BYU blows UCF 49-23 into the Boca Raton Bowl

by

Zach Wilson throws for 425 yards and 3 TDs, runs for two more scores to lead the Cougars.

Bentavious Thompson, a relegation center in central Florida, is stopped late in the first quarter against BYU in the NCAA college football game at the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, in Boca Raton, Florida (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP )

| December 23, 2020, 3:37 am

| Updated: 5:21 am

BYU entered the Boca Raton Bowl without ever winning in Florida – but everything changed on Tuesday, when the Cougars defeated UCF 49-23 in the postseason game.

The win improved BYU to 11-1 in the season, for the first season with 11 wins since 2009. It is also the Cougars’ first single-loss season since 1996, when BYU finished 14-1.

“Things went our way tonight, but I know [UCF is] a well-trained team, “said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. “Trainer [Josh] Heupel is a great coach and has a great staff, and those guys will be back again. They will be ready to run and I think things happened quickly for us and worked in our favor. I’m glad I won. “

In what was expected to be a high-scoring adventure, only the Cougars kept their offensive end to the bargain. BYU put up 655 yards in total, while holding UCF at 411. The Knights had previously averaged 585.6 yards per game (the second best in the country).

UCF have scored 30 or more points in 45 of their last 47 games, but were left wanting more on Tuesday.

Even UCF Heupel said it did not see the negative score coming – especially the total low point since the Knights final.

“We are very disappointed with the way we played here tonight, really, in every phase of the game,” Heupel said.

Knights defender Dillon Gabriel came up with similar stats to Zach Wilson, but was effectively shut out in the home game, especially in the first half. UCF failed to score in the first quarter, giving up two-point possession and a return to relegation, before getting the game’s first score in the second quarter.

But, although the Knights hoped to add a second touchdown before the break, they had to settle for a goal on the field.

“We came out here with a sense of deception and we were just executed at a high level at the beginning of this game,” defensive end Troy Warner said of BYU’s defensive play. “It was a great tribute to the game plan that came in.”

If it was indeed Wilson’s last game as a Cougar, the BYU defender ended his collegiate career with a strong performance. Wilson threw for 425 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 34 passes. The junior also added two scores in a hurry.

The BYU defender expects to make the decision by the new year.

“I will meet with my family and consider the pros and cons and we will realize,” Wilson said.

Tyler Allgeier led the Cougars running game with 173 meters in his career and a touchdown on 19 carries. In the aerial game, Wilson took advantage of several receivers; five different players had more than 50 receiving yards. Freshman Isaac Rex led all receivers with 96 yards and two touchdowns, while Lopini Katoa added 90 yards, Neil Pau’u had 86 yards and a score, Dax Milne had 70 yards and Allgeier added 60 meters.

Allgeier and Milne ended the season with more than 1,000 gardens and courtyards, respectively.

BYU scored on seven of its 12 units, five of them in a row, turning the ball down twice and scoring once.

The Cougars managed to play 15 games less than the Knights, but averaged 9.0 yards per game compared to UCF’s 4.7 yards per game.

Offensive linebacker Chandon Herring said the chance to end the 2020 season with a strong offensive performance is “extremely satisfactory”.

“Seeing that we came out with juice and we managed to get to that, a lot is said about the character of the boys we have and the work we put in,” Herring said. “It simply came to our notice then. I’m very proud of that. “

.Source