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Recap and highlights: Extra point mishap proves costly as Washington State falls to BYU 21-19

Recap

PULLMAN – Tyler Allgeier bulldozed his way to 191 yards and two touchdowns and BYU snapped Washington State’s three-game win streak, edging the Cougars 21-19 Saturday afternoon at GESA Field.

Five days after WSU coach Nick Rolovich and four assistants were terminated by the school for failing to comply with a state COVID-19 vaccine, a makeshift staff led by defensive coordinator Jake Dickert took the field against a BYU team that was ranked in the preseason Top 25 but lost each of its last two games.

Max Borghi had three rushing touchdowns for WSU – a career-high for the senior running back – and punched in a 1-yard score with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter. Needing a two-point conversion after a PAT failed earlier in the game, the Cougars tried a reverse pass with Lincoln Victor but the wide receiver’s pass failed and BYU was able to come out with the victory.

Borghi had his best outing of the season, rushing a career-high 18 times for 83 yards, but his defensive teammates had no answer for BYU’s Allgeier, who also registered a career-high in rushing attempts and averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Allgeier carried the ball seven times on the final possession of the game and iced BYU’s fourth win against a Pac-12 team on a nine-yard carry inside the final two minutes.

WSU quarterback Jayden de Laura finished without a passing or rushing touchdown for the first time this season, completing 26 of 37 passes for 257 yards and one interception. BYU quarterback Jaren Hall was 15 of 20 for 143 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Cougars (4-4, 3-2) travel to Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) for a noon kickoff in Tempe.

First quarter

14:00 - WSU 0, BYU 0: The Cougars of Pullman receive the ball to start the game. Jayden de Laura drops back on the second play with plenty of time to throw and makes a shovel pass to Max Borghi who gains 11 yards and a first down.

10:59 - WSU 0, BYU 0: Jayden de Laura completes a first down into the redzone to Travell Harris for six yards. The WSU offensive line doing a great job in pass protection as de Laura is 5 of 5 for 51 yards on the opening drive.

9:36 - WSU 7, BYU 0: Max Borghi takes a draw up the middle that fools the BYU defense for an 11 yard touchdown. Methodical and balanced first drive for WSU to start Jake Dickerts first game as interim coach, 10 plays for 75 yards, five runs and five passes.

7:02 - WSU 7, BYU 0: Tyler Allgeier runs for 30 yards down to the WSU 5 and the Cougars of Provo are matching WSU’s opening drive. Seven plays for 70 yards to open the game for BYU.

6:04 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Lopini Katoa runs for a 3-yard touchdown to cap off the BYU drive. Early makings of a shootout in Pullman today.

5:45 - WSU 7, BYU 7: De’Zhaun Stribling takes a screen pass for 20 yards on third-and-10 to the WSU 45.

4:25 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Jayden de Laura takes a deep shot that hangs in the air for an easy interception for BYU safety Malik Moore. BYU takes over at its own 23.

3:47 - WSU 7, BYU 7: WSU forces a three-and-out. Travell Harris muffs the punt but recovers quickly at the WSU 8. 

0:12 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Max Borghi takes a shovel pass for three yards, but the Cougs of Pullman will be forced to punt to open the second quarter from their own 34.

Second quarter

13:00 - WSU 7, BYU 7: BYU quarterback Jaren Hall makes several WSU defenders miss on a keeper and picks up 13 yards and a first down to the WSU 26.

12:05 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Willie Taylor III sacks Jaren Hall for a loss of six and forces a fumble that is recovered by BYU at the WSU 32.

11:04 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Jacob Oldroyd’s 45-yard field goal attempt misses badly wide left. 

7:39 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Jayden de Laura completes a 15-yard pass to Travell Harris on third down, but a holding penalty negates the play and stalls the WSU drive. Hobbs Nyberg returns the WSU punt 21 yards to the BYU 44.

6:42 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Isaac Rex goes up to catch an 18-yard pass from Jaren Hall on the sideline and BYU picks up a first on third and long. Cougs of Provo down to the WSU 35.

4:23 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Jahad Woods snuffs out an end-around play on fourth down and tackles Dallin Holker for a 7-yard loss to the WSU 33. WSU defense playing strong in minus territory on the past two possessions.

2:32 - WSU 7, BYU 7: WSU’s drive stalls after another holding penalty. BYU calls for a fair catch at its own 9.

0:25 - WSU 7, BYU 7: WSU forces a BYU punt and takes a knee to go into halftime tied.

Halftime

Washington State and Brigham Young both got off to hot starts, converting long touchdown drives on their opening possessions.

BYU had two more opportunities to put points on the board, but missed a field goal and were dropped for a loss on a fourth down attempt. Meanwhile, WSU punted on its last three drives before the half.

Jayden de Laura started the game 5 of 5 for 51 yards and goes into halftime 14 of 21 for 140 yards and an interception. BYU will receive the kick to start the second half.

Third quarter

13:19 - WSU 7, BYU 7: Jaren Hall completes four passes for 40 yards to open the half. Cougs of Provo moving it with ease.

9:48 - BYU 14, WSU 7: Tyler Allgeier dives in for a 4-yard touchdown run. BYU caps off an 11 play 75-yard drive.

5:08 - BYU 14, WSU 13: Max Borghi scores a 1-yard rushing touchdown, but the extra point is no good after a mishandled snap. Both Cougars score on their first drives of the game and to open the second half.

1:29 - BYU 14, WSU 13: BYU driving, Jaren Hall completes a 7-yard first down to Neil Pau’u on third to the WSU 20.

Fourth quarter

14:59 - BYU 21, WSU 13: Tyler Allgeier powers ahead for a 2-yard touchdown run. Allegeier has 135 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

11:49 - BYU 21, WSU 13: Jayden de Laura throws a pass right into the arms of BYU’s Malik Moore over the middle, but Moore drops it and WSU punts to the BYU 24 on the following play.

10:20 - BYU 21, WSU 13: Samson Nacua drops a first down pass from Jaren Hall and the Cougs of Provo are forced to punt. WSU starts on its own 24.

7:53 - BYU 21, WSU 13: Jayden de Laura pump fakes and runs for 13 yards up the middle to the BYU 17. 

4:14 - BYU 21, WSU 19: Max Borghi punches in this third touchdown of the game from one yard out. WSU tries to roll out Lincoln Victor on a reverse pass that falls incomplete on the 2-pt conversion. WSU has all three timeouts remaining.

2:39 - BYU 21, WSU 19: Tyler Allgeier runs for nine yards to the WSU 41 for a first down. Cougars of Pullman have two timeouts remaining as BYU looks to run out the clock with one more first down.

1:43 - BYU 21, WSU 19: Tyler Allgeier gains nine yards on third-and-7 and BYU will kneel the clock out for the win.

Pregame

Washington State (4-3) hosts Brigham Young (5-2) at 12:30 on FS1 following a tumultuous week on the Palouse. BYU holds a 3-0 record over Pac-12 opponents this season, beating Arizona, Utah and Arizona State in succession to start the season.

WSU is out to prove its new ‘united’ mantra and come away with both an upset and a four-game win streak following the Cougar on Cougar showdown.

Around the Pac-12 there is a scenario for WSU to end the day in first place of the North with a win or loss to BYU. If both Oregon and Oregon State lose (UO+1 at UCLA and OSU+3 vs. Utah) the Cougars would control their own destiny in the North with games at Arizona State and UO next on the schedule.

 

Dickert steps up

Washington State interim head coach Jake Dickert filled the void left by Nick Rolovich’s firing earlier this week, placing the Cougar defensive coordinator in the middle of a national media storm.

Dickert has tried to put talk of vaccination mandates aside and make his WSU’s players the priority, while sticking to his small town roots.

The 38-year-old from rural Wisconsin was a quarterback turned wide receiver at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, before spending 10 years as a defensive coach at FCS and lower-level schools. He then coached safeties at Wyoming from 2017-18 before becoming the Cowboy’s defensive coordinator in 2019.

Dickert then joined the Cougars as defensive coordinator in 2020. WSU has allowed 30.36 points a game since he became coordinator, and the Cougars’ defense has been one of its strong points this season, dropping the points allowed to 25.71 over his past seven games in the role.

Series history

Brigham Young University quarterback Jim McMahon raises his arms in celebration as BYU defeated Washington State 38-36 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Dec. 19, 1981. (Associated Press)
Brigham Young University quarterback Jim McMahon raises his arms in celebration as BYU defeated Washington State 38-36 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Dec. 19, 1981. (Associated Press)

WSU and BYU have a short history, with BYU holding a 3-1 series lead. The teams have only played once in the last 30 years and have never faced each other in Pullman. BYU won the last meeting 30-6 in 2012 to open the season, as WSU mustered 224 total yards and -5 rush yards in Mike Leach’s first game as head coach.

The two teams first met at the 1981 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, where No. 14 BYU beat No. 20 WSU 38-36. Washington State stormed back in the second half with three third quarter touchdowns, but couldn’t erase a 24-7 halftime deficit. WSU would not return to a bowl game for seven years, when it defeated Houston 24-22 in the 1988 Aloha Bowl.

WSU’s lone win over BYU was 46-41 in 1989.

Team stats

Scoring WSU BYU
Points Per Game 25.71 26.7
Points Allowed Per Game 25.71 23
Total Yards 374.3 404.9
     Yards Passing 263.3 252.4
     Yards Rushing 111 152.4
Yards Allowed 392.3 391.4
     Pass Yards Allowed 236.6 237.1
     Rush Yards Allowed 155.7 154.3

Individual leaders

PASSING Att.-Comp. Yards TD Int.
Jayden de Laura (WSU) 187-117 1,476 15 5
Jaren Hall (BYU) 153-95 1,205 9 3
RUSHING Carries Yards TD
Max Borghi (WSU) 82 453 5
Tyler Allgeier (BYU) 136 706 9
RECEIVING Receptions Yards TD
Travell Harris (WSU) 44 465 5
Neil Pau’u (BYU) 31 369 4

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