BYU Football: 5 Most Important Takeaways from September
A month of college football is already over.
With BYU finishing its fourth game against Middle Tennessee, it is officially finished with the first month of college football. We have seen the good and the bad of this Cougars team, and with plenty of football left in the season, there is plenty to analyze in preparation for the future.
From dominance in the rushing game and solid defense, here are the five biggest takeaways from September.
Taysom Hill Can Be a Great Quarterback
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Hear me out.
Sure, BYU's sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill has struggled with accuracy and field vision. He is waiting for receivers to get open instead of trusting routes to open up lanes. He doesn't slide enough.
But Hill has unlimited potential. We saw how accurately of a passer he can be against MTSU (the interception wasn't his fault), and the combination of his size, blazing speed and an accurate arm could be incredible.
Kyle Van Noy Is Living Up to the Hype
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Kyle Van Noy entered this season with high expectations and NFL scouts on his tail, and so far, he hasn't disappointed. He has shown why he could be a great player on Sundays.
If Van Noy keeps up his current pace, he'll finish the regular season with 87 tackles (18 for loss), three sacks, nine pass breakups, 27 quarterback hurries and three safeties.
The dude is no joke. Just ask David Ash.
BYU's Rushing Attack Is Better Than Expected
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The offensive unit that was getting the most preseason hype was the receiving corps. But while the passing game has struggled, the ground attack has been outstanding.
Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams are ranked sixth and 13th in the NCAA in rushing yards per game, respectively, but the ground attack isn't top-heavy; Paul Lasike, Adam Hine and Michael Alisa have all been big in BYU's offense.
It's shocking to see such running dominance at a pass-happy program, but the Cougars will take whatever offensive production they can.
Special Teams Play Has Been Great
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The defense stood out last year, but this season's best unit (so far) has been the special teams.
Aside from fumbles and other miscues, the kicking and return games have been great. JD Falslev has emerged into a great punt returner, while Hine and Lasike have done well in returning kicks. Justin Sorensen and Scott Arellano have also looked good and have been valuable assets.
There's still a long way to go for the return teams, but BYU is on the right track.
Turnovers Will Decide Many Games
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If there's one thing that will need to change for BYU in the near future, it is holding on to the ball. BYU turned the ball over five times against Middle Tennessee and is ranked 118th in the country in turnover margin.
With good teams ahead on the schedule that will surely take advantage of turnovers, BYU needs to do a much better job at limiting them.
In the end, there is a lot to take away from the month of September, especially that there is plenty of great football left ahead.
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