Take BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker as the first example.

The senior outside linebacker left the TCU game two weeks ago with what appeared to be a severe injury that could keep him out-of-action for a good amount of time. But somewhat surprisingly, Glasker appeared on the Cougar depth chart entering Saturday’s game versus the matchup and he didn’t miss a beat, finishing with six tackles while defending an impressive six passes.

All of it belied the pain he was likely experiencing, of which BYU coach Kalani Sitake provided some detail during his postgame interview.

“It was a pleasant surprise because we thought it would be a number of weeks,” Sitake said of Glasker’s return. “We saw him brace up his knee and go to work … The guy’s tough because it’s a painful situation for him to be in. It’s like biting down on foil over and over again, but he’s willing to do it … He is an animal and that’s why he’s going to have tremendous success.”

And then there was Raider Damuni, proving impactful subbing in at one of the safety positions with his seven total tackles and a defended pass. Damuni last saw action during BYU’s opening week win over Utah Tech, but left with an apparent lower leg injury that was originally thought to have perhaps precluded his final senior season.

“It was such a blessing to be back,” Damuni said. “The training staff got me right and helped me to set the goal to come back for this game. It was great to be back out there in front of the best fans in the nation. There’s no better feeling than that. It felt really good to go out and hit again after six weeks of not hitting anybody.”

While it was anticipated that both Glasker and Damuni would provide impacts just prior to Saturday’s game, one particular player’s impact wasn’t anticipated in the least. Seldom-used cornerback Matthias Leach entered Saturday’s game toward the end of the third quarter in place of Jayven Williams and then Therrian Alexander, both of whom left the game due to injury.

Alexander was able to ultimately return and finish out, although Williams remained on the bench, leaving it to Leach, who is a sophomore from Fort Worth, Texas, to finish things out while being assigned often to lock down Notre Dame star receiver Jordan Faison. Also rising to the challenge was freshman cornerback Jordyn Criss, who saw playing time when both Williams and Alexander were sidelined.

“I want to shout out Matthias Leach and Jordan Criss. They came in and didn’t take a step backwards,” Damuni said. “We are able to continue to trust those guys, and it really speaks to the depth we have on the defensive side and offensive side of the ball. I am proud of those guys. They played mad. They locked up their assignments, came up and made hits. So proud of those two guys.”

From Sitake’s perspective, it wasn’t just about those players who filled in to log quality playing time, but the backups in general, all of whom impressed during their individual preparations for Saturday’s game and throughout the season.

“There’s a lot of guys who didn’t play at all that were ready,” Sitake said. “I love the fact that we have a bunch of guys who are ready, and when they don’t get the opportunity that they’re happy for their brothers for making plays on the field … This is a close team and the players love each other. I’m just going to try and not get in the way.”