Say what you will about BYU football this season, but the Cougars are getting it done where it matters most: the scoreboard. Under Kalani Sitake, BYU has climbed to a 7-0 record for the second straight season (a mark that no coach has ever reached before in Provo), and nearly eclipsed a spot in the AP top 10 after taking down Utah at home.
But the season is just turning up, and the hits are going to keep coming in the upcoming weeks. The question for this team is whether they can avoid the pitfalls of last season's "team of destiny", or is this simply another string of good fortune for the Cougs? In Ames on Saturday, we'll get a bit more insight.
Matt Campbell and the Iowa State Cyclones have lost two straight games leading into a bye week, dropping road contests against Colorado and Cincinnati to stumble from a red-hot 5-0 to an uncomfortable 5-2. A team that reached the Big 12 championship game in Arlington last season (a ritual sacrifice to the blunt knife of Cam Skattebo), Iowa State opened the year ranked in the top 25 and with their sights set on a second swipe at the title.
But already with two conference losses, Iowa State is teetering on losing that chance for postseason glory. A loss to BYU could seal their fate. Unfortunately for these Cyclones, BYU hasn't proved capable of losing to this point in the year, and I don't expect them to start this weekend.
It all starts with the defense for both sides. When it comes to executing a defensive game plan, few have proved more potent than Jay Hill's group. BYU held Utah to 1-5 on fourth down last weekend, clutching up and claiming back possession regularly when given the chance. They slowed down the Utes' running game and nearly halted the passing game, keeping their rivals out of the end zone just enough to retain the lead and hold on for a win.
Iowa State's defense hasn't been reliable in recent weeks, hemorrhaging 400 yards on the ground between their last two games. That doesn't bode well at all for the Cyclones, as BYU rides the wheels of LJ Martin and Bear Bachmeier to gash opponents and suck in the second level of defenders, which makes play-action passing plays positively fatal.
But that's not to say BYU should escape this road clash with a comfortable win. On the contrary, winning comfortably has not been the Cougars' M.O. all season, and this one could project similar to recent road games like Colorado and Arizona. Ames is hostile, vicious, and not frequent to witnessing Iowa State on the wrong side of the scoreboard -- they've lost just one game at home going back to 2024, that fateful result being a one-point slip-up against Texas Tech.
Consult your cardiologist before tuning into BYU football this weekend, and every subsequent weekend if this year's sample is to be believed.
Keys to a BYU win are simple: keep Bear comfortable, torture the Cyclones' running defense, and hold the line on 3rd and 4th down to take Rocco Becht and his offense out of rhythm. Easier said than done, of course, because this is a veteran team with one of the best coaches in the nation, but coming off a bye week, the Cyclones have a chance to topple the lone unbeaten in the Big 12 Conference.
It's only appropriate; I expect the Cougars to score the go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes of this game, escaping Ames with a narrow victory, and BYU's eighth win of the season.
Final score: BYU 24, Iowa State 17