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PROVO — There were plenty of positives to take from BYU's 24-23 loss at then-No. 10 UCLA that knocked the Cougars out of the USA Today Coaches Poll last Saturday.
Offensively, the Cougars had a 100-yard rusher and a quarterback who didn't throw an interception into the final play of the game.
Even in the pass defense, the Cougars picked off UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen three times, and BYU could've earned a narrow victory while it was ranked No. 19 in the country.
But the run defense was a different story.
"In my opinion, the offense played well enough for us to win but defensively we didn't play well enough and on special teams we didn't play well enough," outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga said. "Unfortunately, in a game like that against a top-10 opponent on the road, you've got to play the run well and play well on special teams, and we didn't help our chances."
The culprit was simple: tackling, or a lack of it. BYU (2-1) gave up 175 yards on five runs where at least one defender missed a tackle. Of the BYU defenders' 55 total tackles, 49 of them were finished by one player.
It came as little surprise, then, when the Cougars worked on full-contact tackling drills through Monday and Tuesday practices.
"Tackling has been a huge emphasis yesterday and today, and it will continue to be until we get that problem fixed," Poppinga said. "We were bringing guys to the ground today; it was like a full-on scrimmage. I think that's how you have to prep for Michigan."
Defensive back Kai Nacua noticed a difference in the physical nature of Tuesday's work.
"We really got physical with (the scout team)," he said. "Saturday's going to be a physical game, and they're just going to try to pound out."
One way Nacua plans to respond to the lack of physical tackling was by celebrating tackles and getting the whole defense involved in each individual's success. Nacua said the Cougars' home win over Boise State was "like a party" on defense, and that same passion and excitement was missing at then-No. 10 UCLA.
"When we make plays, you have to celebrate," Nacua said. "That lacked last game; people were making plays, and not too many guys would run around him and celebrate. I don't think we had as much fun or partied as much Saturday.
"That's my job with the defense is to make sure we are partying, having fun and just swarming to the ball."
BYU's pass defense was about as strong as it has ever been, Poppinga said. The Cougars forced three interceptions and five interceptions — but they also only registered five tackles for loss and didn't record a sack for the first time of the year.
That should change Saturday against Michigan in a 10 a.m. MDT kickoff on ABC.
"They have big backs who run really hard," Poppinga said. "They don't make you miss a ton, but if you aren't team tackling, they will drag you around. We've got to wrap those guys up and team tackle those guys."
