It took a while to get started thanks to the weather, but the first half between BYU and Texas has been worth the wait. Well, it has been worth the wait if you are a BYU fan. The Cougars are holding a 24-14 lead at the half and are dominating the Longhorns in the stat sheet.
At the half, BYU has put together over 400 yards of offense to more than double the offensive production by the Longhorns. Texas quarterback David Ash showed off a good arm on a 57-yard touchdown pass to Mike Davis, who also showed off good speed, but the first half has largely been all BYU. BYU’s Taysom Hill has been roughed up pretty good by the Texas defense and has struggled to throw the football, completing four of 17 pass attempts, but he also has one of the best highlights of the evening. Hill broke free for a 68 yard touchdown run moments after the Ash to Davis touchdown connection.
The second half will be a good test for BYU. If BYU is going to thrive as a football independent in an era when conferences are getting all of the benefits in the College Football Playoff era and conferences are expand, these are the games the Cougars must win. The second half will also be a good gut check test for the Longhorns.
Let’s see how this second half plays out.