Warrior Beat

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, cornerback Rojesterman Farris II was a signature away from the next phase of his life. During a signing ceremony at Coral Springs (Fla.) Charter High, Farris was set to make a written commitment to Wagner College, an FCS school in New York. “I was sitting at the table, and the next thing I know my dad was on the phone,” Farris recalled. “I’m looking at him, mad as hell, like, ‘C’mon, bro, it’s my day,’ […]

This season, the Warriors have had uneven results in defending the run. Against the triple-option, they yielded 326 rushing yards to Navy and 303 to Army. But they also dominated Duquesne (24 rushing yards) and San Jose State (39). Playing what Nick Rolovich referred to as “big-boy football,” BYU amassed 280 rushing yards. In the first eight games: • Colorado State — 116 rushing yards, 4.64 yards per carry • Navy — 326 yards, 6.65 ypc • Rice — 147 […]

PROVO >> Every game is supposed to be a teaching moment. Here’s what we learned from UH’s 49-23 loss to BYU: > Counter moves: In the lobby of the hotel where the Warriors spent the trip, there is a giant chess board, which served as decorative and metaphorical. Teams have had enough video evidence of the capabilities of the Warriors’ hybrid offense. The past few opponents have devised counter measures. The continuing challenge for the Warriors is to counter the […]

Behind freshman QB Zach Wilson, BYU beats Hawaii, 49-23, at LaVell Edwards Stadium. UH is 0-10 in Provo. ******* BYU goes for it on fourth down, completing a 26 yard TD pass to extend lead to 49-23 lead with 3:45 to play. * * * * * John Ursua, who attended high school a few miles from Provo, makes an acrobatic TD catch to cut the UH deficit to 42-23 with 7:08 left. But Ursua was tackled for a loss […]

SALT LAKE CITY >> After the closed practice ended, the food line opened. Thanks to Jason Cvercko and Josh Omura, the Warriors were treated to Chick-Fil-A lunches. After that, the Warriors returned to the hotel for more meetings in advance of tomorrow’s game against BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

SALT LAKE CITY >> Hours after arriving in Utah, the Warriors conducted a walk-through session in 54-degree weather. “It was good,” head coach Nick Rolovich said of the 90-minute workout in advance of Saturday’s game against Brigham Young. “They had good juice. They got used to the weather, the air a little bit.” Rolovich said the cool temperatures and high altitude (4,226 feet above sea level) are not a concern. “I don’t think that’s a big deal for this team,” […]

Quarterback Cole McDonald has been added to the watch list for the Maxwell Award. The award, which has been presented since 1937, goes to college football’s most outstanding player. “That’s cool, I guess,” McDonald said. “I don’t know much about it. I don’t really look at awards. I focus on the team. I focus on the game.” This season, McDonald has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,100 yards and 24 TDs. He has been intercepted twice in 240 […]

The leader of the Warriors’ offense – quarterback Cole McDonald — practiced today after missing Saturday’s game because of an undisclosed injury. “I’m back,” McDonald said following a 2-hour practice in which he easily threw a variety of passes. McDonald said it was a game-time decision to not play. Cole McDonald on getting back out at #HawaiiFB practice today following missing the Wyoming game due to injury, and what he thought of Chevan Cordeiro’s performance. pic.twitter.com/kbSF0KZvOO — Brian McInnis (@Brian_McInnis) […]