Who Played, Who Sat, and What It Means: BYU Snap Count Breakdown

In a game against an outmatched opponent, there is only so much you can learn about BYU. In this article, we will breakdown what we learned by analyzing snap counts against the Trailblazers.

Pass-catchers Rotation

Coming out of Fall Camp, we predicted that, Kyler Kasper and Jojo Phillips would be the wide receivers that played the most to start the season. Then we put Legend Glasker, Reggie Frischknecht, and Tiger Bachmeier behind the top two, in that order. That's exactly how the snap distribution turned out against the Trailblazers.

Kyler Kasper - 33
Jojo Phillips - 30
Legend Glasker - 23
Reggie Frischknecht - 17
Tiger Bachmeier - 13

Meanwhile, BYU played Roger Saleapaga (32 snaps) and Walker Lyons (33 snaps) as much as Kyler Kasper.

So what did we learn? BYU wants to have the two tight ends on the field as much as its best wide receivers. We also learned that Legend Glasker probably earned more snaps in the future. We expect his role to continue to grow as the season progresses.

If Glasker cements himself as one of BYU's top three wide receivers, the rotation could be trimmed to some combination the two tight ends, Glasker, Kasper, and Phillips.

Last but not least, other true freshmen wide receivers got some valuable reps on Saturday. Jaron Pula played eight snaps after missing most of Fall camp due to injury, and Terrance Saryon played 12 snaps. Pula, in particular, could rise up the rotation once he's healthy and comfortable in the offense.

BYU Knew They Needed Glasker & Taumoepeau Against Arizona

BYU star linebacker Isaiah Glasker did not play against Arizona. Kalani Sitake said Glasker could have played, but he was held out for precautionary reasons. It's clear that BYU knew they would need him fully healthy against the Arizona Wildcats.

Nusi Taumoepeau missed the last few weeks of Fall Camp due to injury. Taumoepeau, when healthy, is BYU's best pass-rusher. BYU played Taumoepeau just five snaps against the Trailblazers, then they moved him into a starting role on Monday's depth chart. It's clear that Taumoepeau was on a pitch count to ramp up to Saturday's game against Arizona.

A Clear Offensive Line

Last year, BYU rotated multiple players at offensive guard. That wasn't the case against the Trailblazers as the starting five offensive linemen played every snap with the first-string offense. BYU has a clear-cut starting offensive line, and in the opinion of this author, that is a good thing.

Valuable Reps for Kennan Pula

No defender played more snaps on Saturday than true freshman safety Kennan Pula. Pula played 37 snaps and those opportunities could pay off later. Raider Damuni will be out for at least the month of September due to injury. Tommy Prassas and Kennan Pula are the next safeties in line. It was critical for Pula to get those snaps against Utah Tech.

Fresh Defensive Line Against Arizona

BYU's defensive line should be very against the Arizona Wildcats. Outside of Anisi Purcell who played 33 snaps, BYU played its core defensive line anywhere from 14 snaps (Hunter Clegg) to 8 snaps (Justin Kirkland).

The BYU defensive line is, perhaps, the most important group going into Saturday's game against Arizona. BYU needs to pressure Noah Fifita to slow him down, but they can't do it be sending blitzes all game long. BYU needs to pressure Fifita without blitzing.

Sione Moa

BYU running back Sione Moa played only seven snaps before leaving the game with an injury. We will learn about Moa's status for the Arizona game beginning on Wednesday night when BYU releases the first injury report. At this point, we don't expect him to be available.

This is Moa's third season with the program. In 2024, he suffered an injury in his first start and he missed multiple games due to injury. In 2025, he suffered an injury in week three and didn't return until the Big 12 Championship game. This season, Moa played just seven snaps before leaving the game with an injury.

Injuries are an unfortunate reality in football, and some players deal with more injuries than others. Call it running style or bad luck, Sione Moa has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries.

This is the second consecutive season in which BYU has counted on Moa to be Martin's backup, and injuries have limited his availability. BYU's depth at running back is already being tested.

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