The Brigham Young University football team has smashed expectations so far, but will they be able to keep pace?
Ranked No. 13 in the preseason Big 12 poll, BYU was majorly overlooked and was given a win total by the oddsmakers in Vegas set at over/under 3.5. The Cougars out of Provo took these as insults and have been on a mission to prove them wrong ever since.
BYU started by taking care of a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision opponent in the Salukis of Southern Illinois University before visiting a hostile environment at Southern Methodist University; surviving without letting in a touchdown on defense to the Mustangs who averaged over 50 points per game at home. This game at SMU showed the level of play that this BYU defense can be expected to play.
Following another week on the road in Laramie, Wyoming, the Cougars returned to Lavell Edwards Stadium with a 3-0 record and a looming matchup with the No. 13 ranked Kansas State University Wildcats.
Jake Retzlaff and the Cougars’ offense were struggling, however, the defense had another idea. With 2:10 remaining in the game, the BYU offense finally got on the board with a field goal by Will Ferrin, making it a 6-3 game.
On the ensuing drive, the Cougar’s defense came up with a forced fumble and returned it to the house giving BYU a 10-6 lead following the point after. Two plays later, the BYU defense struck again with an interception in plus territory, leading to another Cougar touchdown by Chase Roberts.
The second half started just as the first ended, as not even three plays in the Cougars forced another interception that was once again turned into six points by the offense. With the first two phases of the game rolling for the Cougars, the emotions, energy and pure turbulence in the stadium, Parker Kingston found the end zone on a 90-yard punt return touchdown, blowing the hypothetical roof off the stadium.
This was the first game since 1996 that BYU scored on offense, defense and special teams in the same game. The pandemonium continued as the Cougars coasted into a 38-9 victory on their home field.
Being in the crowd for this upset showed the true power that the Roar of the Cougar — the BYU student section — has, with noise meters that were constantly over 90 decibels. The Cougars’ fans left Kansas State fans, who traveled out to Provo, leaving with praise and awe of the atmosphere.
Sitting at 5-0 currently and 2-0 in Big 12 play, the Cougars have had just enough of a blend of offense and a stellar defense making them one of two undefeated squads in the Big 12.
Despite the lackluster offensive output through three games, the Cougars’ defense was able to make up the difference. The BYU defense totaled only 11 sacs over the course of the 2023 season. After the first half of the 2024 season, the Cougars have already reached 10 in that category.
The offense has also started to produce as they exploded out to a 21-0 first quarter lead against the Baylor University Bears before tapering off and holding onto the win in Waco, Texas.
The Cougars sat on bye week this past weekend before they play host to the University of Arizona Wildcats Oct. 12. This matchup with the Wildcats will be under national gaze as the Fox Big Noon Kickoff team will be in Provo.
The next four games will test the depth, strength and resilience of this BYU team with a realistic look at the team heading into Salt Lake for their matchup with the University of Utah Utes, at a 6-2 record with trap games in both Florida and Arizona.
However, if the Cougars come out of the bye week with a stronger offensive game plan and come out of Arizona 6-0, I’m confident they will have what it takes to walk into Arlington, Texas, and the Big 12 Championship game as an undefeated or one-loss team. This would come as a surprise to everyone after a disappointing end to last season dropping five straight and missing out on bowl eligibility.
Eligibility this season shouldn’t be a struggle needing only one win and having games against Arizona State University, the University of Houston and the University of Kansas rounding out their schedule.
Overall, the outlook for the Cougars is looking up and with a healthy roster and a strong couple of bye weeks, I see the BYU program going officially 12-0 in the regular season, especially after the Utes struggled against an Arizona team and the slow, sluggish performance of the University of Central Florida team against the University of Miami.
In a bonus prediction, I see the Cougars in a matchup with Iowa State University in the Big 12 Championship that will be a defensive, master class with the final score being in the realm of 21-17 in favor of the Cougars.
