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SALT LAKE CITY — It's finally here.
After a two-year hiatus, the rivalry game is back, but this time as members of the Big 12 Conference. It's a No. 9 team in the country and a 4-4 team fighting for bowl eligibility — just as we all expected.
So what are the keys to the game for the rivalry game between BYU and Utah?
Utah Utes
Find your offense in your best players
Utah's offense is the most obvious reason why the Utes are where they are. The Utes are in the bottom 30 for scoring offenses in FBS at 22.8 points per contest. If it weren't for a 49-point bout over Southern Utah in the first game of the season, they would be averaging below 20 points per contest against Division-I opponents
BYU has a solid defense but has had times where they are giving up too many yards, and points as a result. Utah needs to take advantage of that if they want to play spoiler on BYU's perfect season. The Cougars have given up 350 or more yards in five Big 12 games this year and have been outgained completely in two of them.
BYU's run defense was absent in the near-win against Oklahoma State, where the Cowboys rushed for 269 yards for a blistering average of 7.3. If it weren't for starting quarterback Garret Rangel getting injured at halftime, the Cougars may not have escaped that game with a win.
Running back Micah Bernard will be one of the best players on the field during the game, where he's been electric for Utah. The senior has rushed for 782 yards for an average of 6 yards per carry and is also extremely reliable in the passing game, catching 17 passes for 95 yards.
Limit BYU's big plays
Utah needs to limit BYU's momentum-swinging plays and keep all the pressure on the No. 9 ranked team in the country — not necessarily gains of 30+ yards, but big impactful plays that swing momentum.
In BYU's game against Kansas State, the Cougars forced three turnovers within six plays, and it led to 21 points in that span. Against Arizona, BYU forced two turnovers in three plays that led to 10 points. While both those games were at home, it will be a sea of red at Rice-Eccles Stadium, which is difficult to find any momentum in.
Utah has a very good defense, with the Utes ranked 15th in the country in total defense. Continuing its defensive success this season will be essential in stopping any power boost for BYU.
BYU Cougars
Blitz
While at the time of this writing, it is undetermined who will start for the Utes — whether its true freshman Isaac Wilson or third-year backup Brandon Rose — both Utes quarterbacks have shown weaknesses when seeing the blitz.
Per Pro Football Focus, 20% of Wilson's pressures have turned into sacks. While he has only been sacked 14 times this year, Wilson is one of the most pressured quarterbacks in college football at 68 pressures, which is 33% of his dropbacks.
That's right, Wilson is pressured one out of every three dropbacks, which has been seen to force bad throws or throwaways, resulting in quick punts. Forcing quick decisions by either Wilson or Rose can lead to a lot of turnovers for BYU.
Don't shy away from the run game
It took some time, but it looks like the Cougars might have found their run game. LJ Martin, who missed time with an ankle injury, has rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games and has three touchdowns between those games.
The Cougars rushed for 252 yards on UCF, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and proved to be a difference-maker in a one-sided game. BYU has five rushers (min. 12 carries) rushing for more than 4.4 yards per carry, and it has carried them in games where the pass may not have been there.
According to PFF, Utah has had some inconsistencies on run defense, finishing four games this season with a 65.5 grade or lower. In their last four losses, Utah has given up 130 or more rushing yards in every game, notably giving up 228 against Houston and 176 against Arizona State.
