Four Thoughts on BYU’s 38-31 Win Over Arkansas
While the Big 12 slate this weekend may not have looked great on paper, it certainly was an eventful day. Iowa State fell to Ohio, Oklahoma State got blown out by South Alabama and Cincinnati lost to Miami of Ohio for the first time in over 15 years.
Despite a few tough losses, there were a couple bright spots for the conference. West Virginia took care of business vs. Pitt and BYU went into Fayetteville, Arkansas to knock off the Razorbacks from the almighty SEC. Here are my four thoughts on BYU’s 38-31 win over Arkansas.
Kedon Slovis Wasn’t Great, But He Made Plays
If you look at the stat line for Kedon Slovis, you wouldn’t be impressed. He went 13/25 for 167 yards and two touchdowns. While that may not be great, he didn’t turn the ball over which is important on the road. Slovis threw two touchdown passes in the second half which helped BYU win this game. I know he struggled in Week 1 against Sam Houston, but he definitely has gotten better over the last two weeks. If BYU is going to be successful this season, then Kedon Slovis is going to have to play well.
Chase Roberts’ Catch
I know it is only week three of the college football season, but Jake Roberts made one of the best catches I have ever seen.
His catch gave BYU the lead with eight minutes left to play and that touchdown ended up being the difference in the game. No matter who you were rooting for in this one, you must admit it was an awesome grab.
BYU’s Third Down Defense Was Good
The Cougars didn’t play their best game defensively, but they got off the field when it mattered. Arkansas went 2/13 on third down, which is less than a 16% completion rate. That is outstanding and almost unheard of in today’s college football. Of course, they need to shake off some of the big plays, but getting stops on third down is key for any defense.
A Win is a Win
As crazy as it sounds, BYU didn’t play their best game and still found a way to get the job done on the road in a hostile environment. Big plays won the game offensively and despite giving up some big plays on defense (including a punt return), the Cougars just kept battling every step of the way. BYU had seven penalties in the game, but fortunately for them Arkansas had a whopping 14. Anytime you can beat an SEC team on the road it is a big deal and BYU managed to do just that. And after a rough day in the Big 12, they made some of the pain go away. Plus, this should be a big confidence boost heading into conference play.
