Week 2 Preview: BYU vs Utah

BYU and Utah both started the season off with wins and enter this week's holy war looking to prove that the best is yet to come. Intrigue abounds (even more than usual) for the biggest game in the state this season as Kalani Sitake makes his return to the hill, and squares of against his mentor Kyle Whittingham, who of course is a disciple of legendary BYU coach Lavell Edwards.

What's on the line

For BYU this game is big. The Cougars haven't beat Utah in quite some time and would love to do nothing more than come out on top of the holy war for a change. Kalani Sitake and company also need to seize this opportunity to beat another P5 opponent in their quest to prove they belong with the big boys.

For Utah this game is significant if for no other reason than a win would continue their dominance in the rivalry and possibly give them a boost in in-state recruiting. Most Utah fans would like to think that this game doesn't mean much to their team anymore, but they are kidding themselves.

Who has the Edge? 

BYU's Offense vs. Utah's Defense
In week one BYU didn't struggle moving the ball, but scoring was another story. Utah's defense had a strong showing against SUU in week one as they limited the T-Birds to 0 points. Utah's defense showed that despite losing several key players from last season, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The tip of the hat goes to Utah's defense in this match up.

Utah's offense vs. BYU's Defense
There are a lot of questions surrounding Utah's offense this s year, and Thursdays underwhelming 24 points against an FCS team didn't do much to answer them. Meanwhile BYU held Arizona's potent offense to only 16 points. BYU had the edge on this match up.


Special teams
Both teams have solid punters, and Utah's place kicker has been consistent. BYU's place kicking on the other hand had proven nothing other than a knack for the dramatic. The edge goes to Utah in this match up simply because we actually know what to expect from their guys.


The Bottom Line 
Both teams feature solid defense. I don't expect this to be a high scoring game by any stretch of the imagination. This game will most likely be yet another closely contested holy war.  Utah's offense will sputter and struggle to do much against BYU's stout defense.  Meanwhile BYU's offense should be able to do just enough to squeeze by in the end with the leadership and experience of senior QB Taysom Hill being the key factor.  BYU will come out on top, and finally break their losing streak to Utah.  The final score will be BYU 27 Utah 20, with the deciding touchdown coming late in the fourth quarter compliments Taysom Hill.

Week 1 Preview: BYU vs Arizona

 The 2016 Season kicks-off this Saturday night for the BYU Cougars when they square off against the Arizona Wildcats at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  Both teams return impact players on both sides of the ball, yet both teams have questions surrounding their coaching staff.  Reports are that even though the game is in the Wildcats backyard, the stands of the neutral field will be near a 50-50 split, which promises a great atmosphere adding to what appears to be a great match-up between the Cougars and Wildcats. Both teams are coming off roller coaster 2015 seasons and are looking to prove to that they are capable of winning consistently. Starting the season off with a win would go a long way for both teams as they both face daunting 2016 schedules.

What's on the Line?

For BYU this will the first game under new head coach Kalani Sitake and his staff.  Fans and players alike are excited about the return of Sitake, Ty Detmer (OC) and others who once donned the white and blue as players, but nobody really knows if that excitement will translate into success on the field.  BYU's coaches and players have been tight lipped about schemes on both sides of the ball other than acknowledging that they will take snaps from under center and in the shotgun and that the defense will line up primarily in a 4-3 base (could they be any less descriptive?).  A win would only add fuel to the hype-fire that is currently burning brightly in Provo. A loss would certainly not be devastating, but could take some wind out of the Cougars independent sails.

For Arizona, Rich Rodriguez and company are seeking to maintain their fast paced and high powered spread offensive scheme, while establishing a new identity defensively under new coordinator Marcel Yates. There is no question that the Wildcats will score, but will they be able to keep their opponent from outscoring them (they gave up an average of nearly 36 points last year while averaging 37)? Inconsistency was the best word to describe Arizona last season. This year they would love to find a way to depend on something (anything). A win would be huge for Arizona. Their schedule in the PAC 12 will be grueling this year, so the Wildcats can't afford to drop any of their non-conference games this season.

Who has the Edge?

Offense vs. Defense
BYU's Offense has plenty of experience in every position except receiver, and even there they return 3 key contributors from 2015.  The big question here is will BYU's personnel fit Ty Detmer's new system?  Fifth year senior Taysom Hill will look to lead the Cougars to Detmer-esk success, but nothing has been proven yet. Detmer has promised that the Cougars will attempt to establish the run, so the return of Jamaal Williams, who will seek to become BYU's all-time rushing leader in 2016, along with a full stable of capable RBs certainly won't hurt their chances.

Arizona's Defense lost it's leader, Scooby Wright, from 2015 to the NFL draft. Even when Scooby was on the field for the Wildcats, they had a hard time keeping their opponents from scoring last season. New DC Marcel Yates (formally of Boise State) will try to sure things up on that side of the ball, but it won't be easy. Simply put Arizona hasn't been good defensively for a long time, and it will probably take a couple of year for Yates to turn the tables.

The Edge?
Even though we aren't totally sure what BYU's scheme will look like, they do have solid group of guys who have shown in the past that they can move the ball and score points. Arizona's defense in the past has also shown that they can allow any decent offense they face to move the ball and score. The edge of the BYU Offense Arizona Defense match up goes in BYU's favor.

Arizona's Offense and Rich-Rod have a reputation for going fast, and going hard. Once again the Wildcats will be lead by junior Anu Solomon who is more than capable of spreading the ball around to the various weapons surrounding him. They will likely rely heavily on the read option to keep BYU off balance. Nick Wilson, who rushed for 725 yards and 8 TDs last year will command the lions share Arizona's carries.

BYU's Defense returns several experienced players, but the loss of Bronson Kaufusi to the NFL is sure to be noticed. Under Bronco Mendenhall the Cougars operated in a 3-4 scheme, but with Kalani Sitake they will switch to a 4-3 scheme that will depend on man coverage and getting to the QB quick.  Historically BYU has struggled in man coverage but some close to the program think that the Cougars might finally have the athletes to cover speedy receivers, only time will tell.


The Edge?
Over the years BYU has showcased strong defenses, but nobody knows how the current personnel will fit into the new scheme. Given the fact that Arizona's offense as a whole remains as intact as a college football team can hope to stay from year to year, the edge goes to Rich-Rod and his high octane fast paced approach.

Special teams are a big question mark for both teams.  Neither team has a place kicker who has ever attempted a field goal in a college football game. BYU does return punter Johnny Linehan who averaged 42.7 yards per punt, and had a season long of 77 yards in 2015. Arizona doesn't have a punter on roster who has ever kicked in an FBS game.

The Edge?
The edge here (and it is a very slight edge) goes to BYU mainly because they have the only kicker or punter with any true experience on their roster.

 The Bottom Line
This game is a huge opportunity for both teams. I expect both sides to do well offensively, and struggle somewhat on defense. In the end I believe the biggest difference maker will be BYU's Taysom Hill, who has shown time and time again that when his team needs him, he can take over a game and lead them to victory. I have BYU winning in a tight one, 34-31.

BYU & the Big XII: From the Perspective of a True Outsider

Recently the Big XII conference announced that they would consider expanding the conference to 12 or 14 members as soon as 2017. Among those rumored to be under consideration are Houston, Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, Colorado State, and of course BYU. In the days following the conference's announcement there has been oodles of speculation about who will get let in, who will be left out, or if the Big XII will even expand at all. 

To most, BYU seems like the front runner in nearly every way except geography. The Cougars have a strong football tradition which includes a national championship, a Heisman Trophy winner (who just so happens to be BYU's current offensive coordinator), and multiple other prestigious individual awards. BYU also boasts strong men's and women's basketball and Olympic sports. All of this along with the fact that BYU does have a national following adds up to make the Cougars at the very least a strong candidate should the Big XII choose to expand. 

Inclusion in a power 5 conference, of course, has been the proverbial unicorn that Cougar faithful have sought since they be came an FBS independent in football and joined the WCC for all other sports in 2010, the very same year BYU's arch rival Utah was invited to the PAC 12. BYU's independence in football, as intended, makes them an attractive candidate for the Big XII because they will be immediately available without having to pay an exit fee from another conference. Independence in football also makes BYU a possibility to add as a football only member with the rest of their sports remaining in the WCC, though this would be less than ideal for the Cougars. 

From a statistical standpoint, BYU's numbers are better nearly across the board than any other G5 candidate. If you don't belive me check out byutobig12.com for an extensive analysis. 

With all of this put together it's clear that Tom Holmoe has put BYU in a great position by making them the strongest and most easily accessible potential candidate for Big XII expansion. Indeed it seems that BYU is a shoe in the event that the Big XII does send out invitations.