BYU vs. Nebraska: Game Grades, Analysis for Cougars and Cornhuskers

The Nebraska Cornhuskers entered the 2015 season with 29 consecutive season-opening wins. That ended on Saturday as the Brigham Young Cougars took down the Huskers with a last-second 33-28 win.

BYU quarterback Taysom Hill was tremendous. But he suffered a foot injury after a touchdown run in the first half, re-injured it later and left the game for good. True freshman Tanner Mangum took advantage of his opportunity, completing seven of 11 passes for 111 yards, including the game-winning 42-yard score to Mitch Mathews in the end zone. 

Nebraska head coach Mike Riley had to be proud of his quarterback. Tommy Armstrong Jr. completed 24 of 41 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cougars.

It was an exciting day in Lincoln, Nebraska, full of offensive fireworks, and the grades for both teams will surely attest to that. 

BYU Cougars Game Grades

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

Pass Offense: Both quarterbacks did well. Mangum didn't wilt under pressure in a hostile environment and led his team to an improbable last-second win. Hill did damage through the air and on the ground. He clearly was never the same after re-entering the game just before halftime.

Run Offense: Hill led the Cougars with 72 yards. That isn't good. Moving forward, BYU needs more from its running backs. Algernon Brown didn't follow his lead blocker on a 3rd-and-short in the fourth quarter, and that almost cost the Cougars the game.

Pass Defense: The Cougars didn't get enough pressure on Armstrong and had no answer for Jordan Westerkamp. BYU did do a better job in the second half of defending Nebraska's passing offense.

Run Defense: The Cougars were stout against the run in the first half. However, when defensive tackle Travis Tuiloma—the anchor to BYU's defensive front—went down, the Cornhuskers attacked up the middle. Overall, BYU still held Nebraska to just 126 yards on the ground. 

Special Teams: BYU didn't have any explosive plays in the return game, but punter Jonny Linehan averaged 51 yards per punt in his first game, while Trevor Samson connected on both of his field-goal attempts. 

Coaching: Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU coaching staff deserve praise for having Mangum ready for his opportunity. BYU also went for it on fourth down on four occasions, converting twice. Those were good risks by Mendenhall.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Game Grades

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

Pass Offense: Armstrong started off hot, struggled in the second quarter and finished the game strong. Overall, in his first game in Riley's pass-first offense, he gave a solid effort. He only turned the ball over once.

Run Offense: The Cornhuskers ran for just 126 yards and averaged only 3.4 yards per rush. That's not Nebraska football. Terrell Newby had some nice runs—just not enough of them. 

Pass Defense: Joshua Kalu and Daniel Davie did a good job at cornerback. Defending BYU's receivers was difficult—three of them stood 6'5" or taller—and the 'Huskers' defensive backs made some good plays. Unfortunately, not knocking the ball down on the final play will haunt Nebraska.

Run Defense: Outside of stopping Hill, the Cornhuskers completely shut down BYU's running game. The Cougars' running backs found no room all day long, finishing with 132 yards.

Special Teams: Outstanding punter Sam Foltz went down with an injury, and fill-in Tyson Broekemeier filled in admirably. A missed goal late in the fourth quarter was a tough blow for Nebraska, though. 

Coaching: Riley coached a good game. His biggest mistake was not sticking with the running game more. He will learn. He is one of the better offensive coaches in college football.