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PROVO -- Solid, if not spectacular performances from every position on the BYU Cougars led to a runaway victory over the New Mexico State Aggies.
The Cougars dominated in every faucet of the game and these grades clearly show that:
Quarterbacks: A-
Jake Heaps had his best game of the 2011 season by far. His poise seemed to be back a little more with four touchdown passes that were sharp and especially that 27- yard pass to JD Falslev where he ducked pressure and fired a strike. It helped that BYU didn't have to go far to score on many of their drives, but Heaps seemed a lot more comfortable (especially after the interception) than he had all season.
Running backs/Fullbacks: B+
Another big average per carry for the running backs. Everyone seemed to get in on the action and the holes were definitely there for Alisa and Di Luigi to breakout on some big runs that gave the Cougars control of the clock that they were battling for early.
Wide receivers/Tight ends: A
A lot of the receivers getting the ball Saturday night as the coaches spread the ball out to the seniors and Ross Apo had the best night among the receivers, but the tight ends blocked well and scraped off to make some good catches and to make Jake Heaps look as good as he had all season.
Offensive line: A
I think this is four games in a row that the O-line has gotten either an A or an A-, but Heaps had time to throw and the backs had holes to run through for another easy week of scoring and marching. Winning the Time of Possession battle is something that a good offensive line did for BYU.
Overall Offense: A-
The offense wasn't challenged tonight and fired off their game plan with ease on their second week in a row to score 42 points. Not sure what they could do against a stout defense with Heaps in at QB, but fans can be hopeful of Heaps taking over just fine for Riley Nelson who won't likely play until the Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas at the end of December.
Defensive Line: A-
Hebron "Loni" Fangupo stood out, but the defensive line in general did a good job in putting the clamps on the NMSU ground game. It seemed the Aggies were going backward more than forward. NMSU did pick up some yards late with BYU backups playing.
Linebackers: A
Kyle Van Noy played the night in Jordan Pendleton's #1 jersey in honor of the senior linebacker who is out for the rest of the season with an injury. He was a terror in the NMSU backfield, hitting the quarterback multiple times and knocking running backs down for losses. The linebackers did a good job of creating pressure on Aggies' QB Matt Christian. Jadon Wagner forced a 1st Quarter fumble when hitting Christian from behind, stopping a drive into BYU territory. Jameson Frazier notched 2 fumble recoveries for the game.
Secondary: APreston Hadley forced a fumble in the 3rd Quarter. The corners did a good job staying on top of what has been a potent NMSU passing attack. Taveon Rogers was largely shut down, and he is usually a touchdown waiting to happen.
Overall Defense: A-This was a very solid performance from the BYU defense. It's not that the opponent was spectacular, but New Mexico State was capable of putting up points. They scored 7, and BYU held the Aggies to 159 yards passing - just a little over half their season average. The Cougars limited NMSU to 90 rushing yards and 6/15 3rd downs.
Special Teams: B+
Taveon Rogers is an outstanding return man and BYU did an excellent job of containing him. Field goals continue to be an adventure, with Justin Sorensen missing a very makeable 37 yarder.
Email: aadams@ksl.com and akirry@ksl.com
