BYU secured a gritty road win over TCU in Fort Worth on October 3. New Pro Football Focus data released on October 4 highlights several key takeaways from the Cougars' performance during the game.
The BYU defensive front seven was a primary factor in the victory. The defense, led by Kelly Poppinga, held the Horned Frogs to 72 rushing yards on 2.4 yards per carry and recorded four sacks against Jaden Craig. Three of those sacks occurred on third downs, contributing to a game where Craig faced pressure on 15 of his 31 dropbacks. The four highest-graded players with a minimum of 15 snaps were all members of the front seven: Hunter Clegg (78.5), Bodie Schoonover (75.4), Cade Uluave (73.8), and Kendal Wall (73.0). Additionally, Braxton Lindsey and Jake Clifton were among the top 10 highest-graded players, meaning six of the top 10 players were defenders playing in the box.
The offensive passing attack struggled during the contest. Wide receivers Jojo Phillps, Kyler Kasper, Legend Glasker, and Reggie Frischknecht were four of the six lowest-graded players on offense. While Bear Bachmeier noted Jaden Craig's difficulty gripping the football due to wet conditions, the receivers also faced challenges gaining separation against the TCU secondary. On the offensive line, left guard Sonny Makasini and left tackle Paki Finau were the highest-graded players, allowing no quarterback pressures. In contrast, right guard Kyle Sfarcioc had a 49.3 run block grade, the lowest among the offensive linemen. Bruce Mitchell also struggled, recording the worst grade on the offense due to bad snaps and penalties.
Running back Bear Bachmeier led the team in rushing with 66 yards. His performance included a 21-yard touchdown run where he dragged two TCU tacklers into the end zone after contact at the line of scrimmage. Notably, 54 of his 67 rushing yards were gained after contact.
The BYU secondary maintained a tight rotation throughout the game. While there was interest in whether Kennan Pula would receive more playing time after the bye week, he played only one drive in the second half for a total of three snaps. Faletau Satuala and Tommy Prassas played at safety throughout the game, while Evan Johnson and Therrian Alexander III played every snap.
