Puka Nacua’s sideline catch Sunday had the NFL talking. Was it better than his grab for BYU against Boise State?
Puka Nacua’s performance against the Buffalo Bills — and especially his sideline catch — became the talk of the NFL on Sunday.
Tom Brady described the reception as “unbelievable.” But it may have looked familiar to BYU fans.
Nacua’s sideline catch on Sunday resembles one he made against Boise State in 2022, his final year playing for BYU football.
When you compare the two grabs, which one comes out on top?
Puka Nacua’s 2022 catch over Boise State
On Nov. 5, 2022, Boise State held a 28-24 lead over BYU with 6:28 left on the game clock. BYU quarterback Jaren Hall needed to move the Cougars down the field for a game-winning score.
With less than two minutes remaining and the Cougars sitting just outside the end zone, Hall targeted Nacua with a 6-yard touchdown pass.
Nacua juggled the ball with one hand as Boise State’s Caleb Biggers swatted at it and tugged on Nacua’s jersey.
Nacua spun around, secured the ball with both hands and got his feet down before falling out of bounds. His heroics won the game for the Cougars and revived BYU’s season.
After the game, head coach Kalani Sitake called Nacua “one of the best players in college football,” the Deseret News reported at the time.
Puka Nacua’s 2024 sideline catch against the Bills
Nacua’s latest catch to go viral came on a lower stakes play. The Los Angeles Rams were leading the Bills 17-14 on Sunday when quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard pass to Nacua.
The second-year receiver leapt into the air to haul down Stafford’s pass and then dragged both feet just inches from the sideline.
The grab caught the attention of Brady, who was calling the game, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“There is no place for Stafford to throw that ball, but he gives Puka Nacua a chance and the control with the body to make the catch — literally, his hands are behind his head. The ball goes past his vision, and he catches it — and then his feet, unbelievable,” Brady said.
Puka Nacua stats
Not only was Sunday’s catch similar to Nacua’s grab in 2022, but so were Nacua’s numbers in the two games.
In the 2022 game, Nacua had 14 receptions for 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It was a career high in receptions for Nacua and tied him with Jay Miller, Phil Odle and Reno Mahe for third-most receptions in a single game in BYU history.
On Sunday, Nacua finished the game with 12 catches, 162 receiving yards and a touchdown on top of 16 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Nacua and the Rams face division foes the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday as the Rams fight for a playoff spot.
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