Ranking BYU’s Opposing Defenses in 2014

Oct 12, 2013; East Hartford, CT, USA; The South Florida Bulls offense take on the Connecticut Huskies defense in the second half at Rentschler Field. South Florida defeated Connecticut 13-10. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

2. UConn

BYU @ UConn Friday, August 29

This ranking may be surprising to some, but look for the Huskies to have a sneaky good defense in 2014.  In 2013, the Huskies’ defense was ranked 53 in the country, allowing 384 yards per game.  UConn has six returning starters from that squad and new head coach, Bob Diaco, is defensive minded.  Speaking of Diaco, he was the defensive coordinator of the Notre Dame teams that beat BYU the past two seasons in South Bend.  This game will be the beginning of the Diaco regime, and it should be expected that the defense will look sharp on day one.  Combine this with BYU’s historical slow starts, it could spell trouble in Hartford.

Player to Watch: Angelo Pruitt, DT.  Pruitt had 17 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass break up in 2013.