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

1. BYU backfield stepped up in a big way at home

Just as they were depleted at quarterback and along the offensive line, so too was the backfield stable of running backs at BYU. Early-season starter Ty’Son Williams, a graduate transfer from South Carolina, tore his ACL in September and is out for the remainder of the season. His backup, Rice transfer Emmanuel Esukpa, was likewise unable to take the field against Boise State.

That opened the door for others to step up and make key contributions out of the backfield. Lopini Katoa took the most snaps, getting 12 handoffs and finishing with 37 yards. Katoa added two receptions for 17 yards, providing a safety valve for the young quarterback. The back punched in one touchdown on the ground as BYU survived to pull off the upset.

Even more impressive, though, was the effort put forth by true freshman running back Sione Finau. Carrying the ball 11 times, Finau finished with 89 yards and his own rushing touchdown. The youngster hauled in one catch for a short three-yard gain. As he develops further, though, Romney to Finau could become a more frequent occurrence.

BYU still needs three more wins in their final five games to reach bowl eligibility this season. The Cougars have proven resilient all throughout the season, as they showed on Saturday night all across their offense as well as with a secondary that held Boise State under 200 passing yards.