Jake Retzlaff says BYU football’s offense is at the peak of perfection – Deseret News

Which BYU offense will emerge on Saturday when the No. 11 Cougars face a UCF football team capable of playing the spoiler role at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando?

He opened last Friday’s game against Oklahoma State with a 75-yard touchdown pass. finished with four consecutive scoring drives in the second half?

Or will he be the one who forced three turnovers in the first half and punted in the second quarter after a promising breakthrough in OSU territory?

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff says this will be the first.

The college transfer said Monday that BYU’s offense is “so close” to reaching its full potential that he would be extremely disappointed if the Cougars (7-0, 4-0) lose. Slowed by Knights (3-4, 1-3) in Big 12 matchup In the Sunshine State. Kickoff time is 1:30 PM MDT on ESPN.

“We’re one game away, one or two games away,” Retzlaff said. “Everybody’s collectively taken small steps and it’s making a big difference on the field. We’re right there, man. We’re on top.”

That’s the sentiment BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick felt Tuesday when he spoke to reporters after a practice that both he and defensive coordinator Jay Hill said were true. One of the best of the season.

“We did a lot of good things (against OSU), but the main thing is taking care of the football is going to be really important this week,” Roderick said.

BYU managed to escape with three turnovers at home — Retzlaff threw two interceptions and running back Hinckley Ropati on a gadget play that was doomed to fail from the start — but it probably can’t repeat that at UCF’s “Bounce House” if it wants to keep its perfect season intact.

The Cougars were scheduled to travel to Florida on Thursday to get an extra day to acclimate; this is a common practice during the Kalani Sitake era when matches are two time zones away.

“It’s challenging, but I think we have a good plan. We’ve done this a lot in our time as an independent, so we have a pretty good plan for this,” Roderick said. “Last year, when we went out of two time zones (to West Virginia), we didn’t play well. We must do better than this. But I think we have a good plan and I expect us to play well.”

Retzlaff hopes the same running game that racked up 255 yards against the Cowboys carries over to Orlando.

While he picked up 81 of those yards on the ground, sophomore LJ Martin rushed 20 times for 120 yards, showing he has fully recovered from the injury that caused him to miss the bulk of three games.

“LJ is 100% (healthy) and this is the guy we know and love,” Roderick said. “We lacked this. “I think he played very well and we expect more from that.”

Roderick said Ropati also played well, running for 47 yards. OC made Ropati’s choice his own, saying OSU had a different defense than he expected and that there had to be a way for Retzlaff/Ropati to control the game.

“I gave him a hard time,” Roderick said.

Roderick, on the other hand, set up Retzlaff perfectly for the two-minute attack, eventually winning the match.

“It was like back in the day when we were running the offense the way it was supposed to be run. “I thought the offensive line was physical, LJ was running and we were in rhythm,” Roderick said. “And the run game sets up our play-action transition and vice versa. We need to continue to step up. We’re getting better, but it’s close to where we want to be in the run game.” “We are not.”

Cougars will Kody Epps will probably be without a receiver one more week.

Offensive lineman Connor Pay, who broke his foot in the 34-28 victory over Baylor, hopes to return for the Nov. 9 game against Utah.

Roderick said OL Sonny Makasini would return but declined to say whether Makasini or Bruce Mitchell at third would start at center.

Roderick said Mitchell “took the job (at the center) out of necessity and did a really good job.” “We have a lot of confidence in Bruce. Sonny was also playing great before he got injured.”

The biggest key to the offense’s success was its efficiency in the red zone. The Cougars rank 23rd nationally in this category with a conversion rate of 92.3%. BYU scored 18 touchdowns and allowed six touchdowns in 26 red zone trips.

“We’re getting better every week. Coach A Rod does a great job of executing certain things, like every other coach, getting us on the right track and getting ready for games,” Martin said. “I feel like we’re getting better week by week and this week is another step to try to get better.”

Martin said he had some doubts about his return, but he finally felt like he was riding a bike again.

“I was doubting myself a bit, I had just come off my injury, I’m not sure if I’m still going,” he said. “Just being able to do that was a real confidence booster for me.”

As for Retzlaff, he has great self-confidence, but he doesn’t take anything for granted.

“I’ve said this before: Keep the main thing the main thing,” he said. “That means going out there and winning games. … Whether we get excited or go out there and be the underdogs, we know we’re the only ones who know what to do this season.

Cougars are on air

11 BYU (7-0, 4-0) at UCF (3-4, 1-3)

• Saturday, 1:30pm MDT

• At FBC Mortgage Stadium (Capacity: 45,301)

• Orlando, Florida

• TV: ESPN

• Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM