Defense delivers 24-23 win over SMU in New Mexico Bowl

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The BYU defense made the plays it needed to all night and sealed the Cougars’ 24-23 win with a game-saving stop on a 2-point try from SMU from Jakob Robinson in the New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium on Saturday night.

While BYU scored two unanswered touchdowns to go up 24-10 in the third quarter, SMU came galloping back in the fourth with two touchdowns of its own. The second SMU score came as quarterback Tanner Mordecai found receiver Jordan Kerley for a 12-yard scoring strike with eight seconds to play.

Despite the Mustang comeback, the Cougar defense was faced with one more chance to stop SMU as Mustang head coach Rhett Lashlee elected to keep his offense on the field for a 2-point conversion attempt. After a duel of timeouts, SMU sent Mordecai on a quarterback keeper and right into the expectant clutches of Robinson.

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The BYU defensive back’s game-sealing stop helped the Cougars clinch an 8-5 record and finish the 2022 season on a four-game winning streak.

BYU’s defense set the tone, holding the normally prolific SMU attack to 389 total yards with 171 on the ground and 218 through the air. Ben Bywater led the way for the Cougar defense with 11 tackles (four solo) and an interception returned for a touchdown, a 75-yard pick-six that flipped the game in BYU's favor to give them a third-quarter lead. 

Pepe Tanuvasa pitched-in 10 tackles, Robinson a career-high nine and Kaleb Hayes eight. BYU also forced two sacks with one from John Nelson and one from Alden Tofa.

With quarterback Jaren Hall injured, third-year freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters made his first-career collegiate start with at quarterback for the Cougars. The Hau’ula, Hawaii native, went 7-of-12 for 47 yards through the air with one interception while running for 96 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown.

The BYU offense rushed for 209 yards with Christopher Brooks carrying the ball 19 times for 88 yards and a rushing score. Hinckley Ropati was handed the ball five times and picked up 29 yards. Isaac Rex led BYU in receiving yards with a solo 27-yard grab.

BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd finished the night 3-for-3 on extra point attempts to go along with a 31-yard field goal make. With his performance on Saturday, Oldroyd has posted 338 points in his career to become BYU's all-time scoring leader.

The New Mexico Bowl win concludes BYU's 12-year (2011-22) run as an FBS Independent with a record of 99-56. When BYU returns the field in the fall of 2023, the Cougars will begin a new era in the Big 12 Conference. 

First Quarter
SMU began the game moving deep into BYU territory until arriving at 2nd and 4 from the Cougar 19. While Mordecai completed a quick pass to Kelvontay Dixon, Jackson Kaufusi and Talan Alfrey strung out Dixon and wrapped him up for a gain of just one. Mordecai was unable to complete a pass on 3rd and 3, giving SMU a 35-yard field goal attempt. Kicker Collin Rogers made the field goal and gave the Mustangs the early 3-0 lead with 12:01 to go in the quarter.

Maiava-Peters faked BYU’s opening handoff and kept it for a gain of 15 yards on 1st down. A personal foul against SMU tacked on 15 more yards to the end of the run and set up the BYU offense for further success into Mustang territory.

Maiava-Peters and Brooks combined to grind the ball on the ground down to 4th and goal from the 1-yard line. The rookie quarterback then called his own number and pranced into the end zone for the touchdown to cap the Cougars’ 11-play, 73-yard drive. BYU led 7-3 with 6:09 to go in the first.

SMU moved quickly down the field on its ensuing drive and finished it with Mordecai finding receiver Roderick Daniels Jr. for a 9-yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 5. The Mustang touchdown put them up 10-7 at the 2:16 point in the first.

Second Quarter
After a three-and-out from the BYU offense, the Cougar defense forced one of their own. Nelson burst through the SMU offensive line and sacked Mordecai for a loss of 11 on 2nd down. Tight BYU coverage plugged up Mordecai’s receivers and allowed Josh Singh to wrap up the Mustang quarterback well short of the line to gain on 3rd down and long. 

With the ball back in its possession, the BYU offense began a 14-play, 66-yard drive that culminated in a 31-yard field goal make for Jake Oldroyd. Three 3rd down conversions were key to the Cougars’ success on the drive. On 3rd and 5 from the SMU 48, Maiava-Peters pulled the ball down, scampered to the edge and made the marker with his feet. Ropati moved the sticks with a 6-yard run on 3rd and 4 from the Mustang 41. Maiava-Peters would again wheel and deal on the ground, eluding SMU defenders to reach the line to gain on 3rd and 12.

Oldroyd’s field goal tied the game at 10 with 3:34 remaining in the half. The BYU defense again forced a three-and-out on SMU’s final drive of the half as Gabe Summers swatted away a Mordecai pass. The Cougars and Mustangs headed to the locker room deadlocked at 10.

Third Quarter
BYU’s defense led a momentum swing in the Cougars’ favor during the third quarter. A Jakob Robinson quarterback pressure forced an SMU punt on the Mustangs’ opening drive of the half. Following an SMU interception of Maiava-Peters, the Cougar defense made sure it had one of its own.

The Mustangs had marched into BYU territory when Bywater stepped in front of the Mordecai pass for the interception and 76-yard touchdown return to put the Cougars up 17-10. After another SMU three-and-out, Brooks led the BYU offense in a nine-play, 82-yard scoring drive of over five minutes. The Cougars ran the ball on every play of the drive with 1st down carries from Brooks and Ropati before the Brooks burst through the Mustang defense on a 22-yard touchdown run to go up 24-10 with 1:22 left in the third quarter. 

Fourth Quarter
With the BYU offense unable to sustain a drive, the fourth quarter was all about the Cougar defense. Following a lengthy SMU drive into BYU territory, the Cougars faced 4th and 2 from their own 24 with 5:06 to play. Tofa came roaring off the edge and pressured Mordecai into the ground for a loss of 15.

BYU’s offense couldn’t put the game away on the ground and returned the ball to the Mustangs with 3:01 to go. Mordecai and the Mustangs marched into scoring territory and scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Kerley with eight seconds remaining. The Mustangs then kept their offense on the field for a 2-point conversion attempt.

After trading timeouts, BYU came away with the crucial stop as Robinson stopped Mordecai’s keeper, preserving the Cougars’ 24-23 win.

The win gave BYU an 8-5 season, its eighth season in 12 years as an Independent with at least 8 wins. BYU will play its next season in the Big 12.