There are a number of storylines heading into Saturday’s primetime game (5:30 p.m. FOX) between BYU and Utah.
But, when it all comes down to it, its what happens on the field that matters the most with bragging rights on the line between one of the longest storied rivalries in the country.
So without further ado, here’s a look at what fan can expect at Rice-Eccles Stadium from each of the position groups on Saturday.
Points Rank
Consensus = 2, Slight edge =1, Even =0
Quarterback
BYU quarterback Taysom Hill didn’t look like his old self on Saturday against Arizona. The senior signal caller stayed in the pocket and delivered crisp passes to his receivers. Instead of making one read and taking off with the ball, Hill went through all of his progressions before he even thought about running the ball. For the game, Hill completed 21-for-29 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. He also added 37 yards on the ground on 11 carries.
Now these aren’t Heisman trophy numbers by any means, but they got the job done. A major focus in Ty Detmer’s offense is limiting turnovers and not forcing things which we saw as the Cougars had no turnovers on the day.
In his first-career start up on The Hill, Utah quarterback Troy Williams played pretty well. The junior went 20-of-35 for 272 yards and two touchdowns and when protection broke down, Williams made several dynamic plays out of nothing with his speed and arm.
At the same time, Williams did this against Southern Utah, an FCS school. BYU’s defense will pose a much tougher task and based off of what I’ve seen after one week, I believe Taysom Hill has the edge.
Slight Edge: BYU (+1)
Running back
Jamaal Williams is back, it’s his world, and we’re all just living in it. After taking a season off for personal reasons, the BYU senior running back reminded college football fans everywhere of his special talents last Saturday.
Jamaal carried the ball 29 times for 162 yards (5.6 yards per carry) and would have had a lot more if it wasn’t for some untimely penalties from his teammates. Algernon Brown and Squally Canada looked decent for much of the game as the Cougars piled up 213 rushing yards (4.5 yards per carry).
As for Utah, the running game is simply a work in progress. Although the numbers weren’t horrible by any means (138 yards or 3.7 yards per carry), it sure felt like it. Utah’s leading rusher was Troy McCormick who had 55 yards on 12 carries. With big running backs coming through the program in a run-oriented offense, the Utes looked to go away from that as they attempted more passes than runs last week.
Again, based on what we’ve been able to see after one game and who the opponents were (BYU/Arizona – Utah/SUU), I believe BYU’s running game looks like the clear cut favorite here.
Edge: BYU (Consensus +2)
Wide receivers/tight ends
As weird as it is to say, the Utes have a passing attack. With Travis Wilson and Jordan Wynn out of the picture, Troy Williams brought something back to the Utes that hasn’t been seen in a long, long time: the deep ball.
The Utes receiving corps had 23 receptions for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Tim Patrick stole the show as he hauled in five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
As for BYU, the Cougars has 21 receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown. The Cougars didn’t take a lot of deep shots, but did use the tight ends nicely which was a breathe of fresh air for Cougar fans.
Overall, I believe the Utes have a slight advantage here.
Slight Edge: Utah (+1)
Offensive line
Utah’s offensive line was expected to be one of the team’s biggest strengths with a number of players returning with starting experience. Yet, last Saturday the offensive line didn’t play like it as the T-Birds controlled the line of scrimmage in the first half. The Utes can’t afford another repeat performance if they want to go bowling this year because that performance isn’t going to cut it against FBS schools.
As for BYU, the first half was a great showing as the passing attack and running game really started to click. Hill was given plenty of time in the pocket to make multiple reads. But as the game went on, Arizona’s defense started to figure the Cougars out as they were able to put some pressure on Hill.
That being said, I believe BYU has a slight edge going into Saturday’s game as they went up against a better defense in Arizona and looked better than what the Utes did against SUU.
Slight Edge: BYU (+1)
Defensive line
Utah’s defensive line lived in the backfield as they put plenty of pressure on SUU’s quarterbacks. The T-Birds managed just 158 yards of total offense in the shutout loss. But that was somewhat expected against an FCS team. Kylie Fitts had three tackles for loss and Hunter Dimick had two tackles for loss, including one sack.
BYU’s defensive line played lights out until the fourth quarter. However, the Cougar defense did have four sacks on the night to move to 50-3 (since 2005) when getting three or more sacks. Harvey Langi’s speed was noticeable as the former linebacker turned defensive end was able to apply pressure on Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon.
At the end of the day, I think Utah has slight advantage here.
Slight Edge: Utah (+1)
Linebackers
No need to debate this one.
Just when you thought the linebacker corps couldn’t get any better, somehow it just seems to happen at BYU. Led by stars Fred Warner, Francis Bernard and Butch Pau’u, the Cougars dominated Arizona’s offense for much of the night. Even when Solomon tried to make plays with his feet, Warner, Bernard and Pau’u were able to close quickly with their speed.
While the Utes have a great defensive line and a terrific secondary, there is a still lot of work that needs to be done for arguably the weakest defensive position group. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise why the Utes deploy the nickel defense which features five defensive backs.
Edge: BYU (Consensus +2)
Secondary
While BYU’s secondary — led by Kai Nacua and Micah Hannemann — is arguably the best Cougar fans have seen in the past decade, that group still doesn’t come close to Utah’s secondary which has been putting guys in the NFL on a regular basis.
Marcus Williams, who was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last year, leads a talented group. The safety had an interception, a forced fumble and even recovered a fumble in the win last week. Williams is among a number of seasoned veterans with the likes of Reggie Porter and Justin Thomas.
Dominique Hatfield, a team captain, is a big wild card as the senior was sidelined with an unspecified lower leg injury. Hatfield is a play maker as he’s started 21 games over teh past two season. Last year, he had four interceptions..
In the end, I feel the depth and experience for the Utes gives them the edge here.
The Edge: Utah (Consensus +2)
Special teams
Utah and BYU both know how to recruit punters as Jonny Linehan and Mitch Wishnowsky put on a show. Linehan averaged 45.7 yards per punt and had two inside the 20-yard line.
In his Utah and NCAA debut, Wishnowsky broke Tom Hackett’s single-game punt record with an average punt going for 55.5 yards on six punts. Wishnowsky, received several national and conference accolades for his performance.
But as far as the kicking game goes, it’s literally a toss up. Utah’s Andy Phillips “Automatic Andy” went 1-for-2 last week after missing a short chip shot.
The Cougars with 2-for-2 on field goals last week including a game-winner by freshman sensation Jake Oldroyd. At the same time, Rhett Almond missed an easy extra point from point blank range that almost ended up costing BYU the victory.
I see both programs being pretty even in this department so nobody gets an edge here.
The Edge: Tie
Coaching
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham has dominated the the rivalry winning five in a row and seven of the last 10 games. But that was against Bronco Mendenhall and those days are gone, along with the Friday night firesides before games.
BYU’s Kalani Sitake and the coaching staff made all the right calls against Arizona. Right before Oldroyd — a true freshman — hit the game-winner, offensive coordinator Ty Detmer took him aside and the two shared a big laugh to help calm nerves.
Whittingham sure knows show to get his team up to BYU, but luckily for Cougar fans, Sitake was right there for a plethora of them as defensive coordinator under Whittingham. But because of Whittingham’s experience I give him the edge until BYU can show that they can take down the Utes.
Slight Edge: Utah (+1)
Position results: BYU 6, Utah 5
Game prediction: BYU 24, Utah 20
The game will likely come down to the wire with these two evenly matched teams. Since 1993, 17 of those 22 games have been decided by a touchdown or less, including two overtimes. With “Burton’s block”, “Beck to Harline” and “Magic Happens” fan on both sides should be treated to one fantastic football game. There’s a reason why it going to be televised on national television (FOX). What’s your prediction?
