Notes and Quotes: BYU vs. East Carolina

The following notes are from BYU’s 27-24 loss to East Carolina on Friday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

ALUMNI FLAGS:

• Michael Davis (defensive back 2013-16, Los Angeles Chargers 2017-)
• Mike Keim (offensive lineman 1987-90)
• Coleby Clawson (linebacker 2008-09)

AMERICAN FLAG:

• Offensive lineman Brayden Keim (son of Mike Keim)

STATE FLAG:

• Defensive lineman Aisea Moa

SERIES RESULTS: now 1-2

Attendance: 55,525

TEAM NOTES

• FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK
  • BYU suffers a four-game losing streak for the first time since 2017.
• NO PASSING TDs for AHLERS
  • BYU held East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers without a touchdown pass. Ahlers entered the game having thrown touchdown passes in 38 of 45 career games.
• FIRST HALF DEFENSE
  • BYU held East Carolina to 1 of 4 on third down in the first half. The Pirates were No. 11 nationally heading into the game on 3rd down (52.07%). The Pirates finished the game 2 for 8 on third down. 
• GROUND GAME
  • BYU’s offense recorded more rushing yards than passing yards for just second time in 2022 with 244 yards on the ground to 144 through the air versus East Carolina. BYU’s season-high rushing output came against South Florida with 314 yards.

PLAYER NOTES

• KATOA CARRIES
  • BYU running back Lopini Katoa recorded a career-high 20 carries versus East Carolina (previous high 19 vs. New Mexico State 2018)
  • Katoa’s 116 rushing yards are the second-most on his career. (155 vs. New Mexico State 2018). Katoa’s 24-yard touchdown run was his second of the season and first since the Baylor game on Sept. 10. The senior from American Fork, Utah now has 21-career touchdown runs six-career touchdown receptions, leading BYU in active career total touchdowns (27), rushing yards (1,745), rushing attempts (368), rushing touchdowns (21) and all-purpose yards (2,814).
• KATOA UP THE CHARTS
  • Katoa now ranks No. 14 all-time at BYU in career rushing attempts (368), surpassing Eldon “The Phantom” Fortie.
  • Tied for No. 13 in career rushing touchdowns (21) with Jeff Blanc and Eric Lane
  • No. 24 in all-purpose yards (2,814), surpassing Todd Christensen and Scott Phillips while just six yards shy of passing Taysom Hill.
• HALL PASSING and RUSHING
  • Jaren Hall recorded his 21st touchdown pass of the season, matching his 2021 total.
  • Hall rushed for a season-high 60 yards versus the Pirates (previous 28 vs. Baylor).
  • Hall has thrown multiple touchdown passes in eight of nine games this season and 12 of his last 13. 
• NACUA CONSISTENT
  • Puka Nacua recorded his third receiving touchdown of the season and third in as many games.
  • Nacua’s receiving touchdown is also his seventh overall touchdown this season and ninth receiving score of his BYU career (13th overall touchdown at BYU).
• REHKOW PUNT
  • Ryan Rehkow recorded a season-long 71-yard punt versus East Carolina
• BYWATER TACKLING
  • Linebacker Ben Bywater matched a season-high 11 tackles versus the Pirates. Bywater has now recorded double-digit tackles twice in 2022 and has registered at least five tackles in each game this season.
• BATTY PRESSURE
  • Defensive lineman Tyler Batty now leads the team on the season with four quarterback hurries and is tied with John Nelson for the team lead in tackles-for-loss with four in 2022.
• ROBERTS’ TOUCHDOWN
  • Chase Roberts recorded his second receiving touchdown of the season and first since the Baylor game on Sept. 10.
• WAKE’S RECEPTIONS
  • Masen Wake recorded his first receptions (3) since the Wyoming game on Sept. 24.
• FIRST STARTS OF THE SEASON
  • Defensive lineman Pepe Tanuvasa
  • Linebacker Chaz Ah You

NOTABLE CAREER HIGHS/CAREER FIRSTS

• Lopini Katoa: 20 carries (previous 18 vs. New Mexico State 2018)
• Kaleb Hayes: 7 tackles (BYU and overall collegiate career-high)
• Blake Mangelson:4 tackles (previous 3 vs. Oregon)

POSTGAME QUOTES - BYU

Head coach Kalani Sitake

Opening statement

“Congratulations to East Carolina. It was a tough game, back-and-forth, and they earned the win. I was really proud of our guys, in comparison to last week. The guys played a lot better, but everything is looking at the result of the game more than anything. This is where the culture of the team is supposed to thrive the most. I feel really good about our team, our core values and our principles as a team. The players are going to get better from this. We will respond well and be ready to go next week.

Obviously, it's supposed to hurt, and the struggles and adversities are tough things, but I’m proud of our players, how hard they played, and unfortunately we're able to get the win. We'll get back to work, fight some more and get ready for Boise next week.

Obviously, we’re going through a losing streak here, and the only way to turn around is to love each other, focus on each other, stick to our core values, our principles and allow the culture to take over.

You get defined by your culture when things go really bad. Sometimes success can mask some of the issues, and so this exposes a lot of it. I'm really excited about correcting things and getting things back to where we can play at our best and execute better and as a team in all three phases.”

On the failed third and fourth down conversions

“It's just lack of execution. Third-and-short, fourth-and-short is our nemesis right now. If that's the case, looking at analytics and all that stuff, if we are not able to execute and convert those, then we can't just keep going for it on fourth down all the time.”

On considering kicking a field goal on the last redzone drive

“Now in hindsight, looking back at it, of course. Maybe it was a little bit longer than one yard. Maybe it was a full two yards or close to it. That's my fault.”

On East Carolina

“East Carolina is a really good team. They are well coached, they played really hard, they were up for the challenge of coming out here to Provo and playing this game, and I think Coach Houston did an amazing job.”

BYU defensive lineman Tyler Batty

On if the defense has improved since last week:

“I think overall we’ve improved since last week. I’d say we could just keep building off that and just keep getting better.”

On the team’s morale after a tough loss:

“I think, if anything, this has just brought us closer as a team. We’ve got a good group of dudes, and there's not a single quitter in our locker room.”

On if the tone of the locker room was different today compared to last week:

“It was a completely different game last week to this week. Our guys, we just have a bunch of competitors, man. They want to win. They want to do their part.”

On advice to give other players who have to step in in case of injuries:

“I think we have a good team culture and a good locker room culture. It's the next man up, and everyone wants to do what they can to help the team. I’d say our guys stay ready for that opportunity. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but they're out there giving it all they have.

On BYU’s pass interference call late in the fourth quarter:

“We love to play football. So, any opportunity we get to be out on that field, as a defense, we love it. Even though our job is to get off the field. But that was tricky. Would’ve loved to see a different outcome.”

BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua

On the offensive performance

“I didn't think it was bad. Critical game execution on critical downs — third-down conversions, obviously our fourth-down conversions. On my part, I don't think I caught a single deep ball today, other than the blown coverage. I’ve got to be better. I'm a playmaker and a deep threat, and I wasn't that today.”

On if he was disappointed to not be the target on a few crucial plays in the fourth quarter

“No, definitely not. I trust everybody that is out there on the field. They did a good job of making sure they've located me. So, I felt like there are places where I have the opportunity to make the play and there's a there's play calls where it's my job to draw two extra defenders so somebody else can get open.”

On East Carolina’s defense in the fourth quarter

“Yeah, I'm looking here and I'm seeing six for 13 for third down conversions. As a wide receiver, it’s our job to convert or at least get us to a reasonable fourth down and then also we were 0-2 on fourth downs. Obviously, that's two big ones. We don't go for it a lot on fourth downs, especially when we're close to the red zone. So it just comes back down to execution. It’s not bad play calls and stuff that we practice during the week. We just didn't execute on certain things.

BYU running back Lopini Katoa

On the offense’s last possession of the game and a potential game-winning drive

“In the huddle, I was looking around, and everybody wanted it. We’re at a point in our season where our backs are against the ropes right now. I looked around, and I felt that everybody wanted to make the play and to get it done. It just didn’t happen tonight.”

On if their last offensive drive was one of the most important drives of the season

“Definitely. We knew. Obviously, when it’s in the moment, it’s just one play at a time, and do your job. Get it done. Everybody knows. We’re trying to get back on track. It was a huge moment for us.”

On the adversity that he and the team are facing

“It’s weird. When I first got here, we experienced similar adversity, and it’s kind of come full circle, and it’s weird. There’s so much talent and the potential of this team is huge. It’s a weird feeling. There’s a lot of guys who were here when we were in a slump. We dug ourselves out. I know that we’re not going to fold. We’re going to keep working. You’re going to see improvements every week, because that’s just the character of this team. Nobody imagined that we’d be in this situation coming into this year. It is what it is, and we just have to respond in the best way possible.”

POSTGAME QUOTES - EAST CAROLINA

Head coach Mike Houston

Coach Houston’s opening statement

“What a performance. This is a tough, tough place to win. Our kids had the character, the resiliency and were good enough to find a way to win tonight. I knew we would get a great effort from BYU, and I knew it was going to be tough. But our offense responded time-and-time again in the first half, our defense did a good job getting stops in the second half and when we had to have it, we found a way to make a play.”

On the decision to go for it on 4th-and-8 late in the game

“I considered punting it, but if you punt it there, you’re not playing to win in regulation but playing for overtime. On the road, in a tough place to play, we wanted to win the ballgame now.” 

Running back Keaton Mitchell

On the team’s expectation for the run game

“We knew the o-line was going to do their job. I told them the last two games they were doing their job. It's gotten better every week. We’re getting better in practice. What a good night for the whole team.”

On the team’s game-winning field goal

“I already knew he was going to make it. The one he missed, he said it was his fault. I had to come and pick his head up, tell him his time would come to win the game for us, and he did.”

Quarterback Holton Ahlers

On his message to the team at halftime

“I said we had a chance to go win this thing in the second half. I said we're not leaving this place without a win, and it starts with the offensive line. I told them that we said that all season, but really tonight, to win in tough environments like this you’ve got to have a good offensive line ready to match people, and they certainly did that tonight.”

On the offense’s success later in the game

“We knew that we were running the ball really well. When we were passing we were completing it, which was huge to keep the ball moving and stay out of third downs. BYU has a good defense, they are really talented. They're a talented and really well-coached team, but any time you can go in and run the football, that’s where it starts.”

On facing the environment in Provo

“This is a hard place to win. Coach listed off all the things that could have affected us to lose this game tonight, but good teams win in environments like this, and we feel like we're a really good team. So now we’ve just got to keep this momentum going.”

Linebacker Chance Bates

On getting a win

“It's a great feeling, just to be a part of this program, be a part of this team and feeling the atmosphere we get, whether we play at home or away. Being a part of something special is amazing. I'm glad we came out with a win as a team. I'm proud of these guys and how we played as a team.”