. That’s the sad part.”

BYU has had chances to win every game in 2016 with a first-year head coach and first-season offensive and defensive coordinators. It’s put them away four times.

The other four? That will be a sense of frustration during the extended layoff.

“You always think you have a chance, based on how we’ve performed,” Warner said. “You hate to have a football game come down to that last second. It just didn’t go our way this time.”

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