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BYU Football: Position Grades Against Navy

We look at every position group and give them a grade for their performance against Navy.

BYU crushed a Navy team on Labor Day that went 11-2 in 2019. Yes, the Mids were without their star QB, Malcolm Perry, who was drafted by the Dolphins. Yes, Navy didn't practice live during fall camp. Did those things impact the score? Sure, but BYU was the superior team in every facet of the game. Navy returned a lot of starters from a top-25 defense last year. The Cougars deserve a lot of credit for their dominance on Monday night. Today, let's look at every position group and hand out a grade for their performance against Navy. 

Quarterback: B+

Zach Wilson played a very good game against Navy. His only interception happened in the second quarter when Neil Pau'u tripped on a Linebacker's foot. The pass was accurate, but Pau'u wasn't able to regain his balance and make the catch. Wilson played within the game plan and made the most of his 18 attempts.

Running Back: A

Tyler Allgeier and Lopini Katoa averaged 9.4 and 8.0 yards-per-carry respectively. Jackson McChesney averaged 5.1 yards per carry running behind the second string OL. You would be hard pressed to find a better performance by BYU running backs - Navy was a top-20 run defense in 2019. The running backs were running through massive holes all night long.

Wide Receiver: B-

It's hard to find any faults in a 55-3 blowout, but the BYU receivers dropped a few catchable passes on the first drive. The group, Gunner Romney in particular, settled in and played a good game. 

Tight Ends: B

Masen Wake was the only tight end with a reception against Navy. I would like to see Isaac Rex get more targets, but BYU didn't need to throw the ball to move the ball. The Tight Ends were great in run-blocking situations. It's worth noting that Blake Freeland lined up at tight end and made a critical block to move the chains on third down. 

Offensive Line: A+

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BYU's offensive line played a practically perfect game on Monday. Four of the five starting BYU OL graded out higher than any OL in the country last weekend:

Defensive Line: A

Again, BYU dominated in the trenches. Navy couldn't move the ball in the middle of the field. Khyiris Tonga, in particular, was a force in the middle.

Linebackers: A

A fourth 'A' grade in the first version of our position grades? Yes, that can happen when you play as well as BYU did on Labor Day. The Linebackers played with speed and violence while maintaining gap integrity. BYU also tackled very well considering it was the first game of the season after an unprecedented offseason.

Defensive Backs: B

BYU defensive backs had limited opportunities to make plays. When they did, however, they played very well. Chaz Ah You made a great stop on fourth down, Troy Warner maintained outside leverage throughout the game, and Keenan Ellis was not fooled when Navy tried to run a trick play.

Special Teams: B+

Jake Oldroyd was perfect. Ryan Rehkow launched his one and only punt for 56 yards in the air. The kicking game was great, BYU will look to improve the return game against Army.