BYU's hero at Arizona almost didn't make the trip, but frosh kicker made most of it

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jake Oldroyd was an anonymous name on the BYU football roster before Saturday, unknown to fans and even to most of his team, before drilling the game-winning field goal in BYU's 18-16 win over Arizona.

After missing his senior year at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, the freshman kicker reported to BYU on the first day of fall camp. The next day, he tore the meniscus in his plant leg and sprained his medial collateral ligament, and minor scope surgery forced him out for nearly a month.

Last Monday — the day BYU auditioned new walk-ons — Oldroyd returned to camp. He took two practice kicks all week and wasn’t sure he would make the travel squad as a walk-on place-kicker.

“I wasn’t the starter for this game, and I didn’t know I’d be kicking field goals until we missed the PAT,” Oldroyd said. “That’s when I got word. I just put on the helmet and it was game time.”

With the Cougars trailing 16-15 in the final minute, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Ed Lamb knew Oldroyd was the next man up. With eight seconds on the clock, the freshman Texan lined up for a 33-yard field-goal attempt.

And promptly wrote his name into the annals of BYU football history with the game-winning kick just before time expired.

“It felt great off my foot,” Oldroyd said. “I knew it was good. I was just running around, people were grabbing me. I forgot we still had to kickoff. It was nuts, but it was awesome.”

Even as a walk-on, Oldroyd came to BYU with plenty of talent. He made 60-of-60 PATs and 8-of-8 field goals in his two seasons at Carroll, and made a 60-yard field goal in practice, according to punter, holder and mentor Jonny Linehan.

Now he has an unforgettable game experience to back up his potential.

“I’m really proud of Jake, and it was a lot of fun,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said.

Even fifth-year senior and team captain Taysom Hill was excited for the newcomer.

“I ran to him and told him I wanted to give him a big kiss. I didn’t,” Hill said with a laugh. “But it’s so much fun. You put so much work into performing, and then you have an opportunity that he took full advantage of. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Fifth-year running back Jamaal Williams, who ran for a game-high 162 yards on 29 carries, fueled the offense into field-goal range down the stretch. But when the time came to try for the field goal, he was nervous.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t have faith in his teammates, though.

“The whole sideline, everyone was believing he would make that field goal,” Williams said. “It was great to see him come off smiling and to have that type of accomplishment. We couldn’t be prouder of him for doing something like that.”

Oldroyd celebrated his senior prom last April. He didn’t know if he would make the travel squad Saturday. On Sunday, he’ll submit paperwork to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stepping away from football in December and traveling anywhere in the world to preach and teach religion.

But for one night in Glendale, Arizona, he was the hero.

What could possibly come next for the 18-year-old who gave Sitake a win in his first game as an FBS head coach? Maybe a scholarship offer?

“We’ll see,” Oldroyd said, before adding, “my parents both encouraged me to go here. I’ve been to sports camps and EFY and fell in love with the campus from the beginning. I’ve got a lot of family up here.”

Oldroyd has no idea what is in front of him, but after Saturday night’s win that stretched into the wee hours of Sunday morning in the desert, he became a hero to BYU’s fan base.

He shouldn’t have to worry about his teammates not knowing his name anymore.

“That was crazy to be in front of everybody like that,” Oldroyd said. “I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”

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