Uh-Oh, BYU Learned to Rush the Passer: Inside a Dominant Showing Against Iowa State

After years of searching, BYU may have found a dominant pass rush

BYU Football defensive line against Iowa State | BYU Photo

"Uh oh, Happy learned how to putt!" In the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore, the former hockey-player-turned-golfer breaks through only after he corrects his main weakness: his short game.

Going back the last several years, the primary weakness for the BYU defense has been the pass rush. In our opinion, it's the core reason why BYU has been good, not great, on that side of the ball even though they have won a lot of games since 2024.

BYU's ability, or lack thereof, to get pressure without blitzing is why BYU ranked 81st in quality drive rate allowed and 46th in available yards gained last season. BYU's past struggles to get off the field on third downs could be traced back to its pass rush.

Something has clicked with the BYU pass rush since the bye week. Uh oh, BYU learned to rush the passer. The last two weeks, BYU's pass rush has controlled games and made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.

On the first drive, Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor was under constant pressure. He was under so much duress, in fact, that Iowa State stopped taking deep drops in the pocket. The ball was either coming out right away or Raynor was throwing under pressure. Raynor was sacked three times and he was hit three more times.

Cade Uluave, Jake Clifton, Anisi Purcell, and Hunter Clegg were credited with 0.5 sacks each. Ace Kaufusi had a critical sack in the fourth quarter as well. There were multiple BYU defensive linemen in the backfield on almost every pass play. Keanu Tanuvasa didn't record a sack, but it was perhaps his best game in a BYU uniform. Tanuvasa collapsed the pocket on numerous occasions.

SWARMIN'

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— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 10, 2026

The constant pressure suffocated the Iowa State offense. The receivers didn't have enough time to get open and Raynor threw some dangerous balls into the flats that could have (and probably should have) been intercepted.

The box score doesn't paint the full picture for BYU's dominance in the trenches, either. The Cougars batted down three balls at the line of scrimmage, led by Keanu Tanuvasa who had two pass breakups. They also never let Raynor find a rhythm through the air. They had multiple pressures that wouldn't have counted as quarterback hits.

The Cougars have added more talent than ever before in the secondary, and they have a linebacker room stocked full of NFL talent. BYU's defensive line is as talented as its been this century, but it's been inexperienced. Now that those former blue-chip recruits have some experience, they are starting to show why they were coveted recruits back in high school. It's bringing all the pieces together for first-year defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga.

Iowa State put up 45 points against West Virginia just last week. If not for a muffed punt and a few penalty flags, the Cyclones may not have scored at all. The Cyclones had just 69 yards of offense in the first three quarters before they finally moved the ball in the fourth quarter. It all started up front.

After the game, BYU cornerback Therrian Alexander III said this is the best BYU defense he's played on and he highlighted the pass rush.

"This defense, since I've been here, is the best defense I've ever played on," Alexander III said. "I feel like this secondary is immensely talented, and I feel like we're putting out best foot forward....for the front, it's the best pass rush since I've been here. The front gets home. They dominate the run game...all of our guys up front are getting home."

There is a universal truth with college football quarterbacks: all of them are worse under pressure than they are from a clean pocket. When quarterbacks are under pressure, they throw more interceptions and they struggle with accuracy. BYU is starting to enjoy the benefits of a great pass rush. Iowa State was just 2/13 on third downs.

Jaylen Raynor is not the best quarterback BYU will face this season, not by a long shot, but he's not as bad as BYU made him look bad. Raynor finished the night 16/29 for 98 yards. Raynor threw for more yards on 10 fewer attempts against the vaunted Iowa defense earlier this season.

In the fourth quarter, BYU cornerback Jayven Williams had a highlight-worthy hit for a pass breakup. While Williams' hit is what will be remembered, it was sparked by a quarterback pressure from Jake Clifton. Clifton got through the offensive line with a quick pressure and forced Raynor to float the ball into the flat. That's when Williams delivered the hit stick.

WHAT. A. HIT 💥

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— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) October 10, 2026

In this author's opinion, the difference bettween BYU's defense and the defenses of College Football Playoff teams has been the pass rush. If the Cougars can check that box, they will be in every game they play. BYU's pass rush faces its biggest test of the season against Notre Dame next week. The key to stopping a dangerous Notre Dame passing attack is to pressure the quarterback. The last two weeks suggest that BYU may be up to the task.

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