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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU wide receiver Samson Nacua makes a catch during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU wide receiver Neil Pau'u runs upfield during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU mascot Cosmo and the Cougarettes do a dance performance during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier lunges into the end zone during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier lunges into the end zone during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU mascot Cosmo poses for a photo during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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A BYU fan cheers on the team during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU flags are waved by Cosmo and a cheerleader during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall takes the snap during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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A BYU ball carrier runs upfield during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua makes a catch during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU offensive lineman finish a play during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall prepares to run a play during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU's Cougarettes entertain the crowd with a dance performance during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua is tackled during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua is tackled during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall takes the snap during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Tyler Allgeier runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU running back Jackson McChesney runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall runs the ball during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Marcia Harris, Special to the Daily Herald)

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BYU junior defensive lineman Earl Tuioti-Mariner celebrates after his team recovered a fumble during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

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BYU sophomore running back Tyler Allgeier runs the football during the 66-49 Cougar win over Virginia at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

❮ ❯

When a pair of head coaches with defensive backgrounds and ties to BYU get together in Provo, what should you expect?

Well, definitely an old-fashioned offensive shootout, right?

That’s what happened when Kalani Sitake’s Cougars hosted Bronco Mendenhall’s Cavaliers in LaVell Edwards Stadium Saturday night in Provo.

It was a nightmare for both defenses while the two offenses put up video-game-esque numbers.

“Two defensive coaches don’t really like shootouts,” Sitake said after the game.

In the end, victory came down to which team could maintain the pace with the fewest mistakes — and that turned out to be BYU.

The Cougars forced a pair of key fourth-quarter turnovers and only allowed Virginia a single second-half TD, pulling away to get the 66-49 win, which was the 600th in BYU program history.

“The difference was defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki making adjustments at halftime,” Sitake said. “It wasn’t so much scheme adjustments as focusing on fundamentals. We did a couple of things differently but I think we started well. Then guys started to get a little fatigued and you miss tackles when you start to get tired. The second quarter was really harsh for me to see as a coach but the guys gained their composure. Our guys made some plays and we got some turnover in the second half, and that was the difference for us.”

It’s almost like a broken record at this point but once again BYU turned to Tyler Allgeier to be the workhorse and he came through with another monster performance.

Allgeier was almost unstoppable, rumbling for a career-high 266 yards on 29 carries with five touchdowns, tying a BYU record.

“He’s tough, man,” Sitake said. “He has a lot of speed. He can fly, so it’s dangerous when he gets to the second level. He’s a little sore but we’re going to need him to do that. It’s just a matter of time before he finds a crease and turns it into a big play.”

Allgeier said he just loves being able to come up big when his team needs him.

“The offensive line gets me to where I need to be,” Allgeier said. “I read off them. They make me right, then I make them right.”

It was a game that saw the Cougars riding high, desperately hanging on, then making the key plays down the stretch to come away victorious.

BYU trailed 49-45 heading into the final period with the outcome very much in doubt.

Three plays in, the Cougars got a 10-yard scoring pass from sophomore quarterback Jaren Hall to junior wide receiver Neil Pau’u to go in front. It turned out to be a lead BYU would never relinquish.

On the first play of the next Cavalier drive, BYU senior defensive lineman Uriah Leiataua hammered Virginia running back Wayne Taulapapa and knocked the ball free. Leiataua then rolled on top of the ball for the fumble recovery, giving the home team a crucial turnover.

“I’m proud of the way we fought,” Cougar linebacker Payton Wilgar said. “That was fumble was huge. Any time against an offense like that, one that scores a lot of points and makes a lot of good plays, to get a turnover is huge. We know our offense is going to score and have our backs.”

Hall called that play a “game-changer.”

“Our defense played lights out in the second half,” Hall said. “They came out and did their thing. That fumble right there gave us a short field and we were able to go up by two scores.”

Two plays later, Allgeier found an opening, sprinted down the sideline and successfully dove for the pylon for a 31-yard touchdown that put BYU up by two scores.

The Cougars virtually put the game away on the next two drives as BYU sophomore linebacker Drew Jensen intercepted a pass from Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who left the game after that play and didn’t return.

BYU’s offense needed seven plays to get back to the end zone as Allgeier added one final score, this one from four yards out, to close out the high-scoring battle.

“The offense had to be ready for a shootout, no matter what,” Sitake said. “I’m glad they were.”

The two teams combined for 116 total points, the second highest total in Cougar history. The record is 117 points from BYU’s 72-45 loss at Hawaii in 2001.

It didn’t appear like there would be much excitement or drama as things appeared to be all in BYU’s favor in the first quarter, when the Cougars were riding high on both sides of the ball.

BYU’s defense forced Virginia into a pair of three-and-outs and picked off a pass, which allowed the Cougar offense to tally 21 quick points on a two-yard run by Hall, a one-yard run by Allgeier and a 26-yard pass from Hall to wide receiver Puka Nacua.

But then the potent Cavalier offense settled in and scored touchdowns on its next six possessions, while the Cougar defense struggled to even slow the visitors at all.

BYU’s offense wasn’t quite able to keep pace but it did notch 17 more points — including another TD for Allgeier from five yards out and a 40-yard scoring pass from Hall to wide receiver Samson Nacua.

The two teams amassed 832 total yards in the first half alone (448 for Virginia, 384 for BYU) with the Cavaliers having a 42-38 lead at the break.

The Cougars would then outgain Virginia by 210 yards in the second half, totaling 734 yards for the game (sixth-most in BYU history) to 588 for Virginia.

Nacua said the offense was proud that it could be the one to carry the team to victory by putting up 66 points.

“It was like, we’ve got you,” Nacua said. “Our defense rallied back after Virginia had explosive plays, and they were able to get some stops. But it was fun on offense, knowing that we had such a rhythm that no matter what they would do we would go out and get a touchdown when we stepped on the field. I’m super-proud of my boys on offense.”

That set the stage for the second-half fireworks that ended in BYU coming out on top to move to 7-2 on the year, getting its fifth win over a Power Five opponent.

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