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DALLAS, Texas -- It wasn't pretty but Riley Nelson and the BYU Cougars got it done when it mattered, scoring a late touchdown to win the Armed Forces Bowl 24-21 over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Here's a look at how each position graded out Friday:
Quarterback: B+
Running backs/Full backs: B
Mostly a solid performance, especially in the second half. Big gains by JJ DiLuigi and key first down conversions kept BYU alive a couple of times but overall under- performing the rest of the game is where the B grade comes from. Luckily, no fumbles given up in the backfield was a nice bonus.
Wide receivers/Tight Ends: A-
Cody Hoffman is obviously going to be the name that everyone talks about as he was responsible for 3 touchdowns and 122 yards catching the ball but a lot of guys made key plays, JD Falslev and McKay Jacobsen with some key plays kept drives going and it was a great day for the receiving core.
Offensive Line: B
Not a great first half for the Hogs in the trenches who gave up some big sacks and didn't hold to some blocks on run plays that ended up in some big losses but the second half, when it mattered, they gave good time to Riley for him to both run and pass to win the game. Matt Reynolds wins the Man's Man Award of the day for laying a defender out without his helmet on.
Overall Offense: B
The first half and a lot of the 3rd quarter were quite painful to watch as the offense was sputtering and very inconsistent. But the discipline to manage the clock, stay poised at the end of the game and ultimately win that game at the very end was pretty special.
Defensive Line: A
Hebron Fangupo's calves will be the stuff of BYU legend, but his ability to stuff inside runs will be what is most remembered out of this game. He was huge for the Cougars. The defensive line, along with the linebackers, was central in limiting Tulsa to 37 yards on 27 carries. That's just a 1.4 yard-per-carry average.
Linebackers: A+
Van Noy played like a future All-American, compiling two sacks and a forced fumble. He terrorized Kinne and was a regular in the Tulsa backfield. If he continues this play next year, he will be an all-time great in Provo -- if he isn't already. Uona Kaveinga and Brandon Ogletree also delivered nice hits on Kinne.
Secondary: B-
While the BYU secondary played solidly for most of the game, it unfortunately will be remembered as the weak spot on the Cougar defense against Tulsa. Long passes - including a 50 yarder -- keyed two Tulsa scoring drives. That's primarily why the unit grade suffers. Corby Eason was victimized more than the average. Still, the secondary also helped the defense make several key stops on third down. Preston Hadley made several nice tackles, and delivered a big hit on Kinne.
Overall Defense: A-
The gut reaction is to give the defense an A for its performance. It's the reason BYU won this game, along with Riley Nelson's fourth quarter heroics. Still, if we're being true to the B- average for the secondary because of the big plays given up, then the average dictates BYU earned something less than an A for the game. Still, it wouldn't be right to give anything less than an A-, so that's what we've awarded the D. It was a great performance overall against a prolific offense. Entering the game, Tulsa ranked 24th in the NCAA in rushing offense, averaging roughly 204 yards per game. The Golden Hurricane ranked 23rd in total offense (454 ypg), 23rd in scoring offense (34 ppg) and a respectable 40th in passing offense (nearly 250 ypg). In the Armed Forces Bowl, BYU held Tulsa to 272 total yards and just 37 yards rushing. Kyle Van Noy starred, racking up two sacks, a forced fumble and seemed to constantly make plays in the backfield.
Special Teams: A
The special teams probably did not get enough credit during the broadcast. The field position battle was easily won by BYU. It helped that Riley Stephenson probably had his best game of the season, booting the ball several times inside the Tulsa 20 yard line - including one punt that was halted inside the 1-yard line of the Golden Hurricane. Justin Sorensen made the most of his opportunities, going 3 for 3 on extra points and connecting on a 35 yard field goal in the first quarter. Special teams coverages were good, pinning Tulsa back on kickoffs.
Email: aadams@ksl.com and akirry@ksl.com
