2014 BYU Football Opponent Tracker: Week 1 Recap

A one-stop article so you can check in and see how BYU 2014 opponents fared in last week’s action. Keep up-to-date to see exactly how strong BYU’s 2014 strength of schedule is.

UConn (0-1) – 10-35 Loss vs. BYU

The Huskies looked like a team that is going to struggle in 2014. Neither of their two quarterbacks that played was able to separate themselves as the best quarterback on the team. The defense was bailed out by a few BYU penalties and a couple of fumbles or this game would have been really out of hand.

Texas (1-0) – 38-7 Win vs. North Texas

It’s hard to jump to very many conclusions about what the Longhorns will bring to the table when they play BYU next week based on a game against North Texas, but the Longhorns did look solid. Their offense looked very average. In my opinion, that’s because David Ash is a very average quarterback. The Longhorn defense was spectacular though. At one point during the game, North Texas had run 38 plays and only gained 40 yards. They forced four turnovers in the game and looked very disciplined. The Longhorns are going to be a very big test.

Houston (0-1) – 7-27 Loss vs. UTSA

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I wasn’t surprised that John O’Korn came out against the Roadrunners of UT-San Antonio and was underwhelming. The red-Cougars were embarrassed by UTSA. They were unable to move the ball, and the defense gave up 146 yards on the ground. I originally picked Houston to beat BYU in Provo in a couple of weeks because I’ve been a BYU fan long enough to know that bad things happen, but I might ask to retract that pick. Houston looked really bad.

Aug 30, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Kevin Parks (25) carries the ball as UCLA Bruins linebacker Myles Jack (30) attempts the tackle in the fourth quarter at Scott Stadium. The Bruins won 28-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia (0-1) – 20-28 Loss vs. UCLA

The Wahoos were a huge underdog to the visiting Bruins from UCLA, but they hung in the game much better than anyone expected. A pick-six and a fumble return for a touchdown were the reasons that UCLA was able to pull this game off. Virginia was able to get consistent pressure on Brett Hundley all game long and made the Heisman hopeful look like a very average quarterback. Virginia has athletes and should be a good football team but I don’t think that the coaching is good enough to take them to the next level. Still, this could prove to be another challenge for BYU.

Utah State –7-38 Loss at Tennessee

The Aggies did not look good Sunday night. They were outmatched, the offense was stagnant and they appeared to be completely overwhelmed by the SEC team. Chuckie Keeton seemed be hesitant to truly trust his repaired knee like he would have last year. The receivers and running backs struggled to get anything going against the Vols defense. Overall, it was a very ugly performance.

UCF (0-1) – 24-26 Loss vs. Penn State (Game played in Ireland)

It took UCF a little bit of time to figure out who their best quarterback was, but they eventually discovered Justin Holman and his playmaking ability. Had he started the game, I think the Knights would have been able to overcome the Nittany Lions. What was not-so-impressive, however, was their defense. UCF gave up an astounding 454 yards through the air. For a defense that returned mostly everyone and was a top ranked defense, this number must give hope to BYU fans in a few weeks.

Nevada (1-0) – 28-19 Win vs. Southern Utah

Nevada beat Southern Utah by nine points at home. The Wolfpack simply aren’t a good football team. They weren’t last year when BYU came out flat and made that a closer game than they should have and they aren’t this year either. That said, Cody Fajardo did have an impressive stat line. He was 30-41 for 303 yards. Yeah, it was against a Big Sky team, but it’s still a good number. Either way, this game shouldn’t be one that BYU should worry about.

Boise State (0-1) – 13-35 Loss at Ole Miss

Aug 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (5) presses Boise State Broncos quarterback Grant Hedrick (9) in the fourth quarter of the 2014 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

This game was wild. Boise State threw four interceptions, but intercepted three passes themselves. Jay Ajayi looked like a beast out of the backfield, though he finished with just 86 yards. He will be a load this year and will be difficult for BYU to stop. Grant Hendrick was careless with the football throughout most of the game, but he still managed to go 36/44 for 264 yards. The game was closer than the score indicates, and the Bronco defense wasn’t as bad as 35 points, but I feel much more comfortable about BYU’s chances of getting their first win in Boise.

Middle Tennessee State (1-0) – 61-7 Win vs. Savannah State

This game was never in doubt for the Blue Raiders. They ran the ball well, they threw the ball well and they played a good defensive game. Quarterback Austin Grammer was accurate with the ball and their receivers were able to get open. BYU should be able to beat up on Middle Tennessee, but it was likely a fun game for Middle Tennessee fans.

UNLV (0-1) – 13-58 Loss at Arizona

The Rebels gave up over 400 yards through the air and over 100 yards rushing to two different players. Arizona outmatched them in every facet of the game. Devonte Boyd and Devante Davis did appear to be decent enough weapons on the outside for UNLV. Still, this should be a blowout for BYU.

Savannah State (0-1) – 7-61 Loss at Middle Tennessee State