{"id":162083,"date":"2022-12-19T09:06:10","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T09:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/byu-football-cougars-resiliency-led-to-improbable-new-mexico-bowl-win\/"},"modified":"2022-12-19T09:06:10","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T09:06:10","slug":"byu-football-cougars-resiliency-led-to-improbable-new-mexico-bowl-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/byu-football-cougars-resiliency-led-to-improbable-new-mexico-bowl-win\/","title":{"rendered":"BYU football: Cougars’ resiliency led to improbable New Mexico Bowl win"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico \u2014 Standing on the makeshift podium after accepting the cool dreamcatcher trophy that goes to the most outstanding defensive player of the New Mexico Bowl, BYU linebacker Ben Bywater summed up the improbable 24-23 win over favored SMU the best way he knew how.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, we are a broken team right now,\u201d Bywater said. \u201cI mean, a lot of guys are injured. We had a lot of mix up on the coaching staff. So for us to go out there and do our thing, man, and win this game, I couldn’t be more proud of everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was truly a dream ending for the Cougars, who finished their final season of independence with an 8-5 record and a little bit of momentum for Big 12 entrance, which has officially begun. It has to go down as one of the most improbable bowl wins of the 17 the program has acquired, among the 40 BYU has played.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou know, we are a broken team right now. I mean, a lot of guys are injured. We had a lot of mix up on the coaching staff. So for us to go out there and do our thing, man, and win this game, I couldn’t be more proud of everybody.\u201d \u2014 BYU linebacker Ben Bywater<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Back in the SMU locker room at the south end of University Stadium, the Mustangs (7-6) had to be wondering how they let this one get away. They were missing a few good players, too, most notably NFL-bound receiver Rashee Rice, but were clearly the more healthy team and weren’t in the game with a mixture of analysts and graduate assistants for defensive coaches, as BYU was.<\/p>\n

It was a game SMU had no business losing.<\/p>\n

It was a game BYU had no business winning.<\/p>\n

But that’s college football.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: \u201cWe got one more point than they did and made the one play that flips the entire thing,\u201d said BYU coach Kalani Sitake.<\/p>\n

That \u201cone play\u201d was made by nickel back Jakob Robinson, of course, an open-field tackle on SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai just outside the 1-yard line after Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee gambled and lost. Robinson, diehard BYU fans might recall, made a big stop last year in the final seconds to beat USC.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a good way to end the independence era, so we are looking forward to being in a conference next year and to start working towards that,\u201d Sitake said. \u201cNow we can officially talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, but the last game of independence won’t soon be forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like BYU and SMU have some really good history in bowl games, and this was a fun one to be a part of,\u201d Sitake said.<\/p>\n

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