A crucial penalty in the closing moments of the BYU-Baylor game almost altered the result. With just 1:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, BYU required only one first down to clinch the victory. On the first down, running back Enoch Nawahine gained five yards, making it 2nd & 5. Following the play, Nawahine reached out to a Baylor defender, who subsequently fell to the ground—a situation reminiscent of a flop in basketball. As a result, Nawahine was penalized for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
After the game, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake expressed his frustration with the penalty, calling the decision “bullcrap.”
“I thought it was clearly a flop,” Sitake remarked. “We emphasize to our players to handle situations wisely. I lost my composure. I don’t believe that call should have been made at that moment, especially when we were trying to run down the clock. We had just gained five yards on the first run, and it seemed to be going our way, but then they penalized us 15 yards. I felt it was necessary to voice my concerns to the referees. I consider it a bad call, but that’s okay—they’re only human and make mistakes. I’m not perfect either, which is why I raised my voice… it felt good to vent some frustration.”
BYU was penalized 15 yards, changing the situation from 2nd & 5 to 2nd & 20. At that point, BYU conceded the drive, running the ball twice before punting it back to Baylor.
Fortunately, BYU’s defense rose to the occasion once more, with safety Crew Wakley making a crucial play.
Despite his disagreement with the penalty, Sitake emphasized the importance of avoiding such mental errors in the future.
“We need to be smart,” Sitake stated. “We can’t put ourselves in those situations. You can’t blame the referees; our players need to handle it better.”
To BYU’s credit, they remained composed throughout much of the game prior to that penalty. During a key drive in the second half, while in Baylor territory, a Baylor defensive lineman delivered a cheap shot to BYU left tackle Caleb Etienne, hitting him in the face long after the play had ended. It was clearly not a legitimate football move. Although the referee missed that initial foul, they would have certainly noticed any retaliation. Instead, Etienne chose to ignore the incident, avoiding a penalty that could have ended the drive.
BYU can take away several lessons from their road victory at Baylor, with maintaining composure in late-game situations being a significant one.
Leave a Reply