BYU Football: 3 takeaways from huge upset at home over Boise State

BOISE, ID - DECEMBER 21: Defensive back Dayan Ghanwoloku #5 of the BYU Cougars celebrates a touchdown on a wildcat play during second half action against the BYU Cougars at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 21, 2018 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. BYU won the game 49-18. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

3. Injuries couldn’t stop BYU from pulling off the upset

Kalani Sitake’s BYU squad came into their annual rivalry game against Boise State undermanned. With starting quarterback Zach Wilson already lost with a hand injury that required surgery, the Cougars also came into their Week 8 showdown without backup quarterback Jaren Hall after he suffered a concussion in the first start of his career at South Florida.

In addition to the depleted quarterback situation, BYU was also missing a couple of starters on the offensive line as well as multiple backups as they faced off against the Broncos. The defense also had to shuffle around the secondary, with versatile defensive back Dayan Ghanwoloku moving over to safety after shifting to cornerback to start the season.

It must be noted that Boise State was also missing players, as starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier sat out with a hip pointer. Chase Cord was in the game for the Broncos at quarterback, and they also lost running back Robert Mahone during the game.

Both teams had issues with their personnel suffering not just the bumps and bruises that are inevitable throughout the season but real injuries that kept them on the bench. BYU was able to manage those issues much better than their counterparts on the other sideline, and it made a huge difference in the upset bid.

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