BYU-Texas Tech football notes: Cougars got run game boost from return of senior Aidan Robbins
-
- BYU senior running back Aidan Robbins carries the ball during the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
-
- BYU senior running back Aidan Robbins celebrates getting a first down during the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
-
- BYU junior punter Ryan Rehkow punts the ball during the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
-
- BYU senior running back Aidan Robbins carries the ball up the field during the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
-
- BYU defenders celebrate getting a fourth-down stop during the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
-
- BYU fans celebrate with junior defensive back Jakob Robinson after the Big 12 game against Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Going into the seventh game of the season, the BYU running attack has been less than stellar generally, and the criticism was not lost on Cougar running back Aidan Robbins.
“It was heartbreaking last week for me to hear the (TV) announcers say that we had one of the worst run games in the country, so I personally took it heart because that’s not who we are, especially with the guys we have up front and who’ve we got in the running back room” Robbins said after Saturday’s 27-14 BYU win over Texas Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo.
“We came to practice with the right mindset, we grinded and did more than what was required of us, and that showed on the field.”
As a team BYU rushed the ball 30 times for 150 yards. Much of it was the hard-nosed running by Robbins to move the chains and chew the clock in the final stanza. He finished with 49 yards on 16 carries.
But BYU freshman running back LJ Martin’s explosive 55-yard run early in the first quarter set up the first Cougar touchdown while also setting the tone for the rest of the contest.
“Those guys can handle a lot and we knew coming in that Aidan and LJ would get the bulk of the runs tonight,” Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said. “We feel good about that running back core right now, and we know we can rely on both of those guys.”
Robbins also provided a front-runner for quote of the year about BYU’s crowd and energy that had the press corps bursting out with laughter.
“There’s a difference between having people just filling up the seats and having people filling up the seats and making noise,” Robbins said with a grin. “People are into the game, and everybody out there is sober, and I love it.”
Tackling Texas Tech
BYU had two players record double digit tackles as defensive backs Crew Wakley and Jakob Robinson had 11 and 10 respectively. Tyler Batty was very active from his lineman position registering a total of nine tackles while causing a fumble.
AJ Vongphachanh had a tackle for loss as did Joshua Singh. Wakley combined with Eddie Heckard for another tackle for loss.
BYU also had five different players register pass deflections in Wakley, Robinson, Heckard, Ethan Slade and Blake Mangelson.
Big game for Ryan Rehkow
BYU punter Ryan Rehkow is truly a weapon. In the Texas Tech game he had eight punts for 364 yards and a 45.5 average with three of his punts pinning the Red Raiders inside the 20-yard line.
Rehkow had two huge punts of 70 and 66 yards that flipped the field position and when Red Raider punt return specialist Myles Price did bring back one of them for 35 yards, he was Johnny on the spot with a big fumble recovery after a jarring hit by Batty.
Kicker Will Ferrin was solid going two-for-two on his field goals with a long of 41 yards.
Texas Tech woes
NFL coaching legend Bill Parcells once said when describing another team’s struggles, “you are what your record says you are.”
Texas Tech does have some tantalizing talent but the Red Raiders tend to make the critical mistakes to lose games. And now with the loss to BYU, Texas Tech falls to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12.
“It’s hard to win a game with five turnovers,” Red Raider head coach Joey McGuire said. “One good thing is that I think our guys played to the end, but I know there is a lot of frustration in that locker room right now.”
In addition to five turnovers, the Red Raiders also committed nine penalties for 80 yards while the Cougars committed just four penalties for 24 yards. Some of those Red Raider penalties negated substantial gains.
Texas Tech also struggles to win games away from Lubbock. Last year the Red Raiders were just 1-4 away from Jones AT&T stadium, and so far this year, the Red Raiders are 1-3 on the road with losses at Wyoming, West Virginia and now BYU.
The game within the game
When the offense makes any kind of substitution, the defense has a right to make its own substitutions and the officials will hold up the offense until those substitutions can fairly line up.
As Texas Tech took possession after a Cougar punt, the Red Raiders were missing a player and ran one on to the field. BYU coaches then alertly made some of their own substitutions as the play clock approached zero and forced Texas Tech to use a timeout before a delay of game penalty could be called.
Losing two timeouts before the end of the third quarter was over trailing by three scores was just another thing that hindered the Red Raiders.
Extra points
The alumni flags were carried by Graham Rowley, defensive lineman from 2010–11, 2014-15; Kyle Roberts, defensive back from 1987, 1990-1993; and Vaha Ongoongotau, defensive back from 1994-95 … The teams flags were carried by linebacker Harrison Taggart (USA flag), kicker Will Ferrin (State of Utah flag), linebacker Sione Moa (Big 12 flag), and defensive end Aisea Moa carried the No. 72 flag to honor former Cougar Sione Veikoso, who died in a tragic construction accident in Hawaii in December of 2022 … The coin toss was won by Texas Tech who elected to defer their choice to the second half … The announced attendance was 66,523 and it was pretty much a perfect evening for football with temperatures in the 60s and 70s for much of the contest with little wind.
