Kalani Sitake is a genuinely nice guy. He's a great person and exemplary human being. His BYU Cougars are coming off an 11-2 season last year and ranked No. 13 nationally as they prepare to face Portland State.
After the Vikings lost 42-0 at home to Tarleton State last week, many Cougar fans have visions of an 84-0 blowout win this week, but Kalani's "good guy" persona will come out in an easy Cougars victory that falls well short of a historic rout.
Portland State plays in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings went 3-8 last year, including a 27-point loss to Weber State and a 30-point defeat against Montana State. In 2023, they lost 81-7 to Oregon (That's not a typo, it was 81-7).
It's understandable why many odds makers favor the Cougars by about six touchdowns in the first game of the season. If I was a betting man (which I am not), I would hammer the under and feel pretty confident BYU won't win by more than the 43 points many are anticipating. So instead of predicting a blowout win at home for BYU, let's instead explore how BYU is going to emerge victorious.
How the first half will play out
BYU will jump out to an early lead regardless of which team starts off with the ball. It will be 14-0 before many of us polish off our first Cougar Tail.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill is going to thoroughly confuse Portland State's quarterback with exotic blitz packages. Hill will have the luxury of sending safeties and corners on blitzes to force pressure and disrupt timing. BYU's defense will generate several early three-and-outs and at least one first half turnover. Jack Kelly will have two first half sacks.
Offensively, Aaron Roderick is going to pound the run on BYU's first two drives to let Bear Bachmeier settle into his first college football game. LJ Martin and Sione Moa are going to churn out chunk plays early as the Cougars offense methodically grinds its way down the field for two quick first quarter touchdowns.
Halftime score: BYU 24, Portland State 3
How the second half will play out
As with many Power Four vs. FCS contests, the game will essentially be over at halftime.
This is where Coach Kalani's kind nature will manifest itself.
Like it or not, in recent years BYU has shown a tendency to play down to the level of its opponent and almost never runs up the score. That's not how Kalani rolls.
Defensively, Coach Sitake will give a wink and a nod to Jay Hill to call off the dogs. BYU's defense will be content to stay in base formations and err on the side of containment rather than domination. Given the depth of talent BYU has at positions like defensive end and safety, plenty of reserves will rotate in.
Offensively, Aaron Roderick will open up the passing game and let Bear Bachmeier test out his arm. However, many of the passes will be fairly conservative screens, swing passes, and short crossing routes. Look for tight end Carsen Ryan to be targeted early and often.
This approach will both let Bachmeier get comfortable while also keeping the clock running as fast as the rules of the game allows. Kalani will shorten the second half as much as humanly possible by keeping the clock moving and limiting possessions.
The second half will be quick and relatively low scoring, allowing the Cougars to work up a sweat while reducing the risk of injury, while intentionally stopping short of embarrassing an overmatched foe.
Final score: BYU 38, Portland State 13