Losing hurts more than winning feels good.
That’s what is said, said correctly.
And that’s pretty much what Kalani Sitake, in so many words, told his players after they beat Utah on Saturday night. Straight into the grinning teeth of victory — yeah, he wanted them to enjoy the moment — and, yet, he reminded them of what happened to the Cougars last season after they beat the Utes.
Floating at 9-0, coming off their high, they dropped two straight games, tight games, at home against Kansas and on the road against Arizona State. What went wrong? A lot of things, but a single unmissable one was BYU’s own mistakes, namely a mix of turnovers and sloppy execution. A little more focus and precision might have turned those defeats into wins.
And so, that’s what Sitake was and is asking from his 7-0 team against Iowa State, a foe that is considerably tougher to get past in Ames than elsewhere. Moreover, BYU has never beaten the Cyclones in football, losing each time in five tries. Not that what’s happened in past years, some of them long ago, has much to do with this particular iteration of Cougars.
Sitake’s point essentially is this: He knows his team is good enough to beat Iowa State — if it plays up to its potential, regardless of where the game is played. He also knows his Cougars have yet to perform at their highest level. In a mountain of emotion, the Utes pushed BYU hard in the rivalry game, bringing out elements of top-level football, but not all of them. That’s what he’s looking for now.
Some BYU players mentioned that need, as well, fully aware that mental slippages with what’s ahead, not just a roadie at Iowa State, but thereafter against Texas Tech and later at Cincinnati would mess over the prize on which they have their eyes.
First, though, comes the business at hand.
In order for BYU to beat Iowa State, its defense will be required to do what its No. 1 goal always is — stop the run and do what it can to curtail quarterback Rocco Becht, who is the Cyclones’ best player and, according to a lot of people, one of the best quarterbacks BYU will face this season. He’s thrown for 1,622 yards, with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I love his competitive nature,” said BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill. “He can throw it, he can run it, he’s really smart. He looks like a guy that’s played a lot of snaps in the Big 12.”
On the other hand, Becht has been depended on too heavily to make too many plays for Iowa State in recent games. The Cyclones have been hit by injuries, and while that hasn’t been their only problem, it’s been a notable factor. After winning their first five contests, they lost at Cincinnati and at Colorado.
Iowa State has struggled in two important areas — third-down conversions and red zone scoring. In their consecutive defeats, the Cyclones have converted on third down just six of 28 times. Making matters worse, those are two areas where BYU’s defense has been stellar. The Cougars are second in the Big 12 in defending in the red zone, and they are among the nation’s best in third-down defense.
Becht depends on throwing to his tight ends, but BYU has defended that, at least against other opponents, rather efficiently. BYU’s secondary has played well thus far, and Becht will have to deal with that.
“We’ve had moments when we were outstanding,” Hill said. “And moments where we have to clean things up.”
Said defensive end Logan Lutui: “The biggest thing with our defense is execution, executing the assignments we have.”
When BYU’s defenders overcook those assignments, as they sometimes do, their overall cohesion suffers.
When things go well for the Cyclones’ attack, they play fast and physical.
“We see that in their offense,” Lutui said. “[But] we pride ourselves in being physical.”
On the other side of the ball, Bear Bachmeier has played far above what is expected of most young quarterbacks, joining only a handful of freshmen who have guided their teams to 7-0 starts. At Jack Trice Stadium, in front of a loud and angry crowd, he will have to demonstrate more of the same poise he’s shown in other road games. If he gets shook, the Cougars could find the going rough. As has been the case all season, running back LJ Martin, who leads the Big 12 in rushing yards, will have to continue on with that for a couple of reasons — BYU relies on its success running the football, and that success accentuates Bachmeier’s use of play action, which has helped him throw effectively.
The blend of Iowa State’s struggles to stop the run and BYU’s proficiency in executing it gives the Cougars a sizable advantage, especially when it opens up an opportunity for explosive plays to targets such as Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston. The backend of Iowa State’s defense is … what’s the word? … susceptible.
Still, playing in one of the Big 12’s toughest road environments, a building where Iowa State is oh-so difficult to beat, BYU will have to play either its best or one of its best games of the season. The last time these two teams met, the Cyclones not only beat the Cougars, they thumped them at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“We haven’t forgotten,” Lutui said. “We’re grateful for the second chance and we’re going to make the most of it.”
If they don’t, losing after seven wins, BYU will hurt more than they felt good.