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SALT LAKE CITY — Fresh off anticipated beatdowns over disadvantaged programs, BYU and Utah both turn their respective attention to playing out the season against teams theoretically on similar levels.
For the Utes, the starters likely will need to play more than the two quarters they did in the season opener against FCS opponent Southern Utah. In a nonconference game against a fellow Big 12 member, the Baylor Bears are better than the Thunderbirds but still not good enough to beat Utah.
At his press conference Monday, coach Kyle Whittingham followed protocol by calling Baylor a well-coached team with good personnel. And yet, the Utes are heavily favored.
"Much bigger challenge this week," he said, "we understand that. Baylor is a good football team."
It's a different story for the Cougars, who got a needed jolt of confidence by also beating an FCS team in Southern Illinois. Southern Methodist presents a far greater challenge this week in a game BYU may eventually need to get bowl eligible.
The Mustangs, who literally bought their way into the Atlantic Coast Conference, have steadily improved under third-year coach Rhett Lashlee. They have gone from 7-6 to 11-3 his first two years are already 2-0.
"I know they are a really explosive team, and are favored in this game," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "This is an opportunity for our guys to get in there and figure out a way to get better and improve, and then take on a very impressive SMU team."
To pass the time until the next round of games, let's review the good and bad for both locals in the first game.
BYU Cougars
The offense was the story in the opener, specifically quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Beating out Gerry Bohanon is a well-documented hotly contested competition, the redshirt junior looked dramatically improved over the four games he started last season.
The two words that come to mind are comfortable and confident. Quite the contrast compared to last season when at times he seemed overmatched against the steady diet of Big 12 games.
Aside from not finishing drives and having to settle for field goals, the offense answered the questions that have hovered over the program since last season ended. Another jump in the coming weeks would greatly enhanced BYU's goal of bowl eligibility.
"The guys looked really prepared game 1," Retzlaff said, "so we're going to another jump to week 2."
To the negative, the defense struggled to contain DJ Williams in the run game. The quarterback rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.
SMU has played three quarterbacks through the two games, with each averaging at least 6.2 yards per carry. The Mustangs are rushing for an average of 234.5 yards per game.
"Obviously, we need to get some things better," Sitake said. "If I'm going to say on defense what we can do, we've got to control the quarterback run game. We're going to see a lot of that, especially this week."
Utah Utes
In a game in which the offense reached the end zone on the first five possessions and the defense did not allow one point, there were positives aplenty. Pretty much all was well for the starters.
The timing for paying off SUU to accept a lopsided loss worked to perfection. The Utes wanted — and needed — a game in which quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe could shake off the rust after missing all last season with injuries.
The pair, who are each in their seventh year of college, didn't miss a beat in connecting for three touchdown passes in the first half. Expect more of it in bunches over the next three months.
The only tangible negative involved season-ending injury to starting cornerback Kenan Johnson. Losing the Georgia Tech transfer, who likely could get the year back if he wants to return, will force the Utes to juggle the lineup, but Whittingham said the team has multiple options to fill the position.
