Here is Jared Lloyd’s look at the BYU-Texas Tech matchups, including his prediction for the final score for Saturday’s game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo:

BYU offense vs. Texas Tech defense

Cougar quarterback Kedon Slovis is looking to bounce back after not playing his best. The BYU run game continues to struggle, so the receivers have to play at a high level. While the Red Raider defense has given up some points this year, they’ll make some big plays in this game to give their team a chance.

Edge: Texas Tech

BYU defense vs. Texas Tech offense

The overlooked silver lining for the Cougar defense last week was that it held TCU star running back Emani Bailey in check for most of the game. Now BYU faces another tough test with Red Raider RB Tahj Brooks coming to town. The QB situation for Texas Tech, however, is uncertain and that could be a problem for the visitors.

Edge: BYU

Coaching

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has plenty to work on after nothing worked at TCU. He and his staff have to make sure the players are ready mentally and physically. Red Raider head coach Joey McGuire is facing similar challenges after a tough start to a season that hasn’t met expectations.

Edge: Even

Intangibles

The Cougars will be back at home where they are perfect so far, although this will likely be their toughest test so far. Turnovers have been a problem for both teams in their losses, so those will again have a huge impact. It will be important for the visitors to handle the noise and distractions, which can result in costly penalties.

Edge: BYU

Key Matchup: BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis vs. the Texas Tech secondary

It would be nice for Cougar fans to believe that this will be the breakout game for the BYU rushing attack but considering what has happened to this point, it seems unlikely. That means offensive success will rest on Slovis’s shoulders once again. For the most part this year, he has handled it well — but last week was the exception. The Red Raiders haven’t been super-stout against the past (79th in the nation) but if they can be in the right spots and force some mistakes, they might be able to give Texas Tech a big boost.

Edge: BYU

Prediction

This will be a mixed bag for both teams with the offenses getting the better end of the deal and putting up quite a few points. BYU will come out strong and look like a completely different team than it did last week, but Texas Tech will hang tough. The Cougars will do OK stopping the Red Raider run game but will still need to make a big stop at the end. That’s where the crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium will make the difference as BYU holds on to win.

BYU 36, Texas Tech 30

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