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Five takeaways from BYU's win over Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyoming. – The BYU football team rolled over Wyoming and pulled away in the second half for a 34-14 victory to close out non-league play.

The Cougars open Big 12 play on Saturday, Sept. 21 when they welcome the Kansas State Wildcats to LaVell Edwards Stadium.

RELATED TOPICS: Retzlaff overcomes early inconsistencies, BYU football beats Wyoming

Keelan Marion scores a touchdown with a kick return

BYU special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga wanted to see more explosive plays in the return game, and this week he got them from Keelan Marion.

The former UConn transfer took the opening kickoff of the third quarter home and returned it 100 yards, BYU's first touchdown kickoff return since Adam Hine in 2014.

Marion has been aggressive in its kick return decisions this season. The aggressiveness paid off, dashing Wyoming fans' hopes of their Pokes getting back in the game.

Jake Retzlaff improved in victory over Wyoming

There were moments when Jake Retzlaff wasn't quite as good. The near interceptions in the first half had everyone in the press box on the sidelines watching to see if BYU would invite Gerry Bohanon to warm up.

But Retzlaff, a player who has faced plenty of adversity, came through and performed well. His passing on Saturday night was noticeably better than it was a week ago against SMU.

Retzlaff finished with three touchdown passes and one interception. The interception came on the opening drive of the game and was a pass intended for Kody Epps in the end zone.

BYU's choice ultimately proved to be fine, bringing Wyoming to the one-yard line on the following series.

Retzlaff needs to tighten up his decisions when passing the ball. As a runner, he showed great ball control by not allowing the ball to get lost on the turf during any of his runs.

He was able to fully demonstrate his explosive skills as a playmaker in the air when he completed eight passes of more than 18 meters.

Retzlaff finished the game with 291 passing yards and 22 of his 36 attempts were successful.

Chase Roberts plays like an NFL receiver

If you owned Chase Roberts shares, you should invest now because the price will only go up.

A few weeks ago, Kalani Sitake said Roberts is versatile enough on offense that they could use him the same way they did Puka Nacua two years ago.

On Saturday against Wyoming, Roberts put in a dominant performance that brought back memories of Nacua.

Roberts finished the game with six catches for 129 yards and had eight targets. He was a deep threat, averaging 27 yards per catch.

Interesting decisions at running back

BYU started the game with Miles Davis as running back. That was no surprise. What was a bit surprising, however, was the second ball carrier off the bench.

BYU chose not to select backup running back Enoch Nawahine, but instead selected freshman Sione I. Moa, a former Navy player.

Moa performed well in fall camp with the second and third offense, which shows how valuable a good performance in camp is because it gives you opportunities in the actual game.

The third running back was Pokaiaua Haunga, who was involved in the “special” reverse play call that allowed Chase Roberts to make a 30-yard gain.

Although BYU came away with a comfortable win over a struggling Wyoming team, they need LJ Martin and Hinckley Folau Ropati back for Big 12 play as soon as possible.

Clearing up the penalties

BYU suffered some uncharacteristic penalties compared to the first two weeks of the season. There was a penalty for having an extra defender on the field and a holding call that prevented a touchdown run by Sione I. Moa.

The Cougars received nine penalties in this clear victory.

For Kalani Sitake and his team, this is the perfect statistic to point to after this overwhelming victory.

Mitch Harper is BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch's coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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