It was somehow fitting that a special teams play, a blocked field goal that linebacker Jack Kelly returned for a touchdown, got BYU rolling Saturday night in its eventual 69-0 win over Portland State at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Special teams has been a strength for the Cougars the past few years, coinciding with the re-arrival of coach Kelly Poppinga, BYU's special teams coordinator and rush ends guru.
Another special teams play was also spectacular in front of the largest crowd at LES since a 2009 game against TCU, senior kicker Will Ferrin's 56-yard field goal in the third quarter that pushed BYU's lead to 55-0. The boot tied a 25-year-old school record set by Owen Pochman in 2000 against New Mexico .
With LJ Martin rushing for a career-high 131 yards and Bear Bachmeier accounting for five touchdowns — three passing, two rushing — in the first half alone, Ferrin's field goal was perhaps lost when post-game accolades were handed out.
But not to head coach Kalani Sitake, who acknowledged he had very little to nitpick about after the Cougars racked up 606 yards and allowed just 51.
"He's a next-level kicker," Sitake said.
All told, Ferrin scored 15 points on two field goals and nine PATs, and is tied for the leading kicking scorer in the country after Week 1. The Boise State transfer has made 18 straight field goal attempts.
Sitake said Ferrin was also "spot on" with his kickoffs, and there were a lot of them.
"He was getting after the ball today," Sitake said. "My old teammate, Owen Pochman, had the record. I think he tied it. I think we're trying to break the record, but it seemed like the right thing to do and he was ready to go. It was nice to get him that rep. We just wanted to see him kick the ball."
Ferrin, of course, is most known for kicking the 44-yard field goal that beat rival Utah 22-21 last season. He was a Lou Groza semifinalist last season and has a good opportunity to win the honor this year if he keeps it up — and if BYU's offense is as prolific as it was against the woeful Vikings.
Ferrin's previous career long was 54 yards in last year's 34-28 win over Baylor. Both of his personal bests cleared the crossbar with plenty to spare.
Ferrin said it is "funny" to him that people make a big deal out of his big kicks.
"It's always the same process for me," he said. "If it is one of the PATs we hit today, or a game-winner, or a long kick, I go through the same process. I approach it the same way. I even hit the ball the same way.
"If I hit the ball pure and straight every time, then good things happen," he continued. "So it didn't feel much different than a lot of the other balls I've hit."
As far as making 18 straight field goal tries, Ferrin said his slogan is to be "one-for-one every time" and not look ahead.
"As a kicker, it is hard to live in that world of streaks," he said. "I don't think about it a lot. Just wipe it (away) and move on with the next one."
A co-captain, Ferrin is now working on a streak of 80-straight PAT makes . He said the program's investment in special teams — new deep snapper Garrison Grimes was also perfect Saturday night — speaks to the depth BYU has.
"Lots of guys were getting their first plays on kickoff return or punt return," he said. "It speaks to the unity of our team. Special teams is cool because you have the offense, you have the defense, and then special teams is where everybody plays together. So being a united team, and having a lot of depth makes it so people are ready to go and perform, and people are excited to go and make plays on special teams."
Just as he did.
Next up for the Cougars (1-0) is Stanford (0-1), which was idle over the weekend after losing 23-20 to Hawaii in Week 0 in Honolulu. Hawaii was routed 40-6 by Arizona in Tucson Saturday night.
BYU was installed as an early 18-point favorite over the Cardinal on Sunday.
Stanford's program is a shadow of its former self — Troy Taylor was fired in March for allegedly bullying and making inappropriate comments to female staff — and replaced by former NFL coach Frank Reich on an interim basis by Andrew Luck , the former NFL quarterback who is now Stanford's football general manager.
BYU beat Stanford 35-26 in 2022 at Stanford, and will be hosting the Cardinal at LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time since 2003, an 18-14 Stanford win.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier enrolled at Stanford in January after graduating early from high school, and participated in spring practices before entering the transfer portal upon Taylor's dismissal. His brother, Tiger Bachmeier, who played two seasons for the Cardinal, also entered the portal and landed at BYU.
Tiger caught an 8-yard pass against Portland State and also returned a punt, losing 7 yards.
