BYU football: What to expect from Jamaal Williams against Arizona
The BYU Cougars will need Jamaal Williams this year, and especially against Arizona on opening day.
New BYU football offensive coordinator Ty Detmer is installing a pro-style offense in Provo. He promises the return of the tight end and a commitment to establishing the run game. It’s something BYU football hasn’t done in years and many Cougar fans are welcoming the change.
But for all the changing, one thing remains the same. Jamaal Williams.
Williams was one of the most gifted runners in the history of BYU football during his first two seasons. His junior year was cut short due to injuries, and he left the university for a year amidst rumors of academic or Honor Code violations.
While many thought Williams would transfer for his final season of eligibility, he returned to BYU to finish what he started in 2012. Now a captain and team leader, Williams is expected to be the bell cow of the Cougar backfield. Saturday will mark the first time Williams has played in a game since Nov. 1, 2014.
So what can we expect from him in the Cactus Kickoff?
“I came back mostly for my team, to show them that I’m loyal to them.” – Jamaal Williams, BYU Media Day
The Cougars have revamped their offensive line, adding SUU transfers Andrew Eide and Kenyan Norman and returning Tejan Koroma. Eide and Norman were All-Big Sky Honorable mentions last year and will likely bolster the left side of the line. Koroma will return to the center spot, with Parker Dawe and Ului Lapuaho holding down the right side. The entire line is made up of upperclassmen, which is always a good sign.
It also bodes well for BYU that Arizona’s defense isn’t as talented as its been in recent memory.
AZ beat writer just described the Arizona defense as "the worst in the Pac-12" maybe "the worst since the 1950's" and a "sinking ship."
— Spence Checketts (@spencechecketts) August 30, 2016
The Wildcats ran a 3-3-5 defense last season under then-defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. Casteel was replaced by Boise State’s Marcel Yates in the offseason, but the two coaches run similar schemes. Yates utilizes a 4-2-5 defense.
Last season at Boise State, Yates and the Broncos were great at stopping the run. They were ranked in the No. 10 spot in rushing yards allowed per game, giving up 114 yards per contest. Arizona didn’t fare as well last season, allowing 208.8 yards per game. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they didn’t bring in much talent to the defensive line and lack size up front.
The three down linemen (Justin Belknap, Parker Zellers and Sani Fuimaono) are all fairly small. Belknap and Zellers are listed at 247 lbs. and Fuimaono is listed at 271 lbs. In comparison, BYU’s lightest starting lineman (Koroma) weighs in at 290 lbs.
This was by design. Head coach Kalani Sitake and offensive line coach Mike Empey wanted big hogs up front and they didn’t have that upon their arrival. Robert Anae’s “Go Fast Go Hard” offense required the linemen to slim down. So Empey spent all offseason bulking them back up.
“That’s why we hit the weight room harder than we’ve ever done before,” Sitake said in a press release. “We felt we needed to get that edge on the line of scrimmage and we did some unique things to get our guys ready.”
But it wasn’t just the offensive line that bulked up. Williams looks like a new man as well.
“J-Swag Daddy” is sporting an NFL body if I’ve ever seen one. He’s bulked up, cut out the baby fat, and looks to be in tip-top physical shape. He’s currently listed at 220 lbs. and that’s certainly believable. Williams’ best asset was always his shiftiness – you never knew if he’d run over you or through you, then he’d juke you out of your shoes. Now it looks like he could truck stick a defender one play, juke them out the next and blow by them on the third.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which BYU doesn’t impose its will offensively. I expect a steady dose of the ground game on Saturday. Williams needs just 930 yards to break Harvey Unga‘s career rushing record and I expect him to get a nice chunk of that come Saturday.
All in all, 25 or so carries and 100-120 yards seems likely for Williams. He’ll be spelled by Squally Canada, who is a talented runner in his own right, but make no mistake about it: Williams is a legitimate NFL prospect and this is his backfield.