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BYU quarterback Jaren Hall throws a pass during the 26-17 Cougar win over the Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Marci Harris, Herald correspondent)

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BYU offensive linemen prepare to run a play during the 26-17 Cougar win over the Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Courtesy Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo)

Jaren Wilkey/BYU

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BYU defenders make a tackle during the 34-20 Cougar win over Utah State at Maverik Stadium in Logan on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 (Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo)

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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BYU players (from left) Spencer Johnson, Jesse Wade and Alex Barcello join a team huddle before the West Coast Conference men's basketball title game at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

BYU Courtesy Photo

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The BYU women's basketball team breaks their huddle during an NCAA Tournament game against Arizona at the UTSA Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

BYU Courtesy Photo

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BYU sports experts Jared Lloyd and Darnell Dickson tackle five of the big questions facing the Cougars this week:

1. Who do you think will start at quarterback for BYU on Saturday against Boise State?

DICKSON: I believe it’s going to be freshman Jacob Conover in his first college start. The coaches never take chances with concussions and that appears to be the situation for Baylor Romney. I think Jaren Hall is close but the coaches would prefer to rest him one more week and have him completely healthy for the Baylor game on Oct. 16. That leaves Conover. The coaches say they have complete faith in his abilities and after a couple of rough series in the second half against Utah State he looked pretty good. I guess that would leave freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters as the backup, unless the Cougars dress Hall and use him in an emergency.

LLOYD: I think everyone probably still remembers when Ty Detmer was asked that question a few years ago and responded by saying “JJ Nwigwe,” who was a tight end at the time and later played defense. BYU isn’t ever going to get to the point where it has to rely on a tight end to be the signal-caller but the Cougar depth at the position is being tested. There are only two options at this point, in my opinion, since I just don’t believe Baylor Romney will be able to practice enough this week to be ready. I’m going to say that Jaren Hall will be able to go enough to return, since BYU has said for the last couple of weeks that he was close. If he’s still not ready, then I have a tough time believing those ribs were just bruised. No matter who is at quarterback, I think the Cougars will create some holes for the running backs and that will make life easier in the pocket.

2. What is an area the BYU defense can improve the most?

LLOYD: I think the problems the Cougars have had getting off the field are a symptom of a bigger issue: predictability. I think every opposing offensive coordinator is telling his quarterback to expect BYU to drop eight guys into zone coverage, particularly in long-yardage situations, so if they are patient someone will get open. When the other team knows exactly what is coming, it loses some of its effectiveness. I would like to see the Cougars bring four guys, then five guys, then just three, then four again. Do some man-zone hybrids, maybe overload one side, just do things that the opposing offense doesn’t expect. It shouldn’t be every play but it should be more often than we are seeing now, which is one reason why BYU is giving up these long drives.

DICKSON: I get lots of pushback from Cougar fans on the third down issue. “Hey, we’re winning anyway” is the most common rejoinder. But here’s the thing: I feel like the BYU defense is living on the edge and at some point, the long, long drives and third down conversions will kick them in the butt. The past two games (South Florida and Utah State) the Cougars have allowed 17 of 36 (47 percent) on third down and 6-8 (75 percent) on fourth down. For the season, the third down conversion percentage is 41 percent (31 of 75). Not only is that too high, it’s a heck of a lot of third downs. When you stuff the other team’s running game and know they have to pass, like BYU did against Utah State, you should be able to get off the field more.

3. OK, now the BYU offense. What area can be improved the most?

DICKSON: The offense has been really good, better than I thought they would be. Consider that the Cougars have used three quarterbacks already, a real recipe for disaster in past years. BYU is averaging just less than 30 points per game against a solid schedule. I’d like the Cougars to have the ball more but that’s up to the defense to get off the field. So not many complaints for Aaron Roderick and the offense. I love how he sets plays up and shows great patience in the game plan.

LLOYD: I think the only thing we can ask of the BYU offense to this point is more consistency. We’ve seen stretches in games where the Cougar offense just marches up and down the field, while also getting big plays in both the pass game and the run game. But BYU has yet to put more than 35 points on the board. I know part of that is because the Cougars played some good defenses and part of that is that opposing offenses have controlled the clock. That means the BYU offense has to have that killer instinct and be able to make the most of every possession. That’s asking a lot of a team that has been banged up this year but that’s really the one thing the Cougars haven’t established yet in 2021.

4. This one is a stumper: Is the 2021 BYU football team better than the 2020 Cougars?

LLOYD: If there is one lesson college football has consistently taught for more than 100 years, it is that “better” is completely dependent on individual perspective (e.g. polls and committees determining national champions). I would say that the 2020 team was better across the board simply because they dominated most of the games they played in. What the 2021 team has that its predecessor didn’t is opportunity against high-profile opponents and it has made the most of it. I think this year’s squad is still a long way from hitting its ceiling, so I think by the end of the year it could easily surpass the level of play from 2020 — but that’s a tall task against some decent competition.

DICKSON: I had this discussion on Ben Criddle’s ESPN radio show the other day and it was a tough question. Last year’s overall numbers were impressive and a dozen players got chances to try out for an NFL team. Obviously, this year’s schedule is tougher so the 5-0 start might mean a little bit more. I believe last year’s Cougar offense line might have been one of the best ever and Zach Wilson is obviously a generational talent. At this point, I would take the 2020 team because they finished 11-1 and we know how they ended the season. The jury is still out on the 2021 team. I will say the depth on the 2021 squad may be the best BYU has ever had.

5. Way-too-early BYU basketball team predictions for the men and women: Go.

LLOYD: I’m very optimistic about the potential of both of these Cougar hoops squads. Both were solid last year, both bring back a ton of players and both have experience on the biggest stage in losing to Final Four teams in the NCAA tournament. But it’s one thing to have potential and quite something else to turn it into reality.

I expect both teams to be in similar positions this year as they battle with Gonzaga for the top spots in the West Coast Conference. I think they will be very good and win more than 20 games but I also think there will be some unexpected losses that will keep them from knocking off the Bulldogs. Both, however, will still get back to the Big Dance at the end of the year.

DICKSON: I’ll start with the men. This might be one of the most talented teams the Cougars have fielded and you can thank Mark Pope and his coaching staff for some mighty fine recruiting efforts. I feel like BYU has depth at every position and can play any number of ways to match what the opponent throws at them. The guard line will be superb and the defense, while different without 7-foot-3 Matt Haarms in the middle, could be even better. I believe the Cougars can beat Gonzaga this year, at least once, because of the relative inexperience of the Zags. Whether they can beat them in the WCC Tournament, well, we’ve never seen that so I remain skeptical. I see a 23 to 25-win season and another NCAA invitation in the future.

I see a similar season for the women’s team, which returns all of its starters from a club that almost beat NCAA finalist Arizona in the second round. Jeff Judkins might have his best team and the Cougars will be tested in the preseason to toughen them up for the WCC slate.

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