In a third straight lopsided loss, WVU football fell at the hands of BYU in Provo, Utah, on Friday. The final score was 38-24 in favor of the Cougars. While it's getting harder to do so with each loss, let's look at some bright spots during this tough time for the Mountaineers.
Offensive Impact Player: Cam Vaughn
Jacksonville State transfer Cam Vaughn has been a difference maker when he gets the ball. In Friday’s game, Vaughn recorded two catches for 43 yards and one receiving touchdown. Vaughn’s receiving touchdown came from Scotty Fox Jr. on a 29-yard completion in the fourth quarter on a go-route with about 1:20 left on the game clock.
Now, we know that Vaughn dropped a ball that led to an interception from BYU’s Tanner Wall. Vaughn was wide open for a touchdown on a go-route and bobbled the ball, eventually leading to Wall getting the interception on the four-yard line. That was a crucial mistake. But the only other offensive standout was Wilkins on the ground; he also threw two interceptions (one caused by Vaughn’s bobble) and only completed 46% of his passes (7-of-15) for a total of 81 passing yards. He also managed to post an ESPN QBR (quarterback rating) of just 35.8, and only had an average of 5.8 yards per attempt passing the ball.
Defensive Impact Player: Fred Perry
This one had better options available, and more people can likely agree upon. Safety Fred Perry, another Jacksonville State transfer, had yet another good game for the WVU defense. The defensive impact player was a toss-up between Perry and linebacker Chase Wilson, and it could have gone either way, as both deserve to be included for this title.
But Perry finished with 10 total tackles (six solo tackles), one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Perry plays with high intensity, is always around the ball, and has a high motor. But at times that intensity can result in some penalties and bad decisions, as the safety has been flagged a couple of times for personal fouls. Perry had an impactful game against the Cougars, even though the Mountaineers gave up 516 yards of total offense.