Game 8: A Cowboy Cupcake

LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, UT)

12:00 pm MST

Kick-off forecast: 53 degrees and raining

Wyoming is not very good. Their 2-5 record is actually not really indicative of the skill and ability of this team. The two victories stack up like this:

• 28-20 over 1-AA Southern Utah. Wyoming actually controlled this game, but gave up 10 points in the 4th quarter, giving Southern Utah a little hope. The Cowboys could not run the ball, but QB Austyn Carta-Samuels had a very nice day throwing the ball (26-for-32, 319 yards, 3 TDs). Of course, it was at home against a 1-AA opponent. This one hardly counts.
• 20-15 over Toledo. This one is more impressive. Toledo has four wins this season: Ohio, Western Michigan, Purdue and Kent St. The losses are to Wyoming, Boise State and Arizona. Yes, Wyoming does not belong in that group. The Toledo-Wyoming game was crappy, with both teams playing poorly. Wyoming couldn’t run or pass the ball well, but the defense played OK (though Toledo ranks 108 in the nation in total offense). Still, this is a decent win flying across country and beating another small-conference team.

According to my friend Sriram, BYU has the second toughest schedule in the nation at this point. The only really lousy team the Cougars have played is Utah State (of course, it was a loss). But victories over decent Washington and San Diego State teams should not be dismissed.

The defense is beginning to play well, with energy and better execution. Though Bronco hasn’t returned to his 3-3-5 roots, but he played much of the TCU game with 4-5 players 8-10 yards of the line of scrimmage. He also moved BYU’s best defensive player, Andrew Rich, all over the place, putting him in place to make plays (which he did). In the past two weeks, the Cougars D has climbed from No. 101 in the nation in total defense to No. 91. Bronco’s fingerprints are all over this improvement.

What will the BYU offense do? The will run the ball with Di Luigi/Kariya/Quezada pounding the smaller, less athletic Cowboys. How effective will Jake Heaps be? Your guess is as good as mine. But this is a defense that, if Anae takes off the training wheels, allow Heaps to get things going.

Regardless, Wyoming is not a good team and BYU should roll in this one. Prediction: 41-10.