Burrito Non-compulsory: No. 14 BYU bottles up Georgia Southern for ninth win of 12 months

Estimated learn time: 5-6 mins

PROVO — Clinging to a 20-17 edge within the workforce’s first-ever talk over with to Georgia Southern, No. 14 BYU wanted a former Orem Prime standout to step up and clinch victory in opposition to an Eagles workforce taking part in underneath an intervening time head trainer.

You idea this was once a connection with Puka Nacua?

Jakob Robinson, step proper up.

Jaren Corridor threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, and Robinson secured two interceptions all the way through a second-half shutout because the 14th-ranked Cougars pulled away for his or her 9th win of the season, 34-17 in entrance of an introduced sellout crowd at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia.

The group had an enormous swatch of BYU lovers, however it was once hardly ever innocuous. BYU trainer Kalani Sitake stated his avid gamers had been hit by way of “all types” of meals pieces — together with a burrito — as they exited the sphere. The Cougars’ first-ever commute to Statesboro was once marred by way of a motivated Eagles workforce, a 20-point unfold, and 11 blended consequences, together with two by way of Georgia Southern all the way through the victory-formation ultimate power when lineman Joe Tukuafu’s helmet was once knocked off.

“Clearly, Georgia Southern confirmed up and had been in a position to play. I feel we were given their easiest shot,” Sitake stated. “There was once a large number of stuff occurring. We had been getting hit by way of burritos at the sideline. It was once beautiful antagonistic, however I am simply in reality pleased with the way in which our guys bounced again.”

Wait … a burrito?!?!!

“I have no idea why you might waste a burrito,” Sitake joked. “Numerous our guys were given hit by way of various kinds of meals; perhaps that is simply the giving method right here at Georgia Southern.”

Extra importantly, BYU used a lock-down defensive effort anchored by way of Ben Bywater’s 8 tackles and two tackles for loss and a breakout efficiency by way of Robinson, who had 4 tackles along with his two alternatives, to close out the Eagles in the second one 1/2 on their senior evening.

“Stud,” Sitake stated of Robinson, the Utah State switch who had his first multi-interception recreation since highschool, a “top-four” select in his profession by way of his personal admission. “We put him in place to play along with his eyes at the quarterback, and to make the ones performs at the deep throws, he performed the ball in reality smartly. I assumed he tackled smartly this night, too.

“Numerous younger guys making performs makes me satisfied.”

The Cougars (9-2) rolled up 510 yards of offense in opposition to the Eagles, who had been taking part in with an intervening time head trainer and with long run trainer Clay Helton sitting close to the clicking field. BYU averaged 7.5 yards in step with play, 18.4 yards in step with final touch, and were given 136 yards and a landing from Doak Walker Award semifinalist Tyler Allgeier — maximum of it in the second one 1/2.

And that different Orem Prime grad? The fairly upper profile Nacua? He stuck 5 passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, so we will have to almost certainly give him some credit score, too.

“He is a stud, guy,” Corridor stated of Nacua, who additionally had two sweeps for 20 yards speeding. “He balls out within the first 1/2, will get injured, then comes proper again in. The running shoes took care of him, and he is a warrior. Numerous our guys are.”

The Cougars averaged 10.3 yards in step with play within the first quarter, together with a 5-yard landing run from Lopini Katoa and seven.4 yards in step with elevate by way of Allgeier, who had simply two carries in the second one quarter.

However dangle on, wait; we wish to return to the burrito. Was once there in reality a burrito at the box?

“I feel that was once a first-half factor,” stated Nacua, who Sitake stated was once “nonetheless hurting” after he returned from an obvious knee harm within the first 1/2. “I feel it might’ve been beautiful feisty in the second one 1/2.”

Robinson, who additionally had 4 tackles, did not see the mysterious burrito, both.

“Kalani stated he were given hit by way of a burrito, however I did not see the rest,” he stated. “I used to be sitting at the bench.”

Corridor finished six of his first 8 go makes an attempt for 106 yards, and BYU took a 14-3 lead at the redshirt sophomore’s 5-yard strike to Nacua at the first play of the second one quarter.

After Georgia Southern took a 14-10 lead on Logan Wright’s moment landing in the midst of the second one quarter, the Eagles had been scoreless on their subsequent six drives — together with two alternatives by way of Robinson for his moment and 3rd of the season that fueled a 20-0 run on offense.

“Trainer simply stated play our logo of soccer, focal point on what we wish to be considering,” Robinson stated. “Everybody began focusing and performed to themselves.”

Redshirt freshman Connor Cigelske finished his first 5 passes for 69 yards, and Wright capped an eight-play, 72-yard power with a 3-yard TD plunge to tug Georgia Southern inside 14-10 with 10:17 left within the 1/2.

However a reversed onside kick try, a failed fourth-and-two and Max Tooley’s disqualification by way of concentrated on ended in Logan Wright’s 11-yard ranking that gave Georgia Southern a 17-14 lead halfway thru the second one quarter.

Jake Oldroyd pulled again a couple of box objectives to present BYU a 20-17 halftime edge. However the injury was once finished — together with to Nacua, who perceived to injure his knee when a defender twisted his leg on a take on in the second one quarter.

Nacua got here again in the second one 1/2, making a large affect that incorporated a 17-yard catch with a spin transfer that arrange Allgeier’s first landing on a 1-yard plunge up the center at the Cougars’ first power to arrange the large moment 1/2.

The entire chippiness — burritos incorporated — subsided as BYU did what it did easiest: get the ball to Allgeier, and journey the offensive line to victory No. 9 of the 12 months.

“They saved us on our feet the entire recreation. However Mr. Allgeier and our O-line did it once more,” Nacua stated. “We accept as true with in them … once we get the ball within the fourth quarter, it is exhausting to deliver down that man.”

Wright ran for fifty yards and two touchdowns for Georgia Southern (3-8) and Cigelske finished 11-of-14 passes for 122 yards and an interception in his first profession get started whilst guiding a Georgia Southern option-based offense to 268 yards with 144 at the flooring.

BYU closes the common season subsequent Saturday at Southern California, which fell to 4-6 with a 62-33 loss to rival UCLA.

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