BYU Football: Cardiac Cougs make for electric atmosphere

BYU football can’t seem to find consistency on offense or defense. But they’ve got a flair for the dramatic and have been in every game. And the on field product? Electric.

Listen. I might be getting too old for this. And I’m only 30.

Yesterday, hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Lavell Edwards Stadium, BYU managed to outlast the visitors for a 28-21 overtime win. For most of four quarters, the Cougs didn’t look that great. Fans in the crowd moaned and threw up their hands and shook their heads. There was much eye rolling, and heavy sighs, and sarcastic suggestions (“Go for two!”).

And yet, it was amazing.

These nail-biters, these last-play, adrenaline-fueled, gray-hair-inducing games have a side effect. They give those privileged few in the stadium itself a moment of magic.

When its overtime, and the game is on the line, and every soul with legs to stand on is standing, quivering on the breaking point between exaltation or despair. A last desperate pass heaved and batted away in the end zone, and everybody is roaring as the students rush the field and fireworks thunder overhead…

Magic.

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

That kind of emotional zenith is usually reserved for only a few select times in football. Certainly only once or twice a season, if you’re lucky.

The 2016 Cougars have made it their weekly meat.

Walking among the milling crowd of happy Cougar fans, I couldn’t help but feel a bit drained. Between the late night and another game of epic drama (the Cougars didn’t get a lead until the second overtime), almost everyone was feeling weak in the knees. The relief of beating Michigan State before the final seconds already seemed very distant, the sole outlier in a season of chest-contracting finishes.

But let’s just step back and think about this.

The Cougars offense takes a clear step back from last week (so much for finding themselves). The Bulldogs were laser-focused on taking away Jamaal Williams and the running game, and they were wildly successful at doing just that for most of the game.

The defense once again shows a spread passing scheme can expose them. They allow completions on 3rd and even 4th and long, time and time again. Special teams had critical errors—penalties that resulted in points and big swings in field position.

And yet, the Cougars won anyway. In double overtime, in front of a packed house of roaring fans decked in royal under the alchemy of Friday night lights.

Yes, we’ll all need some de-stressing. I recommend french fries. Some get a bit balder and grayer. Wear a hat. A few may need to take their physical a bit early this year, maybe check up and see if they need updated heart medication.

But ask yourself: would your rather be Mississippi State?

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Because from where I sit, 4-3 against possibly BYU football’s toughest schedule ever (under a first year coaching staff, to boot) ain’t that bad. You could be 2-4, and oh so very grumpy.

Even if we complain a bit here or there, who would say it hasn’t been worth it?