Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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PROVO, Utah -- Fourth quarter:Paul Lasike added another touchdown in the 4th quarter for the Cougars' Air Force-esque performance on the ground.
If people were tuning into this game to see BYU get back to its offensive roots, they did not get it. Not because the scoring wasn't there, because it was an impressive outing on both sides of the ball. It's just that this BYU running game will likely not be the future of the program. Is it fun to watch? Yes. But throwing the ball is still a big question mark for BYU.
To have 2 players hovering around 150 yards rushing must be a huge load off of the coach's and fans' back alike. BYU fans will likely still groan about the quarterback situation and deem Taysom Hill the end of the discussion based on this game.
That's a dangerous road to go down since we know that Coach Mendenhall has made it clear (every time he opened his mouth this week) that Riley Nelson, if healthy, is the guy. It's pretty obvious that despite that, Taysom Hill is still 'the man'.
While the running game was a breakthrough performance, the MVP of the game still goes to the Cougar defense who churned out another all-star performance pitching a shutout and keeping the Warrior under 150 yards of total offense. They are still the better side of the ball.
Third quarter:The offense getting off to a slow start in the second half but that's not a problem when you have Kyle Van Noy on your team. Van Noy has a couple of football crushes in the press box and I'd be lying If I said that I wasn't one of them.
KVN's forced fumble/sack put BYU on the 2 yard line for and easy Jamaal Williams TD. The Cougars went over the 300 yard rushing mark of the game for the first time since 2007. Taysom Hill looks comfortable but anyone would against this Hawaii defense that has now allowed more than 450 yards through 3 quarters would.
Van Noy also added another sack in the quarter to maintain his status as one of the best linebackers in the country. With the game in hand at 34-0, the running game continued to rack up the yards even seeing rugby star RB Paul Lasike score before the end of the 3rd to make it 40-0.
If you notice, the score would normally be 42-0 had one Riley Stephenson PAT not been blocked and another gone wide left. Maybe the PAT woes this game would indicate that Bronco knew something we didn't last week going for 2 at the end of the Boise St. game. Just sayin'.
Halftime: Taysom Hill making another case for why he is not only better than Riley Nelson, but the future of BYU quarterbacking.
Hill, in only a quarter and a half of work, became the first BYU rusher since 2010 to post more than 100 yards rushing in a game. He probably won't be the only one this game either as Jamaal Williams enters the locker room with 97 yards in one half.
The BYU offense with more than 340 yds of total offense including 255 on the ground. The 68 yard touchdown scamper by Hill showed just how fast he really is blasting past Hawaii DBs with ease. The defense continues to be just as impressive keeping Hawaii to 99 yards of offense. Michael Alisa is reported to have a broken arm and might be out for much longer than previously anticipated.
First quarter:BYU started Freshman Taysom Hill for the injured Riley Nelson and injuries were the name of the game in the first quarter on both sides of the ball.
Two Hawaii Defensive Linemen were hauled off on stretchers and loaded into ambances in what are always scary injury situations. But BYU also suffered a very bad injury as midway through the first quarter Michael Alisa left the game with an unspecified forearm injury for the rest of the game. Jamaal Williams gave BYU the 7-0 lead at the end of the very long first frame.
Hill responsible for an ugly interception that stalled a drive and Hawaii was as inept on offense as advertised.
