BYU and Navy played on Monday evening and the Cougars got their season off to a fast start. COVID has forced every college program in America to deal with the unforeseen. However, BYU dealt with some additional adversity when draftable tight end (ranked No. 187 by TDN) Matt Bushman suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in practice leading up to the game. He was considered a Day 3 prospect by some evaluators.
However, there were other notable BYU players who did play and helped the Cougars easily handle Navy’s triple-option rushing attack.
Khyiris Tonga looks to use the season to improve his draft stock with evaluators. Facing an attack like Navy’s triple-option presents unique challenges for defensive linemen, particularly with regards to identifying blocking schemes. However, Tonga acquitted himself well against the run. He was very good at holding the point of attack and demonstrated some bull-rush ability on passing downs. He also demonstrated the emotional endurance to pursue the ball-carrier regardless of where the ball was on the field, even when he was cut-blocked. However, he will need to display some three-down ability when BYU faces better offensive linemen.
Zayne Anderson also had some standout plays. He started the game at safety and was very good with regards to run fits. He was an aggressive downhill player and demonstrated the instincts and mental processing to sift through the triple-option and locate the football. He is a high-effort player who would be a good core special teams player for most teams at the next level.
Offensively for the Cougars, left tackle Brady Christensen was solid all night. He had a nice play-side, kick-out block on the opening drive touchdown run by Tyler Allgeier. He will need to demonstrate more athleticism on the perimeter when they face better pass-rushers to prove he can remain on the edge, however. He projects as a guard in the NFL, but playing with leverage inside will be a challenge for him.
Center James Empey demonstrated good leadership skills up front. He will need to prove that he can handle quicker, more athletic interior defenders and still handle his responsibilities as a center.
On the Navy side, one player that stood out to me was junior linebacker Diego Fagot. Although the game was out of reach, he continued to play hard and made plays down the stretch. He played tough and physical in the box and demonstrated good leadership even as the game got out of hand. He also demonstrated a solid ability to roll his hips as a tackler and against BYU’s downhill power running scheme.
Overall, the Cougars were very well-coached and well prepared for Navy’s triple-option. They forced Navy into uncomfortable third-and-long situations, making them more predictable. Navy’s offense isn’t built to throw the football in obvious passing situations, choosing to get you focused on their triple-option attack then throwing the football behind you. Navy’s offense also isn’t built to play from behind. All in all, the Cougars were clearly more prepared and controlled the football game from the outset.
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