The Cougars lost, but Boise State did not hit them

October 9, 2021; Provo, Utah, USA; Boise State Broncos defender Hank Bachmeier (19) will put pressure on Brigham Young Cougars ’line of defense with Pepe Tanuvas (45) during the third quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

BYU Football’s four turnovers led them to drop 26-17 to Boise State.

If you watch Alabama play football even though you don’t see the scoreboard, you can tell that Crimson Tide is a superior team. This is most often the case with two teams. When I looked at Boise State vs. BYU, if I hadn’t seen the points, I could honestly say that BYU was a better team.

The final stats support this, and BYU beat the Broncos by 101 yards. They also averaged more yards per game than Boise State. Cougars had more QB rushes, losses, and losses.

In almost every category you can come up with, BYU was a clearly better team. Except in one category… Turnover.

Cougars coughed the ball three times, twice inside his own 25-yard line, and a third time in the red zone as Cougars seemed to gain momentum back in a big way. The Broncos were able to take advantage of two short fields and scored two goals, the only two goals they scored throughout the game.

While turnover is definitely part of the game, two consecutive rounds within the 25-yard line are very rare. The fact is that Boise State took advantage of the opportunities that BYU gave them.

What does this mean?

The good news is that BYU was not controlled by statistics. If Boise State were to beat BYU and be a better team in every way, the ceiling and chances of this BYU Football team would be seriously worried. However, nine out of ten times win a team that averages more than two yards per game.

This game was anomalous. And it takes nothing from the Broncos. They played a great game and made the plays they needed to win.

But make no mistake, BYU was a better team, and there is real reason to believe that the Cougars can still beat any team that stays on schedule.