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Provo • Another game, another key player missing action due to injury for the BYU Cougars.
Sophomore linebacker Butch Pau'u, arguably the team's best defensive player through four games, sat out of Friday night's game against Toledo with a knee injury.
The extent of the injury has not been disclosed. Pau'u watched pregame warmups in street clothes, a bulky brace on his left knee. Adam Pulsipher got the start at middle linebacker.
Freshman cornerback Troy Warner, who is battling a right hamstring injury, also did not play. Warner played sparingly in last week's 35-32 loss to West Virginia.
Offensive lineman Ului Lapuaho missed his third straight game, while kicker Jake Oldroyd also sat out of Friday night's game with a back issue.
Pau'u was leading the team in tackles, with 50, and also has six tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.
Defensive tackle Travis Tuiloma played for the second-straight week, but was on a play count as he continues his recovery from a Lisfranc foot injury.
What a start
BYU entered the game without a passing play of more than 40 yards, but got one on the first play. Taysom Hill threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jonah Trinnaman to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game. However, Toledo promptly drove 75 yards in seven plays to tie it up.
Let byes be gone
For the second-straight week, the Cougars faced a team coming off a bye. It will happen one more time, when UMass visits Provo on Nov. 19. The Cougars will get a bye before they face Cincinnati on Nov. 5.
"For us, it is a disadvantage only because it is one less game to prepare for, from their film," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. He also wasn't concerned that BYU had to play a weeknight game, to boot.
"I don't care — as long as there are 100-yard fields, we can play football," Sitake said. "You know, what makes this special is we are home."
Briefly
Former players Itula Mili, Derik Stevenson and Donny Atuaia carried out the alumni flags before the game. Current players Alema Pilimai and Garrett Juergens carried out the team flags. … 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, a 1971 BYU graduate, performed the traditional lighting of the Y before the game.
Twitter: @drewjay