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PROVO — It may be a week later than some expected, but after the first upset loss of the season, BYU wrapped up its first 10-win season in nearly a decade.
Zach Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to his favorite red-zone target Isaac Rex, and the Cougars overturned an early deficit to run away with its 10th win over the season, 28-14, over San Diego State on senior night Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Dax Milne caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Neil Pau'u added a career-high 117 yards. Lopini Katoa added 137 all-purpose yards for the Cougars (10-1), who clinched a 10-win season for the first time since 2011.
Rex continued his breakout freshman season with five passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard score in the fourth quarter that helped the Cougars double up their former Mountain West rivals, 28-14.
Of Wilson's 30 touchdowns in the 2020 season, 10 of them have gone to Rex, who easily eclipses his father Byron's career mark of eight total scores. And he still has four years of eligibility remaining, due to the NCAA giving every player a free season of eligibility as a result of the global pandemic.
After giving up 134 yards in the first quarter, the Cougars squeezed the Aztecs with 202 yards of offense to 134 over the next two quarters, including outscoring the visitors 13-0 to turn a 14-7 deficit into a 20-14 edge in the final frame. San Diego State (4-4) opened with back-to-back touchdown drives, but ended the next five series with an interception, two punts, a fumble and a turnover on downs by BYU's Gabe Summers in the fourth quarter with BYU leading 20-14.
The Cougars didn't always capitalize on the Aztecs' stingy defense. But after being burned in the first quarter, the necessary adjustments were made.
"A lot of what happened in the first quarter was they were able to just break tackles and create a lot of plays," said BYU coach Kalani Sitake, whose team improved to 39-8-1 all-time against the Aztecs. "Assignment-wise, I thought we were in some good spots; we just had to wrap up. Their backs are hard to handle, running low to the ground with a big, physical line."
Jordon Brookshire threw for 230 yards and a touchdown, and Kaegun Williams ran for 92 yards and a score for San Diego State.
Isaiah Kaufusi and Keenan Pili had a game-high nine tackles each for BYU's defense, which forced three turnovers, including a first-half interception by Drew Jensen that helped spark the 21-0 run to turn a 14-7 deficit into a 14-point win.
"I think momentum is a big part of sports," Pau'u said. "We know if we don't get the pick from Drew, they go up 21-7.
"As an offense, we're meant to go put points on the board. And being able to score a critical field goal right before the half was huge. Momentum is huge; it's what you do with that momentum that will carry you to victory or defeat."
Wilson made short work of the Cougars' opening drive, orchestrating a 10-play, 75-yard drive over 4:04 to take a 7-0 lead on a five-yard hit to Milne.
But the Aztecs rebounded with back-to-back scores, taking advantage of a fumble and fake field-goal conversion to end in Brookshire's 15-yard strike to Elijah Kothe for a 14-7 lead.
"They're tough, and had a great game plan," said Zac Dawe, one of 15 BYU seniors playing his final game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. "We knew they were a smash-mouth football team that liked to run the ball, and that's exactly what they did. It took us a bit to adjust and stop the run.
San Diego State nearly doubled BYU in time of possession en route to the 14-7 first-quarter lead with 9 minutes, 52 seconds. The Aztecs averaged 6.4 yards on 14 carries, and used a fourth-down conversion to play keep-away from the Cougars, in much the same way that Coastal Carolina's possession-heavy spread option offense flummoxed BYU a week earlier.
When Rex fumbled a pass in BYU territory to set up the Aztecs' go-ahead touchdown, the Cougars could've given up on him. Instead, Wilson went to him again, and again, and again — five times for 42 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first double-digit TD tight end at BYU since John Harline.
"I love that our team didn't give up on him," Sitake said of Rex. "We don't give up on our guys. When he came off after the fumble, the team had his back. Zach kept targeting him and throwing the ball to him; mistakes don't define us. How we respond is the key.
"I think he made some great plays, and great blocks. … Some mistakes are more visible than others, but these guys should be able to respond the way he did."
All tied up at 14! pic.twitter.com/yPg49amEhe
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 13, 2020
It was another turnover, though, that turned the game back in the home team's favor.
Jensen made the first big defensive play of the game for BYU, intercepting a pass in the red zone. That set up Rex's touchdown grab with 8:34 to go in the half — with a little help from Katoa's 43-yard sprint up the middle — to tie the game.
"I think that was huge," said Dawe, who had six tackles and a quarterback hurry. "When we were in a tight spot, things weren't going our way, Drew Jensen came up clutch. It was awesome for him, just to step up and fulfill his role.
"That was a game-changer right there."
Jake Oldroyd booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired and his boot hit the frozen football with a loud "thud" to give BYU a 3-point halftime lead with a powerful second quarter.
San Diego State never threatened again, right down to the fourth-and-goal on the Aztecs' 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter where Brookshire slipped as he tried to cut the deficit to one score.
Scoring summary
First quarter
10:56 — BYU: Dax Milne, 5-yard pass from Zach Wilson (Oldroyd kick)
5:56 — SDSU: Kaegun Williams 25-yard run (Araiza kick)
3:08 — SDSU: Elijah Kothe, 15-yard pass from Jordon Brookshire (Araiza kick)
Second quarter
8:34 — BYU: Isaac Rex, 2-yard pass from Wilson (Oldroyd kick)
0:00 — BYU: Jake Oldroyd, 50-yard field goal
Halftime — BYU 17, San Diego State 14
Third quarter
5:47 — BYU: Oldroyd, 29-yard field goal
Fourth quarter
10:53 — BYU: Rex, 20-yard pass from Wilson (Katoa pass from Wilson)
Final — BYU 28, San Diego State 14
