Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd give their opinions on the hot BYU sports topics this week:

1. BYU football is 5-0 and ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll heading into the bye week. How surprised are you?

DICKSON: Frankly, yes. I thought the Cougars would be better in 2024 because they addressed their weak spots and increased their depth at key positions. Aside from hard work, you have to have a little bit of good fortune as well and BYU has had it. Winning close games against SMU and Baylor shows that the Cougars can come through in the clutch. The offense was having a tough day against the Mustangs but came up with a clutch drive for the game-winning field goal. The defense was getting abused by Sawyer Robertson and the Bears offense but managed three straight stops to close the game and preserve the win. Overcoming adversity is important along the path to a successful season. The Big 12 will bring a lot of challenges, for sure, but right now the Cougars have given themselves a great opportunity to have a special year. This is the whole reason why getting into a power conference was such a big deal.

LLOYD: I’m not nearly as surprised as the majority of college football observers because I’ve been around Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake. When I’ve talked to him since the end of the 2023 season, he’s always been quietly confident in how good BYU would be this season.

I guessed that BYU would finish 8-4 in my preseason Crystal Ball, which was far more optimistic that most were (and some still are).

There are some clear correlations between how Mark Pope approached the 2023-24 Cougar basketball season and Sitake’s approach to this football season. Instead of banking on being able to assimilate a bunch of transfers or big changes, the focus was on building team cohesion and chemistry mostly with guys already in the program.

It’s something that predictive metrics like ESPN’s SP+ rankings fail to take into account but makes a huge difference. It worked for Pope as BYU surprised the country on the hardwood and now Sitake and the Cougars are doing the same on the gridiron.

2. What should be the main focus of the BYU football coaching staff during the bye week?

LLOYD: The clear answer is one that’s obvious for all teams on a bye week: get healthy. Most Cougars are likely dealing with various injuries and this is a time to rehabilitate and get ready for the next trio of contests.

But I really want to see BYU dig deep into their own self-scout and make some adjustments. One of the benefits of having so many veterans on the 2024 squad is that the Cougars can handle doing things a little differently when needed.

BYU particularly needs to make sure the offensive line depth chart is set and the blocking schemes need to be tailored to the strengths of the guys on the field. The Cougars can get a little predictable offensively and need to figure how to make sure they can surprise opponents.

DICKSON: Getting guys healthy is obviously important, but not every player who is hurt is going to be ready for the Oct. 12 game against Arizona. So it’s really important for the coaches to train up some player to be ready to take more reps. The added depth will help with that. It’s also key for the Cougar coaches to evaluate play calling and substitution patterns so they an mix things up so opponents can’t hone in on trends and tendencies. Kalani Sitake is sending out most of his front-line coaches to recruit but he was pretty clear that the bye week was still a work week. If the players buy into that, they should be ready for the next challenges.

3. Who is your BYU football offensive MVP through the first five games?

DICKSON: I’m going with quarterback Jake Retzlaff. That’s not going to be a popular choice among BYU fans but I truly believe he’s one of the main reasons the Cougars are 5-0. To support this, I want to quote you something on ‘X’ from BYU Stats, Man: Through the first five games of the season, Retzlaff has accounted for 70.61% (1,362/1,929) of BYU’s total offense. The only players with a higher pct. through an entire season: 1980 – McMahon – 73.94% 1990 – Detmer – 73.37% 1999 – Feterik – 72.80% 1995 – Sarkisian – 72.06%.

That’s some pretty good company. So complain all you want about his mistakes, Retzlaff is a dog and as tough as they come, both physically and mentally. Don’t forget that he’s operating with a patchwork running game because of all the injuries. That he can lead the offense to points anyway is impressive and something he struggled with last season.

LLOYD: I can certainly see a clear argument for junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff and junior wide receiver Chase Roberts, but I’m going with senior offensive lineman Connor Pay.

At center, Pay has been in charge of both getting the entire unit set and getting the ball to Retzlaff, who is often in the shotgun. His combination of ability and experience has made those roles a strength for BYU throughout the season.

And when he got hurt against Baylor, the Cougar offense wasn’t as effective. Part of that was because the Bear defense elevated its play but not having Pay on the field made a big difference as well. BYU has other capable offensive linemen, but would be better if Pay is able to get back on the field.

4. Who is your BYU football defensive MVP through the first five games?

LLOYD: There are numerous candidates for this recognition as well but my selection might come as a surprise because he doesn’t have amazing stats: senior defensive back Jakob Robinson.

Yes, he has tallied 19 tackles, three tackles for a loss, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception. Those aren’t bad for a cornerback but his real impact has been his reliability.

He has often shut down the player he is defending so effectively that the ball isn’t even thrown his way. That’s an enormous value for BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill and the entire unit, since it means the focus can be on other players.

Robinson has also been a reliable tackler both on receivers and running backs, and created havoc in the backfield when his number has been called on corner blitzes. That’s MVP-caliber work right there.

DICKSON: I’ve been waiting for defensive end Tyler Batty to make the kind of impact he’s making right now. I know he was All-Big 12 last season but I thought his game a higher level he could reach. This season, I’m seeing it. Baylor had to bench its starting left tackle because Batty was abusing him so much. Late in the game, Batty made a terrific move to get into the backfield and forced a holding call that was critical. He’s not only handling his business on the field but he a very good leader for this group as well. The kid from Payson is getting it done.

5. Which former BYU football player in the NFL is catching your eye right now?

DICKSON: Those of us who know Kyle Van Noy’s entire story can appreciate what he’s doing in the NFL even more. He had to sit out a season at BYU due to a youthful indiscretion and became one of the greatest defensive players in Cougar history. For some reason, the Detroit Lions couldn’t figure out how to use Van Noy and his first several years in the NFL weren’t that productive. But the Patriots and the Ravens knew how to unlock his power and he’s been a terrific impact player. At 33, Van Noy is playing better than ever.

LLOYD: It’s kind of been a rough season for BYU players with guys like Puka Nacua and now Taysom Hill getting hurt.

I’m going to take the most obvious answer because I absolutely love watching Fred Warner play linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers.

Warner is lauded as one of the best linebackers in the game and for good reason. So far in four games this year, he has 27 tackles (17 solo), four passes defended, three forced fumbles and one sack. Last week he got his second interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown in a 30-13 win over the New England Patriots.

I also love how he approaches the game, playing with high energy and a lot of passion. He just seems to love the game and shows that to everyone watching.