BYU is FWAA National Team of The Week

September 18, 2018 by Courtesy FWAA

The BYU Cougars scored their first win over a top-10 team in a true road game since 1984 keyed by timely stops on defense and a big-play offense to upset No. 6 Wisconsin, 24-21. The Cougars ended the Badgers' 41-game win streak in non-conference home games, edging them past a notable field of worthy candidates to earn National Team of the Week honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) for the weekend of of September 14/15.

The award is sponsored this season by Reveal Suits.

This is the third time that BYU has earned this honor dating to the 2002 season and the Cougars' first since 2007. The FWAA's All-America Committee selects the weekly winner and all Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected.

Wisconsin, which beat BYU in Provo last year 40-6, had not lost a non-conference game at home since 2003, a 41-game streak that was the fifth-longest streak by an FBS school in the modern era (since 1946), and the last time the Cougars won a game in Madison, Jim McMahon was at quarterback. Following a 14-14 halftime tie, BYU linebacker Zayne Anderson intercepted a pass that led to a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Tied again at 21-21, BYU freshman kicker Skyler Southam's 45-yard field goal with 9:58 left proved to be the game-winner, as Wisconsin missed a 42-yarder wide left with 36 seconds left.

"It was a team win. We gave the ball to our strength and conditioning room because those guys kept working until our guys got bigger and stronger and faster," head coach Kalani Sitake said. "But the players were gritty and they played hard and with a lot of toughness. I was really pleased with their effort, but more than anything how immensely strong they were throughout this game."

The Cougars have 25 wins over Power 5 teams since 2003, the most of any non-Power 5 program in that span. Senior running back Squally Canada had 118 rushing yards with two touchdowns, including scoring runs of 46 and 44 yards. Senior linebacker Sione Takitaki led the defense with 13 total tackles, with eight of them solo and one sack. The Cougars' last true road win over a top-10 team was a 20-14 victory at No. 3 Pitt in 1984. BYU had not beaten a top-10 team since 2009, a 14-13 win over No. 3 Oklahoma.

The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 15 were:

Akron (2-0): The Zips earned their first win over a Big Ten team in program history, coming from behind for a 39-34 win at Northwestern. Akron scored its last two touchdowns on defense, a fumble recovery by Ulysees Gilbert in the end zone to take a 32-28 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, and a 50-yard interception return by Alvin Davis a minute later. The Zips had three defensive touchdowns to outscore the two from the offense. Akron is now 2-29 all-time against the current Big Ten members. Its last win over a Big Ten school came in 1894 – yes, 1894, Akron's fourth season of football and before the Big Ten's creation – in a 12-6 win against Ohio State. The Zips had lost 25 straight in the 123 years since.

North Texas (3-0): The Mean Green snagged six interceptions and had a highlight special teams play to post a 44-17 drubbing at Arkansas. A 90-yard punt return for a touchdown on Keegan Brewer's fair-catch fakeout helped stake the Mean Green a 34-10 halftime lead. The last time North Texas was 3-0 was 1989 when it was an FCS program. North Texas now has nine interceptions on the season; it had eight in all of 2017.

Texas (2-1): The Longhorns scored the final 34 points to romp over USC 37-14 in front of the largest sellout crowd (103,507) in Texas Memorial Stadium history. Texas earned its 900th win in program history in part by holding the Trojans to minus-five yards rushing. Sam Ehlinger's 47-yard touchdown strike to Lil'Jordan Humphrey got Texas rolling in the second quarter, and following a short USC punt, Cameron Dicker nailed a 20-yard field goal to give the Longhorns their first lead at 16-14 just before halftime.

Troy (2-1): The Trojans toppled a Power 5 opponent for a second consecutive season, this time going into Lincoln and upending Nebraska, 24-19. Troy forced three Nebraska turnovers, returned a punt for a touchdown (58 yards by Cedarius Rookard) and had 10 tackles for loss to shock another sellout crowd at Memorial Stadium. The Trojans never trailed and had a 17-0 lead following the first of two B.J. Smith touchdowns. Troy, which won at LSU last year, now has five wins over Power 5 opponents since moving to the FBS level in 2001.