1 / 5

BYU freshman gunner Marcus McKenzie scoops up a muffed punt during the game against Southern Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 5

BYU junior punter Ryan Rehkow punts the ball during the game against Southern Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

3 / 5

BYU special teams players Marcus McKenzie (left) and Harrison Taggart celebrate a good play during the game against Southern Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

4 / 5

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake encourages his team during the game against Southern Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

5 / 5

BYU junior tight end Isaac Rex catches a pass during the game against Southern Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

❮ ❯

The most unexpectedly fascinating tandem on the BYU football team in the first two weeks of the 2023 season has been junior punter Ryan Rehkow and freshman gunner Marcus McKenzie.

It’s not that surprising to see Rehkow booming big kicks (he had another 64-yarder in Saturday’s 41-16 Cougar win over SUU at LaVell Edwards Stadium) but McKenzie has been a revelation.

The young speedster has routinely been the first man down the field and now has four tackles, including pinning the Thunderbirds at their own 2-yard line.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” McKenzie said after the game. “The coaches gave me the opportunity to go out and play, and I have an easy job. I just run down there and try to tackle the guy. And Rehkow makes it even easier. He punts the ball for 20 seconds in the air so I could jog down there. Being able to go out there and get the momentum on our side is exciting.”

He also made a heads-up play in the fourth quarter on one of Rehkow’s few bad kicks.

“I saw the returner signal to get away, so I knew the ball must be short,” McKenzie said. “Then I heard the ball hit off of something, off a pad, so I was like, okay, the ball is somewhere. I was looking around, saw it in front of me and I just jumped up and tried to get it.”

The blocker and McKenzie knocked the ball past the returner but McKenzie was able to get up and recover it.

He laughed when asked about not returning the fumble for a touchdown, saying, “I’ll hear it from myself and everyone on the team. I should’ve taken that to the house.” It wouldn’t have counted, however, since a muffed punt is dead where it is recovered.

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said the McKenzie has done a great job in his role and noted the Cougar heritage connection.

“He’s a playmaker and his when his brother gets home from his mission, it’s going to be nice because we’re going to have two Mackenzies doing the work,” Sitake said. “He has great genes. I obviously blocked for their day (former Cougar running back Brian McKenzie) and their mom was a track athlete here. It makes sense that he’s down there. He’s almost beat the punt down there and that is hard to do.”

Marcus McKenzie grinned when asked what his dad has said to him about his performance.

“He said, ‘good job and keep doing it,'” Marcus McKenzie said. “He doesn’t want to say much but he’s proud.”

Another son of a former BYU star is junior tight end Isaac Rex, who tied Gordon Hudson for the most Cougar TD catches by a tight end (22) with his first-quarter score on Saturday.

Rex said getting that record meant even more since his dad, Byron Rex, also played tight end for BYU.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say it meant a lot,” Isaac Rex said. “I’ve grown up being a huge BYU fan, coming all the games, looking up to guys like you know Dennis Pitta and my dad of course and even Gordon Hudson, watching some of his old highlights.

“It has been a dream of mine to play this position to be at the school and to get a record like that is really cool for me. I don’t take it lightly. I realize that this is a team sport and I try to do my job every play. But to have a stat in the record books is really cool and I can’t deny that.”

Scoring defense success

Since BYU held the Thunderbirds to three points in the first half, it was the first time since 2012 that the Cougar defense opened the first six quarters of a season without allowing a touchdown (Washington State, Weber State).

It was also the first time BYU held opponents scoreless in the first half in back-to-back contests since Oct. 31 and Nov. 6, 2020 in wins over Western Kentucky and Boise State.

Sharing the wealth

BYU senior quarterback Kedon Slovis racked up four touchdown passes to four different receivers for the first time for the Cougars since a victory over Idaho State in 2021 (Jaren Hall).

“That’s even more fun,” Slovis said. “You get a lot of guys involved. The beauty of this offense is it’s not one dimensional. There’s not one guy we go through on everything. We have a lot of good players, a lot of playmakers.

“Depending on what defenses do and what plays are called, I think a lot of guys can have a lot of success. As a quarterback, that doesn’t limit me and that makes my job to 10 times easier.”

Eight receivers recorded at least one grab in the game.

Extra points

BYU lost the coin toss and SUU deferred to the second half. The Cougars are now 1-1 on coin tosses in 2023 … the Cougar alumni flags were carried out by Jason Speredon (OL, 2006-10), Aaron Wagner (2005-06, 2010) and Jadon Wagner (LB, 2007-11), while the team flags were carried by Talmage Gunther (WR), Marcus McKenzie (CB) and Sonny Makasini (OL) … the game-time weather was 80 degrees, although wind and storm clouds moved in in the second half … the announced attendance was 60,834.

Newsletter