BYU’s Offense vs Arizona State’s Defense
To this point, Arizona State has played Southern Utah and UNLV which makes it a bit tough to get an actual read on their defense. What I can tell is that they are fast and they make decisions very quickly.
For BYU, this creates a very interesting matchup. While the Cougars aren’t slow per say, Kalani definitely recruits linemen that are big and strong. In a situation where players are matched up helmet to helmet, BYU definitely will have the size advantage to bully the ASU defenders around.
On the flip side, in a situation where there are more blitzes or more defenders than blockers in a particular area, the Sun Devils may be able to get to the ball carrier very quickly. In other words, bubble screens, option runs and any play that relies on speed likely favors Arizona State.
Prediction: BYU is going to be able to pound the rock up the middle. In a situation where ASU’s linemen are going to get bullied around, the Cougars will find a lot of success picking up chunk yardage up the middle. When Arizona State brings more guys into the box to defend the run, Jaren Hall will have more passing options and attack outside of the hashes.