Blizzard Conditions Highlight CWU Victory Over BYU
Blizzard Conditions Highlight CWU Victory Over BYU
Central Washington defeated BYU in Provo Saturday to put the Wildcats at 5-2 and drop the Cougars to 6-3.
It was a snowy day in Provo ... OK it was very snowy ... OK, it was basically a blizzard.
For Central Washington, this was merely Situation Normal, as this was their second game this season in which, despite the heat generated by the players, there was more snow on the field at the end of the game than when it started.
CWU put BYU under pressure early and scored within a minute when fullback Benji Ward fielded a clearance kick and raced down the sideline to score in the corner. As the half wore on the snow got more and more thick, accumulating enough to turn the field white by minute 14. BYU answered with a penalty goal and it seemed like that might be it for the scoring. Footing was very poor and it was cold and getting colder. Ball-handling was also difficult. However, BYU managed to get their pattern together, somewhat, found some space out wide, and then powered it over with the forwards.
That made it 8-5 for the Cougars. However CWU exploited a defender slipping in the snow to get a half-break and finally wing Oscar Treacy burst onto a pass and went through a gap. He was brought down, but not held, got back up, and scored. Somehow Jac Tregoning converted.
The Wildcats looked to exploit a penalty and set up a lineout-and-maul that marched about 20 meters. Hooker Campbell Robb then bounced off the back and sent the ball to Ward, who smartly booted it toward the BYU goalline. The ball was fumbled forward in the snow and while the Wildcats didn't score off that, they kept BYU pinned down by their tryline long enough for the Cougars to commit another penalty. Lineout time, maul time, and try time.
Some impressive ball handling put BYU over in the corner to make it 17-13, and that's how the first half ended.
Mercifully, the snow stopped then, and at the break a large group of volunteers came out to shovel the snow off the field lines. That helped a bit, but the playing surface was still cold and slushy.
CWU added to their lead a few minutes into the second half with a superbly-executed maul. Robb got his second and with Tregoning's kick Central Washington now led 24-13.
CWU went to a fairly simple attack plan, hitting the first receiver and having a support player latch on to drive him through contact. It was quick, simply, brutal, and effective. Having done that for a few phases, CWU got a nicely-weighted kick from Tregoning that Treacy ran under. Easy catch and try and it was 29-13.
Tregoning added a penalty a few minutes later to make it a 19-point lead at 32-13.
And the game seemed secure when when a turnover led to Ward taking a flat pass at pace and sliding in. It was now 37-13 and while there was still plenty of time—25 minutes—it would be too steep a hill for BYU to climb.
The Cougars would get one back midway through the second half with a beautifully-weighted kick-pass of their own. But as the sun came out and melted the snow, CWU was able to keep BYU largely in check. The Wildcats did have defend their line for several minutes—BYU did eventually score but it took them far too long.
Final score 37-27.
This was a key result on the road for Central Washington, which has beaten University of Victoria, Cal Poly, UCLA, and Trinity Western, but also lost to UBC and Saint Mary's. Coming into this game CWU had held an opponent to under 29 only once.
"Massive effort from the team and finally a defensive performance we can be proud of," said Head Coach Todd Thornley. "We are growing our game and look forward to the next week's big challenge at home."
That would be Arizona in the final match before the playoffs. BYU, meanwhile, hosts Lindenwood.
