Kalani Sitake pushes back on offensive line as BYU run game continues to struggle

PROVO — Kalani Sitake pushed back this week.

Not against the Cougars' two-game losing skid, a three-losses-in-four-games stretch that turned a once promising opening season in the Big 12 into one where bowl eligibility likely hinges on Saturday's late kickoff against Iowa State (8:15 p.m. MST, ESPN).

The eighth-year head coach pushed back Monday on BYU's offense, the one that ranks 95th nationally in scoring at 22.9 points per game, 78th in passing (with two quarterbacks) at 218.3 yards per game, and 126th out of 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 79.7 rushing yards per game.

His sights? The offensive line.

"Our offensive line is not getting the job done, that's for sure," Sitake said days after the Cougars' 33-7 loss to West Virginia that resulted in just 67 rushing yards. "We aren't going to hide behind anything, they need to do better. Our performance as a team against West Virginia was embarrassing for everybody, including our offensive line, so hopefully they can learn from that game and not allow it to show up again. It comes with a level of toughness and accountability from our guys."

The Cougars (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) entered the 2023 season with promise in the trenches, led by an All-Big 12 selection and potential NFL draft pick in Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle and returning center Connor Pay at center.

The same offense overseen by Aaron Roderick and offensive line coach Darrell Funk that averaged 31.3 points and 426.3 yards per game under Minnesota Vikings fifth-round draft pick Jaren Hall was expected to continue its ascent.

But 2023 is a far cry from the offense led by Hall, Los Angeles Rams rookie sensation Puka Nacua, Miami Dolphins rookie Chris Brooks and Indianapolis Colts starting tackle Blake Freeland, it seems.

Instead, the Cougars loaded up from the transfer portal, particularly along the line. Caleb Etienne moved to right tackle from Oklahoma State, Weylin Lapuaho entered at left guard from Utah State, and Paul Maile made the move from Utah south on I-15 to eventually supplant Pay at center during training camp.

When the offense stagnated, the Cougars made a change, reversing the order and moving Pay to center, Maile to left guard, and Lapuaho to right guard after a particularly humbling 38-27 loss at Kansas.

Did it work? Perhaps marginally, if Aidan Robbins' first touchdown in a BYU uniform against the Mountaineers is to be believed, at least.

But the offense continues to underwhelm, particularly along the front. So what's the next step?

"Playing time is one of the ways we hold players accountable, because nobody has a right to be on the field, and that is something they have to earn based on performance," Sitake said. "We just want guys who do their jobs and keep each other accountable.

"There are a few ways to get that done: One way is to demand it as coaches, and another is playing time. If one guy isn't doing his job and executing at a high enough level, we will put someone else in who will. We need to start seeing better production on the field."

Accountability has been a key component of BYU's practice, across all position groups after Saturday's rout. Max Tooley said the Cougars watched film as an entire defense, and nobody liked what they saw after giving up over 500 yards of offense.

"It was kind of good, but obviously embarrassing, to see the mistakes that we made," Tooley said. "We were flat-out out-physicaled in most aspects."

In particular, the running game needs to improve — and that means better run blocking, Sitake said.

But does all responsibility for run blocking fall on the offensive line? According to Pro Football Focus, each of Suamataia, Pay and Brayden Keim earned a grade of 64 or better in Saturday's 37-7 loss to West Virginia — what analyst Max Chadwick calls a "solid performance."

Lapuaho was right behind at 63.3, which Chadwick was quick to note.

"I don't think the offensive line was the issue for BYU," Chadwick told ESPN radio in Utah County. "The first issue I would look at is the receiving corps. … I don't think the receivers were getting open for (Jake) Retzlaff to find consistently, so I wouldn't blame the offensive line."

BYU receiver Parker Kingston agrees that run blocking isn't only on the broad shoulders of the linemen: It takes a team, including from his position group.

"We're the ones who can turn a good play into a great play and extend the play for the running backs, so they don't have to worry about the safeties or corners," he said. "They can just run. We can extend plays for them. We've just got to be thick on the outside; they're big boy blocks, but we've got to do it so we can set the running backs up."

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