The Kickers
I said going into the game, Tulsa had the more accomplished K. Justin Sorensen made his field goal. Kevin Fitzpatrick missed his. That was the difference in a 3-point game. Both went 3-3 on their XP attempts. The kickers didn't really play a huge role in the game, but they ended up having a huge impact on the outcome. Advantage: BYU.
The Punters
Kevin Fitzpatrick had a good day punting the ball. He was able to keep JD Falslev from any major returns for the most part, as he mixed it up with high, spiraling kicks and low, line-drive ones. He was well above his season average, kicking 50.9 yards/punt. Riley Stephenson stole the show, however. He continually pinned Tulsa inside the 20. 7 of his 8 points ended up inside the Tulsa 20-yard line. Tulsa was only able to "return" one punt all day, and it led to a one-yard return and fumble that set up a BYU TD just before halftime. Advantage: BYU.
Return Game
Tulsa didn't manage anything on punt returns at all. They averaged a measly 17.6 yards/kickoff return. BYU managed less on kickoff returns, thanks to some short kicks and good coverage by Tulsa. Falslev had a couple of decent returns on punts. Since Tulsa's fumble on a punt return just before halftime entirely changed the complexion of the game, it's tough to say they didn't lose this matchup, though BYU didn't do anything to win this battle. If Tulsa fair catches the punt before halftime (or even just lets it bounce), Tulsa probably wins the game. (We'll call this one) Advantage: NOT Tulsa.
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