After taking some lumps during first year in Big 12, BYU defense has flipped script

Hans Olsen talks about football in the same way he played it — with passion and energy. As the former Cougar defensive end scours the BYU defense as part of his job as a football analyst for BYU Radio, he sees plenty of both.
Not only did the Cougars hold then-13th-ranked Kansas State without a touchdown for the first time in four years, but they also forced three turnovers that turned into a trio of BYU touchdowns.
“They forced (Kansas State quarterback) Avery Johnson into runs he didn’t want to do. They forced him to get back in the pocket and they did a much better job of contain and control,” Olsen told the “Y’s Guys” podcast this week. “What that tells me is you have a defense that is disciplined and versatile and when you have that, you have stability.”
After broadcasting BYU’s convincing 38-9 victory, Olsen left LaVell Edwards Stadium with a new perspective on the Cougars second year in the Big 12.
“It changes everything. It changes the idea of what this season can be, and it leaves you with so much hope and so much optimism — and it’s not flukey,” said Olsen while noting the flurry of defensive plays that overwhelmed the Wildcats, including Tommy Prassas’ scoop-six and Tyler Batty’s interception within six seconds of each other in the second quarter.
“People might say the Kansas State game was a fluke because, how often (are those kinds of plays going to happen?) But when you have players like Jack Kelly, Isaiah Glasker and Harrison Taggart moving around, or when the interior guys are holding it down, I’ll tell you how often it can happen — it can happen every week because I watched it happen with Rob Morris and Shae Muirbrook,” Olsen explained. “I know what can happen when you have great fronts and linebackers that are active. They can change every game.”
Holding SMU to five field goals on their home field was no fluke either, especially considering the Mustangs averaged 53.9 points during their nine-game home win streak before the Cougars came to town. The 18-15 BYU victory was the first time SMU failed to score a touchdown in a game in eight years. Last weekend, with the Cougars in their rearview mirror, the Mustangs routed rival TCU 66-42.
Through four games, Olsen’s defensive impact players rank 1. Jack Kelly (linebacker); 2. Jakob Robinson (cornerback); 3. Tyler Batty (rush end); 4. Blake Mangelson (tackle); and 5. John Nelson (tackle).
“Those five guys have been unstoppable,” he said. “It’s been a blast to watch them.”
Olsen believes harnessing BYU’s defensive mentality is also the key to managing their approach on offense.
“We’ll do what we have to do offensively, but we are not going to give short fields. We are not going to give extra possessions. That is not going to happen,” Olsen said. “Now Jake Retzlaff has to look at his defense and say, ‘We can win purely based on our defense. We can win. All I have to do is be smart,’ and I think we have started to see that evolution.”
The junior quarterback threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers in BYU’s upset of Kansas State. The newly ranked No. 22 Cougars scored in all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams. Olsen does concede that Parker Kingston’s wild punt return was a “little flukey.”
Playing at Baylor in the sunshine on Saturday (10 a.m., FS1) as a slight underdog may require similar contributions to snap a dubious streak of 10 straight defeats in day games.
“I expect BYU to go in there and get a win and shake off this stigma that hangs over them,” said Olsen, who co-hosts a weekday radio show with Scott Garrard from noon-3 p.m. on 97.5 FM. “They have struggled with these early kicks. Shake that off!”
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.