No. 25 BYU pulls away for wild win
Virginia quarterback Armstrong injures ribs
PROVO, Utah — With star quarterback Brennan Armstrong believing he has broken has ribs and the Virginia defense reeling, the Cavaliers’ bye week is coming at a good time.
Tyler Allgeier rushed for a career-high 266 yards and five touchdowns Saturday night, leading No. 25 Brigham Young to a 66-49 victory over U.Va.
Jaren Hall threw for a careerhigh 349 yards and three touchdowns. Hall also ran for 42 yards and another score. The Cougars (7-2) pulled away after scoring 21 points off three turnovers.
Armstrong threw for 329 and four touchdowns to lead Virginia, but he also tossed a pair of interceptions. Armstrong added 94 yards and two TDs on 11 carries. He left late in the fourth quarter after sustaining an apparent rib injury that could have contributed to the second pickoff, and as he came off the field, he could be seen pointing to his ribs and mouthing “it’s broken” on the TV broadcast.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Cavaliers (6-3, 4-2 ACC).
“We didn’t make enough plays to win today,” Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “A couple of turnovers ended up being the difference in the game, as it ended up being score for score for score.”
The pregame storyline was Mendenhall’s return to the school where he had been the head coach for 11 years after being an assistant for two years. He received a standing ovation from fans before the contest. When the game started, it was all about offense.
BYU and Virginia combined for 1,322 yards and 115 points. The Cougars were mired in a shootout with Virginia until forcing back-toback turnovers in the fourth quarter.
After BYU took a 52-49 lead on Hall’s 10-yard pass to Neil Pau’u, Uriah Leiataua forced and recovered a fumble at the Virginia 31. Allgeier scored on a 31-yard run two plays later.
Then, Drew Jensen picked off a pass from Armstrong at the BYU 35. The Cougars cashed in with a 4-yard run by Allgeier that increased the lead to 66-49 with 7:12 left.
BYU could not have scripted a better start. The Cougars scored touchdowns on their first four drives and forced a turnover to bury Virginia in a major hole only a few minutes into the game.
Hall threw a 52-yard pass to Samson Nacua on BYU’s first play and scored on a 2-yard run three plays later. The Cougars extended their lead on a 1-yard plunge by Allgeier, set up by Payton Wilgar picking off a pass and returning it to the Virginia 11. BYU extended its lead to 21-0 midway through the first quarter as Hall connected with Puka Nacua on a fade route for a 26-yard touchdown pass.
The Cavaliers finally got on the board when Armstrong scored on 5-yard run late in the first quarter. BYU answered with a 4-yard run by Allgeier to extend the lead to 28-7 less than a minute into the second quarter.
Then, the Cougars’ normally stout defense fell apart.
U.Va. rallied before halftime behind a series of big plays. The
Cavaliers scored touchdowns on six straight possessions — including all five second-quarter drives.
Armstrong threw a 40-yard pass to Jelani Woods and a 70-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks to cut BYU’s lead to seven.
Then, Devin Darrington scored on a 49-yard run and Armstrong followed with a score on a 30-yard
run that gave Virginia its first lead at 35-31.
The Cougars regained a 38-35 lead on a 40-yard catch by Samson Nacua. But Virginia went back in front 42-38 on a 12-yard catch by Billy Kemp just before halftime.
“We had expected that of BYU,” Mendenhall said. “They start fast against a lot of different teams.
They jumped out on us quickly, but our team remained poised and composed. Our offense responded and we went in with a lead at halftime. That’s tough to do.”
The takeaway
Virginia: It took a quarter for the Cavaliers to get going, but when they did, they torched BYU with numerous big plays before halftime. Virginia piled up 367 yards while scoring touchdowns on all five second-quarter drives. The Cavaliers averaged 20.4 yards per play during the quarter.
BYU: The Cougars totaled 226 yards and averaged 10.8 yards per play in the first quarter. It did not provide enough of a cushion amid a defensive collapse during the second quarter, but BYU’s offense never slowed down in the second half.
Poll implications
BYU, an independent, should move up a few spots in the AP Top 25 after beating a fifth opponent from a Power Five conference.