BYU rolls up 580 total yards in 55-3 rout of Navy
BYU’s Tyler Allgeier ran for 132 yards, Lopini Katoa scored three first-half touchdowns, and the Cougars dominated the line of scrimmage in a 55-3 rout of Navy on Monday night in Annapolis, Md., in the season opener for both teams.
Allgeier ran for two touchdowns among his 14 carries while Katoa carried 10 times for 80 yards and two scores. BYU finished with 580 total yards, including 301 on the ground, as it held possession for 37 minutes, 20 seconds to turn the tables on Navy’s typical ball-control game plan.
BYU controlled the nonconference matchup from the start, racing to a 31-0 halftime lead and leading 48-0 before the Midshipmen converted a 48-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
The Midshipmen, who led the nation last season with 360.5 rushing yards per game, ended with 119 yards on the ground. They failed to get their triple-option attack going under the direction of senior quarterback Dalen Morris, who was making his first career start after the graduation of Malcolm Perry. Navy had 48 total yards in the first half before Morris was replaced by Perry Olsen.
BYU quarterback Zach Wilson completed 13 of 18 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His second TD pass came early in the third quarter, covering 45 yards to Gunner Romney, who did most of the work by weaving through traffic after catching a short pass. Romney finished with four catches for 134 yards.
Navy, which did not have live tackling in preseason practice, couldn’t stand up to BYU’s size and ability on both sides of the line. The Cougars exploited their advantage, gaining 304 yards in the first half and putting the Navy offense into third-and-long situations all game.
The Midshipmen were 2 of 11 on third-down conversions and failed on both of their fourth-down tries.
BYU rushed for exactly 100 yards on its first two drives, each ending in a touchdown. Allgeier bounced a run to the left for a 34-yard score on the Cougars’ first possession, and Katoa burst through a big hole for a 39-yard touchdown run on the second.
Katoa scored on a 15-yard swing pass early in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead, and he pushed in for a 1-yard touchdown run with eight seconds remaining in the half.
–Field Level Media
