BYU vs. Memphis: Last Minute Miami Beach Bowl Predictions
By Mitch Harper
The 2014 season comes to an end for BYU today as the Cougars hit the field in Miami against the Memphis Tigers in the Miami Beach Bowl.
BYU comes in at 8-4 and the Tigers are 9-3. These two are as evenly matched as you can get in a bowl game. Should be a fun matchup, despite a poor kickoff time for the working Cougar fan.
Here are some last minute predictions to get you ready for BYU’s 2014 season finale in south beach.
- Christian Stewart will throw for 350 yards
The Christian Stewart story has been a nice run. Especially when you consider where this team and Stewart were when the Cougars got ran off the field by Boise State back in October. Stewart has become more confident in his ability to run BYU’s offense each and every week. The one knock that people have for Stewart is that he hasn’t faced many quality defenses. The best defense Stewart has seen since he took over as the starting quarterback after Taysom Hill went down was against UCF in Stewart’s first career start. Stew struggled in that one, but hasn’t looked back and has since reeled off four straight wins.
Memphis has the 17th ranked total defense in the nation and will be a great test for Stew in his final game strapping on the pads as a collegian. From what we’ve seen from Stew, particularly against Cal, there’s no reason to believe that Stewart doesn’t have success through the air against the Tigers. Stewart needs to get the ball to fellow senior Jordan Leslie early and often, and the rest should be history.
I’m prediction a 350-plus yard day for the future financial expert in his last game donning the BYU uniform.
- Bronson Kaufusi will play at defensive end and will record two sacks.
BYU’s defense needs a breakout performance rushing the passer, right? Why not in the season finale against a formidable offense in Memphis? Since the UCF game back in October, the pass rush has been non-exisistent. Sione Takitaki has battled with going to class, Fred Warner suffered a season-ending injury, and Bronson Kaufusi has been out of position. However, when we seen Bronson line up at defensive end with his hand in the dirt, he’s record three sacks in two games.
Expect Kaufusi to play at defensive end a lot in today’s game. With Kaufusi in his natural spot, I’m predicting a pair of sacks for the junior who will be back to anchor a defense that returns much of their front seven in 2015.
- Trevor Samson makes the go-ahead field goal to give BYU the win
You know who Trevor Samson is? No? He’s the kicker for BYU and he sports a beard. Yeah, that guy. He’s been quiet this season, in a good way. Quietly went about his business in the few times he has been called upon to come up with a field goal. Samson has made 83% of his field goal attempts this year, and has missed only one extra point. The dude has been automatic when stacking him up with some of the struggles the BYU kicking game has seen the past few years.
This matchup today has the makings of a game that will come down to the final one or two possessions. It’ll come down to the special teams to win it for either team, and I’m giving BYU the edge with Samson booting a field goal near the end of the game to win it.
- BYU 28, Memphis 26
To get a possible ninth win in a season that looked doomed after Hill went down would be a nice feel good story, especially for these seniors. Also, if BYU wins this game, Memphis would be BYU’s best win this season. The teams BYU has defeated this year have been nothing spectacular. The Tigers would be far away the best squad the Cougar have defeated.
The downside to the bowl game being here is that the off-season will be upon us, and the long countdown to August will commence, but of course we will have you covered here at Lawless Republic with all the latest on BYU Football.