DICKSON: There have been 13 1,000-yard receivers in BYU history, but only two in the past 14 years (Dax Milne with 1,188 in 2020, Cody Hoffman with 1,248 in 2012). Heck, not even NFL wunderkind Puka Nacua broke that barrier in his Cougar career.

So I’m predicting a 1,000-yard receiver in senior wide out Darius Lassiter. He had an amazing spring and has really been impossible to cover in fall camp. He’s got great size (6-2, 210), soft hands and a knack for making guys miss in the open field. How’s that for bold? With BYU’s quarterback situation and the depth at the receiver position, I must be crazy.

LLOYD: Forget the “expert” predictions and preseason media polls. They are almost completely based on incomplete and distorted perspectives, so their reliability is always suspect — particularly in the wild and wacky Big 12.

So don’t be surprised when the Cougars end up in the top half of the final Big 12 standings, not near the bottom where they are predicted to be. BYU has advantages in continuity and commitment that many other teams lack, things that will overcome some of the misperceptions about talent.

Courtesy BYU Photo

I’m not yet sold on the Cougars being good enough to win the league (although it actually wouldn’t shock me), but I am confident in saying they will be significantly improved and it will be clear once the teams take the field.

2. What is going to be the key factor for BYU in Saturday’s game against Southern Illinois?

LLOYD: The first game of the year is all about execution. There will be mistakes and overeagerness, which is to be expected. Players will be fired up and end up jumping early or getting out of position.

This is the first chance for the Cougars to demonstrate that the return of a large number of players from last year with some solid additions will pay dividends in how cleanly they execute their calls on both sides of the ball.

The Salukis are a pretty good FCS team and won’t beat themselves, but if BYU doesn’t make a lot of mistakes than the Cougars should end up comfortably in front at the end.

DICKSON: I think the Cougar offense might take a little time to get on track, considering it’s the first game and that Southern Illinois has a reputation for playing well defensively.

Courtesy BYU Photo

The BYU defense, on the other hand, is in its second year under coordinator Jay Hill. If the Cougars give up more than a couple of scores to the Salukis (who are replacing their all-time passer), that will be very troubling.

Last season, BYU shut out Sam Houston in the opener and in Game 2, after some issues early, closed really strong in the win at Arkansas. Then the competition got better (Big 12) and injuries started to create problems on that side of the ball. If the defense can dominate, wreck havoc and cause turnovers, the Cougars should be in good shape on Saturday.

3. Who is a player that will totally surprise BYU fans on Saturday and have a breakout game?

DICKSON: He’s a player Cougar fans are familiar with but he was injured and missed all of 2023, but senior running back Hinckley Ropati is 220-pounds of raw muscle and power. He’s strong enough to run between the tackles but also has good speed and can punish a defensive back.

With L.J. Martin limited in fall camp, Ropati has proven more than capable of handling the load in the running game. I expect BYU to try and establish the run early and Ropati will play a big role in that effort. He could have a very big game.

LLOYD: So many of the Cougar players are back from last year that this question isn’t easy, simply because there are fewer candidates than there were in 2023. Because of that, I don’t know if I expect anyone to really burst onto the scene like LJ Martin did.

But I’m going to go with a newcomer that BYU fans might not know as well: Weber State transfer Marque Collins.

Collins, a senior cornerback, is coming off an injury but he understands Jay Hill’s defense and is ready to take over opposite of Jakob Robinson. I expect Southern Illinois to look to test him, which will provide opportunities. Don’t be surprised if he ends up with a couple of pass breakups and even an interception.

4. Other than BYU-Southern Illinois, which Big 12 opener intrigues you the most? Which will be the biggest blowout?

LLOYD: There are only a couple of games on the slate that are that interesting in terms of matchups, with one truly standing out.

West Virginia was arguably the biggest surprise team in the Big 12 in 2023 and the Mountaineers are looking to build off their success. They get a chance to make a statement right out of the gate as they host an upper-echelon Big 10 team in Penn State on Saturday. A West Virginia win would be a huge start for both the Mountaineers and the conference as a whole.

As for the biggest blowout, that’s probably a tougher question because there are so many games against what appears on paper to be overmatched opponents. I’ll pick Kansas over Lindenwood, but there are certainly a number of contests that could turn out to be very one-sided.

DICKSON: Remember how the Colorado-TCU game kicked off the 2023 with a bang, and how everyone jumped on the Buffaloes bandwagon? Remember how Colorado faded pretty quickly after that and won just four games?

Year 2 for Deion Sanders should be pretty interesting. Sure, the Buffs have two outstanding individual players in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter, but there are a lot of question marks in Boulder. Opponent No. 1 is North Dakota State, which advanced to the FCS championship game last season. Could the Bison pull off a huge upset on Thursday?

Seven of the 16 Big 12 games in Week 1 have point spreads better than 26 points, the biggest being No. 22 Kansas over Lindenwood by 45 points. So let’s go with that one. The Lions are in deep, deep trouble. My advice? Dig in and save the equipment, boys.

5. The NFL is a brutal business and while 15 former Cougars made a 53-man roster, nine others were cut. Which of those who were released have the best chance of catching on with another team and playing in 2024?

DICKSON: Running backs have a pretty short shelf life during an NFL season, so the guy I will keep an eye on is Chris Brooks. He’s got an injury that has slowed him down but when he gets healthy I think he’ll find a practice squad and he’s definitely good enough to hang in the league.

Samson Nacua, who nearly returned a field goal attempt 100 yards for a score in the preseason, is probably wondering what else he could do to make a team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pop up on a practice squad.

LLOYD: While cut day is certainly a tough one for a lot of players, the reality is that other opportunities often come up. Many of the players who didn’t make NFL rosters are expected to be added to practice squads if they are still available, which can they turn into openings to get into games depending on injuries later in the season.

I think the player with the best chance is the one with the most experience in the NFL, wide receiver Dax Milne. Although he’s bounced around a little bit, he has shown he can be a valuable possession receiver and I suspect at some point a team will look to add him to fill a spot.