BYU football: Three things to know for the Utah Utes

It’s rivalry week! Cougars vs Utes. Here are three things you need to know for Saturday, when BYU football hosts Utah.

BYU football sits at 1-1 on the season after getting walloped by LSU. The spirits of Cougar fans are down, but there’s a ton of football left to be played.

This week, not like you needed the reminder, BYU football hosts the rival Utah Utes (1-0).

It’s the Holy War, 2017 edition.

Here’s what you need to know for the big game.

Bonus Thing: Utah is replacing four players in its secondary. The Utes gave up some big plays to North Dakota (pass plays of 41, 32 and 20 yards), so I’ve seen some people questioning the readiness of the Utah defense.

Don’t believe it. The Utes are the best defense BYU will play this season, save for LSU. Utah is legit and stacked with playmakers. They’re going to get after the quarterback and try to take the ball away.

No. 1: Utah’s offense is a different beast

In the past, the Utah Utes had a stellar defense and a sub-par offense (sound familiar?). It’s early, but it seems like Utah’s new offense is a success.

Back in January, Kyle Whittingham hired Troy Taylor to his staff as offensive coordinator. Taylor was the play caller at Eastern Washington in 2016, leading the Eagles to 401 passing yards per game and more than 40 points per contest.

Gone was the I-form, pro-style offense in Salt Lake, in was a new, up-tempo spread attack.

Troy Williams lost his starting job to Tyler Huntley and Utah brought in transfer Darren Carrington.

Carrington seems to be a game-changer for the Utes in the passing game.

Against North Dakota, the former Oregon Duck caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. This week, he hinted that he’s aiming for 200 receiving yards against BYU football.

I would expect a lot of double-teams to come his way. I think Troy Warner covers him, because of his size (Warner is 6-foot-1 and Carrington is 6-foot-3). Plus, there will be a safety draped over the top.

If the Cougars aren’t careful, Carrington will make it a long night.

Another player to watch for is speedster Zack Moss. Moss took 26 carries for 168 yards and a score against North Dakota. He’s shifty and fluid out of the backfield – so the Cougars will need to take smart angles.