Meeting adversity: BYU overcomes a great deal in achieving a thrilling 33-27 double overtime win over Arizona
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- Bear Bachmeier during warmups prior to BYU’s game versus Arizona
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- BYU’s flag bearers take the field prior to their game vs Arizona
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- BYU defensive end Bodie Schoonover
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- BYU punter Sam Vander Haar
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- BYU running back Preston Rex
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- BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier
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- BYU running back LJ Martin
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- BYU running back LJ Martin runs for a touchdown vs Arizona
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- BYU running back LJ Martin celebrates following a touchdown run versus Arizona
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- BYU safety Faletau Satuala bats down a pass versus Arizona
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- BYU’s Parker Kingston scored on a 75-yard touchdown reception vs Arizona
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- BYU’s special teams unit celebrates after a kickoff
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- BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier looks to lateral to LJ Martin on an option play
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- Cougar fans braved the rainy conditions to support their team
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- BYU Coach Kalani Sitake had several heated discussions with the officials during the win over Arizona
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- BYU’s Bear Bachmeier struggled passing, but ran for 93 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s 33-27 win over Arizona
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- Bear Bachmeier breaks a tackle en route to the endzone late in BYU’s win
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- BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier stretches across the goaline for a late touchdown
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- BYU’s Bear Bachmeier crosses into the endzone to tie the game late versus Arizona
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- BYU’s Bear Bachmeier splits three would-be tackles to tie the game late with a touchdown run.
The best teams often prove adept in overcoming a good amount of adversity, which is exactly what BYU managed to do in its thrilling 33-27 double overtime win over Arizona on Saturday.
Injuries and ejections to key players, a long lightning delay, some untimely penalties incurred, a freshman quarterback making freshman mistakes, on top of some questionable coaching decisions all dealt the Cougars a tough hand. Certainly it was the most adversity compiled against a BYU team this season that is now ranked No. 15 in the country with a gleaming 6-0 record in its ledger, which already has it bowl eligible.
As the perfect record indicates, the Cougars overcame all of it on Saturday, which was widely recognized and celebrated by BYU players, coaches, and certainly the Cougar fans who braved the weather to cheer loudly throughout.
“We welcome the adversity,” said BYU Coach Kalani Sitake during his postgame interview. “Right now we just have to stay positive and work through this. But the positivity…We’ve got to enjoy this, man. It’s a lot of fun…There’s a lot of things to keep building off of, but we’ll worry about that on Monday.”
With regards to missing key contributors, the Cougars had to make do without the services of top defensive linebacker Jack Kelly, who didn’t suit up, on top of safety Raider Damuni, who left the game in the first half due to injury, and top defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, who was flagged for targeting late in the second quarter. Stepping up big defensively were players like Siale Esera, who led the team with 16 tackles, along with safety Faletau Satuala, who continues to emerge as a big-time playmaker with his 11 tackles recorded in Saturday’s win.
“It was a little rough, especially coming in without Jack Kelly, and then losing Raider early, and then Keanu, too,” Satuala said. “But people stepped up and kind of filled their shoes, and were able to make plays.”
Among those filling in effectively were sophomore defensive end Tausili Akana, freshman defensive end Nusi Taumoepeau, linebacker Ace Kaufusi and cornerback Tayvion Beasley, among several others.
Things went swimmingly for the Cougars prior to the a lightning delay of about an hour, which helped extend the game to a total of five hours. A 75-touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier topped off a 28-yard touchdown run by LJ Martin for an early 14-0 lead before Arizona cut the score to 14-7 via a 17-yard touchdown toss from Noah Fifita to Kris Hutson.
Out of the lightning delay, things slowly turned south for the Cougars.
An ill-conceived fake punt on BYU’s first offensive possession out of the delay turned the ball over to the Wildcats at midfield and led to a big momentum swing, 10 straight Arizona points and a 17-14 deficit at the half.
“Maybe a little too aggressive from me, but it’s kind of my nature,” Sitake admitted when asked about his decision to run a fake punt during a 4th-and-long situation. “When we practice it, we expect to do it, and I thought the guys executed well. I just think Arizona made the play.”
Through all of it were some uncommon struggles shown forth by Bachmeier, who finished the game with just 12-29 passing for 172 yards and two interceptions. The most onerous of his picks thrown was late in the third quarter when he recovered an errant snap only to throw a hasty pass across his body and on the run that was picked off easily by the Wildcats.
“Is there any way that you can grow up without throwing interceptions?,” Sitake asked rhetorically when asked about Bachmeier’s mishaps. “But it’s part of the game. I think you give Arizona a lot of the credit for the disruption and what they did with their (coverage) disguises.”
As has been the case throughout his initial season, Bachmeier ended better than he started, and did most of his best work running the football. Overall he carried the football 22 times for 93 yards and the final two Cougar touchdowns, one of which sent the game into overtime and the other which proved the game-winning score in the second overtime period.
As Bachmeier took his seat to answer questions from the media he glanced at his stats, and let out an involuntary, “Holy cow. 22 runs.”
“Getting used to it? I guess so, yeah,” Bachmeier then answered when asked directly about the total. “I know it’s not the ideal number, so we’ll possibly turn it down here coming up.”
But Bachmeier’s runs were essential, with the Cougars again receiving little to no rushing production from running backs not named LJ Martin. As for Martin, he had a career game, carrying the ball 25 times for 162 yards and a touchdown, proving to be durable and effective, running behind a resurgent offensive line which managed to bust open big holes throughout the win.
“He’s durable and he’s tough, so we know that he can do that,” Sitake said of Martin’s overall workload and performance. “When we need him to show up and run the ball, he’s going to do it for us.”
As for Bachmeier, he managed to find holes just wide enough to run from two yards out to send the game to overtime with 19 seconds remaining, and then from seven yards out for what proved to be the game-winning score in the second overtime period.
“He’s so smart as a true freshman,” Kingston said of Bachmeier’s effort. “He’s a ball player, and it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t get down…It’s been fun to play with him.”
In short, Bachmeier made it work, despite his paltry numbers throwing the football and mistakes made in throwing two interceptions and coughing up the ball late on a run which was fortunately recovered by offensive lineman Kyle Sfarcioc.
And Bachmeier’s teammates followed suit, with multiple players stepping up, particularly on the defensive end to gut out a win which few felt possible, all factors considered, and perhaps particularly when Arizona took a 24-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. All factors involved proved resilient, despite all the adversity and mishaps to stretch BYU to six straight wins and a top 15 national ranking as it turns to prepare for what is certain to be a tough challenge versus Utah this coming Saturday.
“I love how they guys stuck together and kept believing in each other, and kept believing in the process,” Sitake concluded. “They knew that eventually we’d have our moment to make it work.”
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Meeting adversity: BYU overcomes a great deal in achieving a thrilling 33-27 double overtime win over Arizona
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