Postgame Notes: No. 21 BYU 26, No. 9 Baylor 20 (2OT)

The following notes and quotes are from No. 21 BYU’s 26-20 (2OT) win over No. 9 Baylor on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

ALUMNI FLAGS: Derwin Grey (DB, 1989-92), Danny Frazier (LB, 1977-79), Justin Anderson (current director of player personnel (2022-) and former wide receiver (2000-02)

AMERICAN FLAG: Logan Lutui (DL)

STATE FLAG: Parker Kingston (WR)

SERIES RESULTS: now 2-2

Attendance: 63,470 (Sellout)

 

TEAM NOTES

Wins vs. Top-10 opponents

Saturday marked BYU’s sixth all-time win over a team ranked in the top-10 of the AP poll, and first at home since its upset of No. 1 Miami in 1990. Those wins include:

• 20-14 at No. 3 Pitt (1984)
• 28-21 vs. No. 4 Air Force (1985)
• 28-21 vs. No. 1 Miami (1990)
• 14-13 vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (2009 at Arlington, Texas)
• 24-21 at No. 6 Wisconsin (2018)
• 26-20 (OT) vs. No. 9 Baylor (2022)

The win over Baylor is also BYU’s 33rd all-time over a team ranked in the AP top-25 poll.

Sitake’s 50th win

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake reached his 50th win on Saturday versus Baylor. Sitake now has a record of 50-29 at BYU (2016-) and a winning percentage of 0.633.

Honoring LaVell Edwards

Sitake reaches his 50th win in his seventh season and 79th game. The great LaVell Edwards reached 50 wins in his seventh season and 77th game. This season BYU celebrates the 50th anniversary of Edwards’ hiring (1972).

Sitake in overtime

BYU is undefeated under Sitake in overtime (4-0). Other wins include a 28-21 double-overtime win over Mississippi State at home in 2016, a 29-26 double-overtime win at Tennessee in 2019 and a 30-27 win over No. 24 USC, also in 2019.

Flipping the sript

In BYU’s 38-24 loss at Baylor in 2021, the Cougars allowed 534 yards of total offense (231 passing, 303 rushing). In Saturday’s win over the Bears, BYU allowed just 289 yards of total offense (137 passing, 152 rushing).

The Cougar offense picked up just 15 first downs and gave up two turnovers in the 2021 loss to Baylor. On Saturday night the Cougars moved the chains 24 times with zero turnovers.

Sacks

BYU’s defense forced four sacks of Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen on Saturday night, the most the Cougars have forced in a game since a 24-16 win over Arizona on Sept. 4, 2021. Four different players recorded sacks: Lorenzo Fauatea, John Nelson, Ben Bywater and Caden Haws.

PLAYER NOTES

Quarterback Jaren Hall

Hall became the first BYU quarterback (1972-) to both throw and receive a touchdown pass in the same game. The last BYU quarterback to catch a touchdown pass was Steve Young in the Cougars’ 21-17 win over Missouri in the 1983 Holiday Bowl.

Wide Receiver Chase Roberts

Roberts recorded a career-high 122 receiving yards on eight receptions (avg. 15.3 per catch), along with a first-career touchdown grab. Roberts became the first BYU receiver to surpass 100 yards since Puka Nacua on Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Idaho State.

Notable career highs/career firsts

Tackles: Max Tooley (tied career high with 13) and records his third-career double-digit tackle game.

• Ben Bywater recorded 11 tackles for his fourth-career double-digit tackle game
• Ammon Hannemann (8)
• Caden Haws (5)
• John Nelson (4 and first-career sack)

First receiving TD: Jaren Hall

First passing TD: Chase Roberts

First receiving TD: Chase Roberts

First Tackle: Lisala Tai, Carter Krupp, Houston Heimuli (at BYU)

Postgame Quotes

Head coach Kalani Sitake

Opening Statement

"It was a great game and I am so proud of our guys. Happy that we got the win. We had a lot of opportunities to win, it was back and forth, but we felt good about the matchup. We found ways to improve from last year. It was a challenge for the whole program. To be able to take on BIG-12 champions like that and to get a win, wow. The game changer was our fans, the noise, the energy. Our boys love it and we as coaches especially love it too. Looking at the stats, overall I am really proud of our defense and Coach Tuiaki. The defense kept us in there for a little bit when things were struggling. You got to give Baylor a lot of credit. Dave Aranda is an amazing coach and his coordinators have done a great job at getting their team ready. It seemed like we made that one play more than they did. Just happy with the win. Looking forward to learning from the mistakes from this game. I am proud of the young players that stepped up. We knew that we were going to be down a couple receivers. It was tons of fun. What an honor to compete on the field against Baylor. We are very fortunate to get the win."

On where this game ranks in his career

"We’ve had so many of those. Personally, I didn't have any gray hair before I got this job and now, I have to cut it short but it's worth it. I mean it's just a lot of fun and we've been on the other side of that in those close losses. The magic happens at home especially when we get the fans involved. I don't know where it ranks just right now. It feels like the best because it's the most recent you know. From last year's game I made statements about how we had to learn from that loss. We knew we were going to see them again. And I wanted to see an improvement in our team and our program from everybody. I wish I could take credit for all of it, but it's everyone involved in our staff: our strength coaches, our sports scientists our trainers, the players themselves."

On keeping spirits up on the sideline

"You have to generate the energy and then just not give up. You build off of each other when that happens. I wish I knew the overall answer but the guys are resilient and they stuck with it. Didn’t give up. Baylor was close to scoring, but the guys showed a textbook example of grit. And we saw throughout the whole game. But, Baylor's a tough team to prepare for because they are so physical and you just can't sit there and say we're going to beat these guys up. That just doesn't happen. No, nobody does that to them. They are obviously very efficient in special teams. I think in this game it came down to one play that we were able to make. We believe in Jake (Oldroyd) and we love him and we support him and we wouldn't be the program that we are right now without him. He’ll get better and he will learn from it."

On what he said to kicker Jake Oldroyd after the game

Oh, I just brought him up in front of the team and told him how much we love him and how much we appreciate all that he's done for our program. And we still believe in him and we got his back. I know that no one is hurting more than him right now. We have to remember that we won the game. You made some field goals and kicked some PT’s and allowed us to win this game by kicking the ball. So there's other things that you did that are positives and just not let the two missed field goals be the biggest issue in this.

On Chase Roberts' Performance

"This stuff happens! It feels like when everybody is questioning what we're going to do, players step up. Chase Roberts is a great player; he hasn't had all those opportunities. We love Puka (Nakua) and Gunner (Romney), but I mean we talk about our depth quite often. I thought Chase Roberts did a great job, but also Kody Epps did a great job, Keanu Hill, Dallin Holker, Isaac Rex. I was really impressed with how we took care of the football and that paid off in this type of game. I don't think anybody had turnovers in this game. Iit was a back and forth game and just glad we're able to get that play on fourth down."

On the home environment and fans

"It was huge. I almost lost my voice on the Cougar Walk because I was so energized by it. I'm a fan first. I was a fan before I was a player and I was a fan before I was head coach. So when I see them there, I just want to know how much I appreciate them. And part of that is really just showing gratitude by cheering and getting excited and asking."

On the leadership of quarterback Jaren Hall

"I don’t know if anything I say can do it justice about the importance of Jaren’s leadership on our team. But also, our culture is about truth. You don’t have to be a captain to just speak the truth. And that's part of us being humble and trying to find ways for everybody to have a role on this team. I want them to relish it. (Tyler) Batty got injured, yet he was one of the biggest cheerleaders on the sideline. That's just the culture of the team. And that's the leadership in our program. I wish I could say it was all me, but it's the players. I get to coach great young men from unbelievable families. It’s so much fun to be around then and sometimes it’s good for me to get out of the way and let them do their thing."

Running back Lopini Katoa

On moments after the game with kicker Jake Oldroyd

“I told him he has no reason to hang his head. He has kept us in so many games and won games for us in the past. I don’t have any doubt that Jake will come back better. He’s a leader on the team and we all have his back.”

On the transition from the overtime win against USC in 2019 to tonight's win over Baylor

“That game against USC started something big here at BYU. But after what Baylor did to us last year and to return the favor, it felt so great.”

On scoring against Baylor's defense

“It wasn’t the prettiest day on the ground, and we obviously wanted to put something better together as a team, but we got the job done.”

Wide receiver Chase Roberts

On throwing and catching a touchdown pass in the same game

"I’ve never thrown a touchdown pass in my life. A couple days into practice they (coaches) were like “who’s the receiver that can throw the ball.” They gave us each one shot, and I threw a good spiral I think, and they put me in there. I was like okay; I am going to do it. I’m glad we did it and executed it well. It was cool to see."

On the statement the team made tonight

"A huge one. With Jaren leading the team, his leadership skills, and the other leaders we have on the team, we're always confident going into any game. Whether it's a top 10 ranked team, whether it's the last ranked team, we're going to go and win the game."

On his role with Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua injured

"Our coaches had all the confidence in the world that whoever's out there, Gunner, Puka, or the other seven or eight guys that we have in the receiving core. We’re going to go and make some plays and put some points on the board. We’re just confident in that."

Defensive lineman Fisher Jackson

On the impact of the fans

“Playing at home did a lot for us today. They helped cause penalties for our opponent just like last year with Arizona State here with how loud they were. I think that really plays a part in how teams drive the field and how they perform in the redzone. The ROC does a great job.”

On the confidence within the program right now

“We’re here to compete. We’re here to win every game we play and try to shake up college football.”

Linebacker Max Tooley

On persevering through disappointment after missed chances to win the game

“Nobody on the defense was discouraged to put our helmet on and trusted that we could get it done in the second overtime. We love our teammates no matter what. Jake Oldroyd has won so many games for us with so many big kicks. He’ll make the next one.”

On the toughness of Baylor

“This was a physical one. We had to deal with their tight ends and linemen every play and they like to run the ball. We made a point of emphasis to get physical too and feel like we came in this year with something to prove, especially in our run defense.”

On what motivated his performance

“I’ve had full confidence in myself, but performing well is a matter of feeling good, healthy, having the coach’s trust and my back. I think the biggest thing when it comes to football is loosening up and trying to eliminate extra thoughts out of my head.”

 

Baylor Postgame Quotes

Head coach Dave Aranda
On the last play of the game
“Right up until that last play, that fourth down. I think everyone on our sideline is thinking we’re going to win.”

Jacob Gall, Baylor OL
On what BYU did differently defensively compared to last year
“I think they mixed up their looks a lot more than last year. They adjusted well and gave us a lot of different plays to go against.”

On what BYU did to put pressure on Shapen
“Yeah, just the different looks they threw at us. It’s not always about missing blocks and assignments, sometimes they dialed up pressures that worked well against our protection.”

On how loud the stadium was
“It’s a very loud stadium. We knew that coming in, and I think we were prepared for that.”

Mark Milton, Baylor DB
On BYU’s success through the air without Puka Nacua or Gunner Romney
“I think at the end of the day, it was just little things that can be fixed. It wasn’t too much of a surprise. They’re a great football team even with those people out. We just got to make sure we don’t beat ourselves at the end of the day.”

On playing against Jaren Hall
“We’ve played a lot of good quarterbacks. He has a lot of great talent. “