Quarterback: B-

Bear Bachmeier certainly didn’t light the field on fire initially, but settled down as BYU used more tempo to perhaps loosen things up for him. Bachmeier missed on several targets during the first half, and made a at least a few misreads, but he definitely showed improvements as the game wore on, which is a positive development. Overall Bachmeier finished with respectable stats, going 17-27 through the air for 175 yards and no interceptions.

Running back: B+

The best work was done early by the Cougar running backs, with LJ Martin showing very well from the get go with two long runs on BYU’s initial offensive possession. Overall Martin finished with 110 yards on 18 carries, but slowed down a bit as the game wore on as Stanford’s defense made effective adjustments. Sione Moa contributed a rather pedestrian 29 yards on seven carries, but did manage to bowl himself into the endzone late in the second half.

Wide Receivers/tight ends: B

Jojo Phillips made a good impact and Chase Roberts came on late to boost the overall receivers grade considerably. A few drops and holding penalties prevents the group from receiving top scores, but overall the blocking was good on the edge, particularly from backup tight end Keayen Nead, whose holding call that prevented a touchdown was questionable, to say the least. As far as Roberts goes, any time he’s in single coverage and the ball is near him, he’ll likely make a play, as he showed throughout the win over Stanford.

Offensive line: C+

The offensive line opened up holes early, but didn’t provide the requisite push as Stanford seemed to settle down and adjust a bit as the game wore on. The biggest mark against the Cougar offensive front comes with overall pass pro, where at least two completely missed blitz pickups led to sacks. Overall Bachmeier took too many hits and was pressured far more than you’d like to see from a young quarterback.

Defensive line: A

The Cougar defensive front swallowed up whatever Stanford presented for most of the game. Sure, the Cardinal proved more effective with its attack late in the game, but the game was long decided before then due primarily to BYU’s dominant play up front. Logan Lutui was a standout, leading the team with six tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.

Linebackers: A

Both Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker were completely out-of-c0ntrol during BYU’s dominant defensive performance. Both players contributed multiple pressures, two of BYU’s three sacks and three tackles-for-loss. It was well known both players would lead the way for the Cougars this season, but Saturday’s performance saw both of them reach perhaps a whole new tier with their combined play.

Defensive backs: A-

Faletau Satuala had himself a breakout game with his tackle for safety and a late interception. The safety play from BYU continues to be a strength, with Raider Damuni also providing an interception and Tanner Wall proving a strong last line of defense throughout. At corner the play was relatively solid with coaches rifling through a lot of different combinations which allowed both Jayden Dunlap and Tayvion Beasley to receive quality reps. There were some coverage lapses, but nothing too serious as the defense limited Stanford to just three points.

Special Teams: A-

A muffed punt from Parker Kingston again serves as the one mark against the overall special teams play, which continues to be exceptional. Oh yeah, a failed two-point conversion also works against the unit’s overall grade, but other than that, the special teams provided a decided advantage. Perhaps the most notable stride made by the unit was the punting of Sam Vander Haar in pinning the Cardinal inside the five yard line on two occasions. Tiger Bachmeier contributed a long punt return in place of Kingston to boost the score.

Coaching: B+

The Cougars came out ready and raring to go on defense which allowed a sputtering offense to catch its stride late. At times the offensive play-calling wasn’t conducive to any type of consistent offensive production, but the offensive staff adjusted, which allowed Bear Bachmeier to settled in a bit and finish out strong.