Miami Beach Bowl 2014: Game Grades, Analysis for BYU's Loss vs. Memphis

After closing out the regular season with four consecutive victories, Bronco Mendenhall and BYU (8-5) came up short in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl, falling 55-48 to Memphis (10-3) in double overtime.

As bad as the Cougars defense looked, though, nothing was as ugly as the postgame fight that broke out after the Tigers sealed their impressive victory. Punches were thrown, helmets were swung and it took the efforts of both coaching staffs to prevent absolute mayhem from breaking out. 

That was some bizarre, off-the-field drama that marred what was a fun and entertaining game. 

Brawls aside, how did BYU grade out from its seven-point defeat to Memphis? 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	A-	C+
Run Offense	C-	D-
Pass Defense	B	C
Run Defense	B	C
Special Teams	C-	B+
Coaching	B	D

Pass Offense: Christian Stewart was hot early, connecting on his first nine pass attempts as he dissected a solid Memphis defense. He finished the first half with 246 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception, keeping the Tigers off balance by connecting with seven different receivers.

Things slowed for BYU after the break, though. Stewart completed just one pass for four yards in the third quarter as the Tigers scored 14 unanswered points to capture a 38-28 lead. In the second half and overtime, BYU completed just six of 23 passes for one touchdown and two interceptions. 

Run Offense: The Cougars run offense had a hard time finding its bearings against Memphis’ strong defensive front. Algernon Brown was effective early, totaling 48 yards on 11 carries through two quarters. The rest of the team, though, combined for a loss of eight yards on 15 carries in the first half.

It didn't get better after the break. Brown finished with 79 yards on 19 carries, and Paul Lasike accounted for 11 rushing yards and two touchdowns in goal-line work. The rest of the team lost 13 yards on 16 carries. 

Pass Defense: Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch struggled a bit against BYU’s defense in the first half, completing just half of his 20 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Those struggles faded in the third quarter as Lynch completed seven of his nine passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. That’s when the back end of BYU’s defense stepped up.

Two fourth-quarter interceptions helped the Cougars rally, erasing a 10-point deficit before eventually taking a seven-point lead. But that tough stand gave way to Lynch in overtime as he found Roderick Proctor in the end zone for the go-ahead 11-yard touchdown. Lynch finished with 306 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Run Defense: The Tigers running backs didn’t find many lanes against BYU’s defense, but Lynch and wideout Keiwone Malone gave the Cougars fits. The two accounted for 79 of Memphis’ 174 rushing yards, and Lynch was especially effective in the red zone, scoring on three rushing touchdowns.

Overall, BYU's run defense played well. The Tigers only averaged 3.4 yards per rush, and the Cougars held starting running back Brandon Hayes to just 49 yards on 22 carries. 

Special Teams: BYU’s special teams got off to a rough start early in the first quarter. After the Cougars’ first touchdown, Trevor Samson botched an attempted squib kick, setting Memphis up with a short field. The Tigers capitalized, marching 58 yards in eight plays for a touchdown.

Things turned positively in the fourth quarter. Samson connected on an easy 23-yard field goal to cut Memphis’ lead to seven. On the ensuing kickoff, BYU forced a fumble from returner Joe Craig, which the Cougars pounced on to set the offense up at Memphis’ 26-yard line. That led to a BYU touchdown, which tied the game at 38.

Samson did all he could in overtime, connecting on a 45-yard field goal in the first session. Punter Scott Arellano was incredible, averaging 46.5 yards on nine attempts. 

Coaching: Simply put, BYU was outcoached by Memphis in the second half. The Cougars failed to adjust after the break, allowing the Tigers to score 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to capture a 10-point lead. BYU got back into it as a result of boneheaded plays from Lynch and the Memphis offense, but Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU staff didn't put their foot down and win the game.

Questionable time management down the stretch cost the Cougars a chance to win the game in regulation. With 45 seconds left, Mendenhall wasted two valuable timeouts in an effort to freeze Memphis' kicker on an extra point. It was a baffling decision that prevented BYU from attacking the middle of the field on its ensuing possession, which ultimately forced overtime. 

Justin Fuente and the Tigers coaching staff just did a better job of executing their plan and managing the game.

All stats via NCAA.com.