Here is Jared Lloyd’s look at the BYU-SMU matchups, including his prediction for the final score for Friday’s game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas:

BYU offense vs. SMU defense

Jake Retzlaff was fairly sharp in the opener but will need to continue to develop his progressions against a tougher defense. After falling behind 24-13 late in the third quarter at Nevada, the Mustang defense has only allowed a single touchdown in five quarters of play. That’s not bad, even if the competition last week wasn’t great.

Edge: Even

BYU defense vs. SMU offense

The Cougars surrendered most of their yardage to Southern Illinois on two big plays in Week 1, but any defense will tell you that is still two too many. The Mustangs may not be as good on offense as they looked last Saturday but they still have a lot of dangerous weapons who will take advantage of any BYU lapses.

Edge: SMU

Coaching

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has seen a lot during his time in Provo and appears to be quietly confident in what this Cougar team can accomplish. SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee is 18-9 in three years and enjoyed an excellent 11-3 campaign in 2023. He knows how to get the Mustangs ready for any opponent.

Edge: Even

Intangibles

The Cougars will be on the road and haven’t had much success in the state of Texas recently, losing their last three contests in the Lone Star state (the last win was at Houston in 2020). The weather is slated to be reasonable in early September, with highs in the low 90s. BYU didn’t make many mistakes like penalties or turnovers at home but this will be a much tougher venue.

Edge: SMU

Key Matchup: BYU secondary vs. SMU quarterbacks

The Mustangs run a lot of run-pass option plays and both junior Preston Stone and sophomore Kevin Jennings have shown they can be effective in that system. If they are making the right reads and are on target, SMU will be able to march up and down the field. To counter, BYU needs its defensive backs in the right places to break up passes, limit gains and help make stops in the run game. Fortunately for the Cougars, they have plenty of talent and experience at those key positions.

Edge: BYU

Prediction

This is a barometer game for both teams as they try to get ready for conference play. Expect a physical game that goes back and forth, with both squads alternating big plays and costly mistakes. BYU will have chances down the stretch to go in front, but the SMU defensive front will make a couple of big stops to keep the home team in front at the final gun.

SMU 27, BYU 23

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