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PROVO — BYU’s undefeated run came to a halt in a 35-20 loss to Utah State that saw star quarterback Taysom Hill break his left leg Friday night.
Hill had surgery Saturday and will be sidelined three to four months, missing the rest of the season, head coach Bronco Mendenhall said.
Injuries became a theme of the game for the hosts, as Hill’s fellow starters, Alani Fua, Brayden Kearsely and Dallin Leavitt, all exited the field and didn't return.
But it was the Aggies’ sharp offensive execution that led to the return of the Old Wagon Wheel to Logan.
Jim McMahon, whose No. 9 jersey was retired at halftime, was the sophomore starting quarterback for the Cougars the last time they lost to Utah State at home 36 years ago.
Taysom Hill: BYU will be without its leader the rest of the way, but he was the usual electric playmaker prior to leaving the game.
The junior was in rhythm from the start, heaving a smooth 53-yard toss to Jordan Leslie on the first play from scrimmage and a 25-yard touchdown to Mitch Matthews. He was also averaging five yards per carry, including an 11-yard run for a score where he hurdled yet another would-be tackler.
Jamaal Williams: Only one player has had 100 yards rushing in a game against Utah State’s No. 4 run defense. Williams gained 99 yards on 17 carries despite BYU trailing the entire second half and looking quite impatient with forced throws down field. “He ran the ball well when he was given the opportunity,” Mendenhall said.
Penalties: On the positive side, BYU cut 73 yards of this total from the Virginia game. However, an offside penalty turned a Utah State field goal attempt into a first down, and the Aggies ended the drive with a touchdown.
“It’s not the giant leap,” Mendenhall said of the improvement. “We have some younger players that are not very disciplined, and we have some older players that just didn’t concentrate so well in a few critical moments. I’d say we’re making some progress there.”
Capitalizing on opponent miscues: The Cougars had cut the Aggies’ lead to 15 when it looked they had recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but another offside penalty brought it back and wiped out any perceived shift in momentum.
Jordan Leslie took full responsibility for Christian Stewart’s first interception, which came on a tipped ball that Leslie had a chance to corral before Torrey Green hauled it in at the Utah State two-yard line.
BYU has struggled all season to make teams pay for their mistakes. The Cougars couldn’t score off the lone Aggies turnover, and despite holding them to 5-of-15 on third down conversions, Utah State possessed the ball for 37:51 compared to BYU’s 22:09.
Christian Stewart: Being thrown into the fire to replace a Heisman candidate quarterback after a legend at the position is honored at halftime, it couldn’t have been easy for him to get going. Time and the score played a role, but the senior forced a number of passes into heavy traffic and ended up with three interceptions as a result. He’ll need to significantly better his accuracy if BYU is to make the 15-point defeat an anomaly.
Secondary play: With more than three minutes still remaining in the third quarter, Darell Garretson had as many incompletions — three — as he had touchdown passes and was 18-of-21 for 328 yards. He also had at least four passes of 20 or more yards, and two bombs behind BYU corners — a 72-yard score and a 56-yard pitch and catch.
Mendenhall said poor “discipline and eye control” by cornerbacks enabled Utah State receivers to beat their defenders. “We’ve addressed it hard the past two weeks and it’s now a matter of personal responsibility — not only of the players doing it but of the coaches to make sure it happens. … We thought we had it addressed.”
Pass rush: In a week where they got Bronson Kaufusi back, the Cougars were manhandled at the point of attack. Garretson was provided too much time to throw and he took advantage of it. “Too passive in general and need to be more aggressive after the quarterback,” Mendenhall said of the pressure on Garretson.
Luck: Freak mishaps occur in football. They aren't always accompanied by more, though. Mendenhall said he believed five players suffered high ankle sprains on top of Hill's departure in the second quarter.
