yahoo
The ninth-ranked BYU Cougars secured a 41-23 victory over Colorado State in Fort Collins on Saturday night, moving to 3-0 on the season. Kalani Sitake's squad dominated the first half and maintained control after halftime, giving the team momentum as it enters its first bye week of the year.
Despite the convincing win, the Cougars' first road game revealed areas that need attention, particularly regarding depth. The second half saw Colorado State score a couple of late touchdowns, which Sitake acknowledged must be corrected if BYU hopes to contend for a College Football Playoff berth.
"It is still a week that we have to progress as a team," Sitake said. "We'll develop some of our players, some young guys especially, and then get ready for our next game, which is TCU."
Key Analysis
With victories over Utah Tech, Big 12 opponent Arizona, and now Colorado State, BYU has positioned itself well before diving into conference play. The bye week provides an opportunity to refine fundamentals and give younger players valuable reps. Following the bye, the Cougars face a tough TCU team on October 3, followed by a quick turnaround against Iowa State at home on Friday, October 9. An extra day of preparation will then aid BYU for its highly anticipated matchup against Notre Dame on October 17.
Sitake praised his team's early dominance over the Rams, which allowed him to rotate in players who typically see limited action. However, that substitution pattern led to some sloppy play in the final two quarters. "We got enough of a lead and still made mistakes," Sitake said. "But I still felt like the game was under control the entire time. So this is something we can build on, but I'd like to see some improvement, mostly from the backups."
BYU's 3-0 start marks the fourth consecutive year under Sitake and the 20th time in program history. As the Cougars' playoff aspirations gain traction, protecting that momentum is crucial. "We are exactly where we want to be," Sitake added. "It doesn't really matter if we don't take advantage of the time during the bye week and the time to learn from all the things that we experienced in this game."
Originally reported by yahoo.