Five Years Later, BYU Faces a Similar Test Against East Carolina

Last Saturday, BYU appeared to be on its way to a bounce-back win over Liberty after a taking a 14-3 lead into the second quarter. Then Liberty dominated the second quarter and took a 20-14 lead into halftime. The Flames kept their feet on the gas in the second half, scoring another 21 points while shutting BYU out on their way to a 41-14 victory.

There's no two ways about it, it was a horrible loss for the Cougars. Not only the loss but the way it happened made it one of the worst losses of the the Sitake era. After eight games, BYU is on a three-game losing skid and searching for its identity. The Cougars are 4-4 with remaining games against ECU, Boise State, Utah Tech, and Stanford. 

The last time BYU faced East Carolina was in 2017. There are a few similarities between the test BYU faced against ECU in 2017 and the test it will face against ECU on Friday. In 2017, BYU came into the game against ECU with a 1-6 record and riding a six-game losing streak. BYU needed a win at ECU to keep its hopes of a bowl game alive. On that day, BYU kept pace with the Pirates in the first half going into the locker room with a 10-10 tie. The Cougar offense didn't have the firepower to keep it close in the second half, and ECU pulled away and won 33-17.

Make no mistake, the 2022 version of the BYU football team is much better than the 2017 version. But like 2017, BYU comes into the game with shattered confidence and bowl eligibility on the line. BYU was in a must-win situation in 2017 to keep its bowl hopes alive. The situation is not as dire in 2022, but losing to ECU would put BYU's bowl hopes firmly up in the air with road trips to Stanford and Boise State on the horizon.

The 2017 Offense and the 2022 Defense

The 2017 game against ECU exposed BYU's greatest weakness: the offense. Coming into that game, ECU's defense was one of the worst in the country allowing 50 points per game. It appeared to be the perfect opportunity to get BYU's offense back on track. However, BYU's offense only mustered 17 points, the fewest points ECU allowed all season. The Cougars finished the 2017 season with the 123rd ranked scoring offense.

Last week was to BYU's defense what ECU was to BYU's offense in 2017. The Cougars were exposed, allowing 41 points to a Liberty team that was scoring 29 points per game and starting its third-string quarterback. The Flames ran the ball at will and BYU didn't force a punt until the fourth quarter. 

Following the loss at Liberty, BYU's defense is ranked 103rd in total defense. Most concerning is the trend in the month of October. BYU's defense has allowed 562 yards per game this month, more than any team in the country.

The 2017 offense was never able to right the ship, but the 2022 defense still has time to avoid the same fate. The Cougars must find ways to get stops if they want to turn this season around. Reversing the trend is paramount - BYU can't go limping into the Big 12. The Cougars need to restore some level of confidence heading into the most important recruiting months of the year.

The Cougars failed the test against ECU in 2017. Five years later, they face a similar test against the Pirates. Time will tell whether they take advantage of the opportunity to right the ship or not.

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