BYU at UW: First Half Thoughts

For a fan base still nauseous from last week’s debacle at Oregon, BYU’s first possession scoring drive tested our collective gag reflex.

Cougar quarterback Max Hall completed 5 of 6 passes, capping the drive with a 38-yard TD strike on third and 14 yards to go. Again, the defense was pushed around and the secondary was full of holes. It didn’t help when on the ensuing drive, the Huskies went three and out.

BYU’s next possession offered settling relief as the defense stepped up and forced a three and out.

Locker and crew showed their potential with their second drive as receiver D’Andre Goodwin caught two big passes for first downs and tight end Kavario Middleton pulled in another first down pass. That set up a 14-yard TD run by Locker where the Huskies lined up with five wide receivers and an empty backfield. Aside from Locker’s scamper, the running game was bottled up. Freshman Chris Polk looked tentative much of the first half.

The Huskies early second quarter drive was full of good, bad and ugly. In a play where Locker was stripped of the ball in the back field, Middleton recovered the ball but injured his right knee.

Shortly after, Locker hooked up again with Goodwin who caught a prayer of a pass down the sideline for a big first down. That set up a 48-yard TD throw to Jermaine Kearse to take the lead in a football game for the first time in this season.

BYU answered with a 14-play, 71-yard drive to tie up the game 14-14. The drive featured a number of dropped passes by Cougar receiver Austin Collie. But running back Harvey Unga carried the load with 42 yards rushing and 10 yards receiving.

The half ended with a feel-good defensive play when linebacker Mason Foster picked off Hall to kill the BYU two-minute offense.

In the first half BYU showed an efficient passing game and mixed in a number of strong runs. If the Huskies don’t get gassed in the second half, they’ll have to find a way to disrupt a very solid Cougar passing game.

BYU’s Hall finished the half 18-27 passing for 169 yards with 2 touchdowns and a pick. Unga carried the ball 12 times for 71 yards.

Locker was 8 for 13 passing for 132 yards. He passed for a touchdown and ran for one. Goodwin caught 3 passes for 61 yards. The Huskies defense has given up a ton of yards in the first half, 229 total to BYU.

The Dawgs have a shot at winning this one and they have history on their side. BYU is winless in their last nine non-conference road games.