BYU Football: The blueprint for knocking off Utah
By Shaun Gordon
BYU Football looks to break their seven-game Holy War losing streak on Saturday. This is what they’ll have to do to pull off the upset.
The Holy War is back where it belongs, on the final weekend of the regular season.
BYU Football will head slightly north to face No. 17 Utah, looking to snap the Utes’ seven-game winning streak against the Cougars.
Utah certainly looks to have the more talented team, and the betting line for the game started with the Utes as 14.5 point favorites, but the margins have slimmed significantly as the game has drawn closer.
Why? Maybe it’s because the Holy War nearly always ends as a one-score game. In fact, BYU and Utah have played in more one-score games over the last 25 years than any other matchup in the nation (19).
Or maybe it’s the fact that both teams have Top 25 defenses, so scoring will be at a premium for both teams.
Whatever it may be, betters are expecting another close game. But close losses to the Utes are akin to kissing your sister. Moral victories aren’t worth anything now, only real ones.
And if the Cougars are going to knock off the Utes, they’re going to have to do these things very well:
Contain Utah’s Rush
If the Utes have their way, they’ll run the ball down BYU’s throat all night.
Utah averages just over 200 yards per game on the ground, good for No. 38 in the nation. Their best offensive games have come when they’ve been able to dominate with the run game, drawing in the defense and opening downfield passing opportunities.
The loss of Zach Moss hurt the Utes, but Armand Shyne has filled in admirably and can do plenty of damage against the Cougar defense.
That BYU defense is 25th in the nation against the rush, though, and they’ve managed to contain other strong running attacks, such as Wisconsin and Arizona.
However, if the rush defense crumbles like it did against Utah State, Utah will be able to manage the clock, score frequently, and keep BYU in the rear-view mirror the entire time.