BYU’s 42-7 victory over Idaho went pretty much like we all thought it would…with one exception. Jake Heaps took the majority of snaps at quarterback.

Heaps entered the game on BYU’s 3rd series after Riley Nelson suffered a small pneumothorax, which is basically a collapsed lung. I was told it sounds worse that it probably is. I thought Heaps looked very good. He only played the equivalent of 2 quarters but he finished the night with 185 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10-15 passing. He did throw a pick on a ball that sailed over a wide open Zed Mendenhall. Outside of that, Heaps was impressive. What stood out most to me was his poise. He hasn’t looked comfortable in the pocket for a while. Tonight he seemed to slow everything down and was able to make the right decisions. That’s all he needs to do. He has all the skills. It’s just a matter of making the right decisions. Tonight he did that. I understand that it was against Idaho but Heaps seemed to struggle against other lesser opponents this season, which makes tonight’s performance extremely encouraging. If Heaps starts next week, I would imagine most people feel a lot more confident that he can get the job done.

Cody Hoffman and Michael Alisa continued to show why they are emerging studs on offense. Hoffman caught 6 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Alisa ran for 99 yards on 10 carries with a TD. Both players are producing and solidifying their spots as go-to guys on the ground and through the air.

The defense played as well as you could expect. They gave up one big play which went 82 yards for a touchdown. Outside of that, the defense was smothering. The Cougars defense held Taylor Davis to -6 yards passing before he was yanked towards the end of the 3rd quarter. If you look at it, Idaho finished with 241 total yards and 82 of those came on one blown assignment that resulted in a big rushing TD. The Cougar defense did their job tonight.

BYU plays their final home game next season when they host New Mexico State. I would assume Heaps gets the start at quarterback with Nelson’s injury. I guess it’s possible that Nelson could play but it’s too early to know for sure. Let’s be honest though, BYU will roll regardless!

Shep