Provo • BYU’s offense was the issue during Week 1. In quarterback Kedon Slovis’ debut, the Cougars struggled to stay on the field as the unit went three-and-out four times and scored just 14 points.
With 10 Power Five teams ahead, Southern Utah will be the final tuneup to get offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s group in gear. If the Cougars don’t, it could foreshadow major problems in their first Big 12 season.
Although an FCS team, Southern Utah knows BYU well. Thanks to staff crossover, the SUU offense is nearly identical to what BYU runs. It makes Saturday an interesting test — one BYU hopes to pass with flying colors.
How to watch
Kickoff time: 1 p.m.
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
TV Crew: Matt Schumaker (play-by-play), Brad Hopkins (analyst), Shane Sparks (sideline)
Radio: BYU radio SiriusXM 143/ BYURadio.org / BYU Radio App/ KSL 1160 AM,102.7 FM
Weather: Around 80 degrees and sunny
BYU safety Crew Wakley (38) tackles Sam Houston State tight end Jax Sherrard (37) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Keys to the Game
1. Getting in a rhythm
BYU’s offense was out of sync in Week 1. It was routinely in second- and third-and-longs. And when it did get in good down-and-distance situations, penalties wiped away any progress.
The main thing to look for will be whether BYU can manage the game better and get the offense into more of a rhythm. That will likely mean more first-down production. BYU averaged just 3.3 yards per play on its first downs last week. That number needs to increase for the Cougars to sustain drives and put up points.
But it wasn’t all first-down issues. There were plenty of times BYU wasn’t aligned right pre-snap. Roderick hinted certain players were reverting back to what they did at previous schools.
That can’t happen again, or it will be time to sound the alarm on the offensive issues.
2. Defense … what do we know?
Jay Hill’s debut as a defensive coordinator went about as well as anyone could have hoped. It was BYU’s first shutout in the Kalani Sitake era. The aggressive scheme looked polished. And BYU’s trio of corners — Eddie Heckard, Jakob Robinson and Kamden Garrett — lived up to the billing.
This week, it is doubtful we will learn much new about the defense. This is an FCS team. Yes, the offense will be similar to BYU. But for the most part, Jay Hill has already proven in Week 1 that his system can work. It is a matter of seeing it against Power Five teams now (starting at Arkansas next week).
3. Plenty of crossover
Southern Utah’s former offensive coordinator Blair Peterson was an analyst at BYU for three seasons before heading down south.
Peterson is gone now, taking the OC job at Northern Colorado with Ed Lamb (Sitake’s former associate head coach), but the SUU offense is still the same. And that means SUU’s calls are nearly identical to what BYU runs.
That level of familiarity will be the challenge this week for a BYU offense trying to get back on track.
Not to mention, SUU played Arizona State down to the wire in a 24-21 loss. ASU had a few big plays, but for the most part it was a slugfest in Tempe.
BYU needs to move the ball consistently. SUU has the recipe to make that difficult.
Headlines
BYU coach Kalani Sitake isn’t panicking about the Cougars’ offensive struggles yet
Why BYU’s Jay Hill “gained a lot of trust” after his first game with the Cougars
Kalani Sitake says some of his players were ‘embarrassed’ by Sam Houston game. He wants electricity, efficiency instead
Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas on top, BYU has work to do after Week 1
Can Kedon Slovis get back to his freshman form? BYU’s QB shares his own story of what went wrong at USC
BYU QB Kedon Slovis praises freshman running back LJ Martin after scrimmage
Quotable
“These guys are as good, or better, as the guys we played last week. If you saw the Arizona State game, their defense played very well against ASU. ASU had trouble moving the ball. They had trouble running the ball. They had a couple big, explosive plays where one player made a great play kind of thing. But sustaining drives and moving the regularly was difficult.” — BYU OC Aaron Roderick