BYU Beats SMU in Overtime, 19 - 16
DALLAS (AP) -- The behemoths on Brigham Young's offensive line average 6-foot-6 and 306
pounds. The biggest guy on Southern Methodist's defensive line is 6-5, 290 pounds.
When the No. 23 Cougars couldn't shake the pesky Mustangs in regulation, coach LaVell Edwards
decided to exploit the mismatch in overtime.
Brian McKenzie ran for five yards on each of the first two plays, then weaved his way up the middle
for a 15-yard touchdown that gave BYU a 19-16 victory Saturday.
``We came down and had to score a touchdown to win the game, so we just pounded the ball,''
Edwards said. ``The great run Brian made was on first down. ... The tighter it gets, the tougher it gets,
the better he becomes.''
The Mustangs tied the game at 13 on a 27-yard field goal by Roy Rios with 48 seconds left in the
fourth quarter, then went ahead 16-13 on a 28-yarder by Rios in overtime. SMU missed a chance for
a touchdown two plays earlier when Chris Sanders overthrew Rafiq Cooper in the end zone.
The Cougars, forced to settle for overtime after botching their last drive of the fourth quarter, needed
just three plays to get McKenzie into the end zone.
``I saw the seam; I just hit it,'' said McKenzie, who had 98 yards on 21 carries. ``Nothing was going
to stop me.''
BYU (2-1, 1-0 Western Athletic Conference) ran 36 times for 127 yards. The Cougars were even
more successful throwing as sophomore Jason Feterik went 22-of-30 for 216 yards and a touchdown
in his second start.
The victory was BYU's ninth straight on the road and 10th overall against a league foe. The Cougars'
only other overtime game was a 28-25 victory over Wyoming in the WAC Championship last year.
SMU (1-3, 0-1), which had never been to overtime, almost beat a ranked team for the first time since
1986, the last season before the program received the death penalty.
``I'm disappointed,'' said first-year coach Mike Cavan, nearly pulling off a huge upset in just his fourth
Division I-A game. ``I'm not here to win moral victories versus ranked teams.''
SMU, which lost 31-3 to BYU last year, had sacks from five players, intercepted two passes and
recovered a fumble. Sophomore Luke Johnson was responsible for a sack, the fumble recovery and
the second interception.
The fumble led to the Mustangs' first score, a 5-yard touchdown pass from Chris Sanders to Jimmy
Moore, and both interceptions led to field goals.
``We had a lot of heart and played as a team,'' Johnson said. ``If we play this hard and the offense
puts the points on the board, we can do well in the WAC.''
As much as the Cougars' offense struggled, their defense kept things close by limiting SMU to 120
yards rushing and 108 yards passing.
``It didn't surprise me at all that this was a tough one,'' Edwards said.
Defensive lineman Daren Yancy was kind enough to call the Mustangs ``the second most incredible
team in the WAC.''
BYU trailed 10-6 late in the third quarter when it mounted its best drive of the day: a 10-play, 80-yard
series capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Feterik to Margin Hooks with 12:33 left in the
game that put the Cougars up 13-10.
SMU's tying score was set up when Johnson intercepted Feterik's pass at the Mustangs 47 with 4:36
left.
The Mustangs drove 43 yards to the BYU 10 before taking a shot at the end zone. When they did, the
pass fell incomplete, forcing SMU to settle for Rios' 27-yarder.
BYU had one last chance in regulation as Ben Horton returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards and two
completions by Feterik moved the Cougars to midfield. The Cougars had one timeout and 28 seconds
left.
But the next snap went over Feterik's head, losing eight yards and forcing him to use the timeout.
Karon Riley sacked Feterik out of a three-man rush on the next play to end the fourth quarter.
Owen Pochman had all of BYU's first-half points with a career-best 47-yard field goal in the first
quarter and a 41-yarder in the second quarter.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th ot F
byu 3 3 0 7 6 19
smu 0 7 3 3 3 16
cougars 19
mustangs 16 final/overtime
1st quarter
byu - Owen Pochman 47-yd field goal
2nd quarter
smu - Jimmy Moore 5-yd pass from Chris Sanders(Rios kick)
byu - Pochman 41-yd field goal
3rd quarter
smu - Roy Rios 27-yd field goal
4th quarter
byu - Margin Hooks 33-yd catch from Kevin Feterik(Pochman kick)
byu - Rios 27-yd field goal
overtime
smu - Rios 28-yd field goal
byu - Brian McKenzie 15-yd run
BYU - SMU Game Recap
Source: Blue & White Sports Network
1st Quarter
BYU's Owen Pochman connected from 47-yards out as the Cougars got on the board first.
The short BYU drive began on the SMU 48, but stalled on 3rd and 1 on the SMU 30.
2nd Quarter
The Cougars start the second period with a fumble that SMU's Luke Johnson picked up and
returned to the BYU 24. That led to a Mustang score, new quarterback Chris Sanders hit
Jimmy Moore from 5-yards out. KEY PLAYS: Sanders to Albert Johnson for 10 yards.
After the teams exchange punts, BYU comes back with another Owen Pochman fiedl goal,
this one from 41-yards out. KEY PLAYS: Keven Feterik to John Moala for 14-yards. A 13-yard
gain from Feterik to Dustin Johnson.
3rd Quarter
BYU's Feterik was picked off on the opening series by Jacoby Rhinehart on the BYU 40.
From there, Roy Rios connected from 27-yards out for the field goal. KEY PLAYS: Donte
Womack 12-yard run, Flanigan to Bryan Harmon for 9-yards.
Both teams exchange multiple punts.
4th Quarter
BYU's drive to begin to the 4th quarter ends in a 32-yard strike from Feterik to Margin
Hooks for the touchdown. KEY PLAYS: Ben Cahoon 13-yard pass from Feterik, Brian McKenzie
10-yard run.
Another Feterik interception gave SMU great field position near mid-field. With 48
seconds left, Roy Rios connected from 27-yards out for the field goal. KEY PLAYS: Sanders
to Newsome for two first downs.
BYU runs out time near mid-field to send the game to overtime.
Overtime
SMU gets on the board first with another Rios field gaol, this one from 28-yards. BYU
anweared, however, using Brian McKenzie, who scored from 15-yards to give BYU the victory.
Statistics
|
BYU |
SMU |
| First Downs |
19 |
12 |
| Rushes-Yards |
36-71 |
40-120 |
| Passing Yards |
216 |
108 |
| Sacks-yards lost |
5-39 |
0-0 |
| Passing (Att-Comp-Int) |
22-30-2 |
10-22-0 |
| Punts-Average |
5-43.2 |
8-43.4 |
| Fumbles-Lost |
2-1 |
1-0 |
| Penalties-Yards |
1-12 |
4-20 |
| Time of Possession |
31:16 |
28:44 |
Individual Statistics
Rushing
BYU (McKenzie 21-98, Snowden 3-6, Sitake 2-5, D. Johnson 1-2, Team 1-(-8), Feterik
8-(-32)).
SMU (Womack 32-80, Flanigan 5-23, Sanders 1-9, Harmon 2-8).
Passing
BYU (Feterik 22-30-2, 216 yards).
SMU (Flanigan 2-7-0, 14 yards, Sanders 8-15-0, 94 yards).
Receiving
BYU (D. Johnson 7-66, Cahoon 5-56, McKenzie 2-20, Sitake 2-1, Hooks 1-32, J Moala
1-13, Roderick 1-10, Doman 1-9, Cupp 1-7, Dabney 1-2).
SMU (A. Johnson 3-23, Newsome 2-15, Brewer 1-22, Blueitt 1-17, Cooper 1-17, Harmon 1-9,
Moore 1-5).
Attendance: 23,701
