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

1. BYU football has started 3-0 in 2024, the same as it did in 2023. Do you feel more confident or less confident than you did last year in the Cougars as they head into Big 12 play?

DICKSON: Remember how most fans (and the media) felt coming out of preseason last year? The Cougars looked pretty inept against what turned out to a be a really bad Sam Houston team (which lost its first eight games), beat up Southern Utah (as expected) and had a terrific comeback win in SEC country (Arkansas). The signs of problems, though, were there, especially with the running game and injuries on defense. The first half in the Big 12 opener against Kansas was promising, but BYU got dominated in the second half.

I would say I feel much better about the Cougar defense heading into the Big 12 this season. They are deeper and have been pretty consistent through the first three games. The running game, however, still worries me. Injuries to LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati have given other players some chances but the “line up and run it” offense doesn’t seem any better than last season.

Until Kedon Slovis got hurt last year, the offense had its moments but eventually had big problems against good Big 12 teams. Now BYU has Jake Retzlaff, who does some brilliant things and some not-so-brilliant things. This team seems like it has a good vibe to them, which may come into play for close games. As for the opener, well, it’s a tough one and we probably shouldn’t jump to too many conclusions after its over. But we will.

LLOYD: I think there are some similarities between the two seasons, but there are also quite a few differences.

Sure, both teams had a couple of wins against mediocre opponents and a close power-conference road win. You could quibble about whether the win at Arkansas or at SMU was better but only time will tell.

The reality, though, is that the 2024 Cougar squad is much deeper, much more unified, and much better prepared for what it is going to face in the Big 12.

I felt in 2023 that if QB Kedon Slovis got hurt, the BYU offense would be in trouble. He was never the same after the Arkansas game and it showed on the field.

This year BYU has two quarterbacks that can rely on and every other position group is deeper as well, in my opinion. And more of these guys are used to playing with each other, which is an underrated factor in how teams perform under the spotlight.

2. What kind of game do you expect from BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff against Kansas State?

LLOYD: Well, for some BYU fans to be satisfied, I think he’ll have to have zero incompletions, finish with more than 500 yards passing, score seven touchdowns with no interceptions or fumbles, and set concession sales records at halftime.

That stat line is, of course, bordering on the absurd, but there’s no doubt that Cougar fans have high expectations for their quarterbacks.

Retzlaff has actually been solid so far in 2024 but this will certainly be his biggest test. I think what I’m looking for those is for him to be smart with how he approaches the game. I want to see him make good decisions and put the ball where it needs to be with the right types of passes.

No turnovers would be ideal but I think Kansas State has a good defense and they might make a big play at some point. I think he’ll be resilient and have his team in position to come away with the win at the end.

DICKSON: Jake is the kind of quarterback who walks the line between aggressive and careless. Would you rather have a “game manager” that never takes chances? With BYU’s questionable running game, that wouldn’t seem to be a way to get wins. I think the Cougars need Retzlaff to take chances and throw the ball in places where his receivers can make plays. That may result in turnovers, but you’ve got to put pressure on a defense if you want to put points on the board.

I know BYU’s preseason schedule hasn’t been especially challenging, but it’s not as if Jake has never faced a power conference team before. He played against four really good ones last season (West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State). I think he’ll move the team and get them in position to score some pointson Saturday. His group of receivers is as impressive as I’ve seen. His running ability makes him pretty dangerous as well. His coaches and teammates have confidence in him, but fans are not so easily impressed.

3. Just how big is the home field advantage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in a night game for BYU football?

DICKSON: Yes, BYU has been pretty good in night games: 23-3 in its past 26, including 12-2 at home, and have earned the nickname “Vampire Cougars.” LaVell Edwards Stadium should be pretty electric on Saturday night with a full stadium, a national audience and a Big 12 opener getting everyone pretty excited. The average home field advantage in college football results in home teams winning about 64% of their games. This is the first time Kansas State has traveled this far west since 2015 (Stanford). So it would appear the Cougars have some nice advantages playing at home.

BYU was 4-2 at home last year. One of those losses was by seven points to No. 14 Oklahoma, but Iowa State came into LES the previous week and destroyed the Cougars 45-13, making it look easy in the process. I think BYU is healthy enough and motivated enough to keep the Kansas State game close, and maybe that 2-3 points comes into play.

LLOYD: I think most college football teams get about a seven-point advantage from playing at home. Some that have fewer fans or less passionate support get a little bit less, while the toughest venues get 3-5 more bonus points.

While I can’t say BYU has been dominating enough at LaVell Edwards Stadium to call it the toughest place to play in the country, it is definitely in the upper echelon. The Cougar student section, the ROC, gets there early and stays engaged throughout the game.

But many BYU foes are accustomed to dealing with loud crowds when on the road. The Big 12 has tremendous support across the board, so I doubt it will be overly intimidating for a team like Kansas State this weekend.

When you add in the time difference with a slight bump from the elevation, then the advantage grows significantly. Many teams don’t play at 8:30 p.m. MT, let alone have the kickoff at that time. The Wildcats will need to be sharp to get past all of those challenges on Saturday.

4. What do you see as the biggest factor that will lead to a Cougar victory on Saturday?

LLOYD: It may sound like a Captain Obvious answer but I’m going to say points for a couple of reasons.

Kansas State has a dangerous offense and as good as the BYU defense has been so far, this is taking the competition up a notch or two (or more). I don’t think it’s reasonable to suggest the Cougars will hold the Wildcats to around 14 points like they did to their first three opponents.

That means the BYU offense has to get points on the board — and not just field goals. Yes, Will Ferrin is very good and three points are better than zero points, but the Cougars need touchdowns.

In my view, Jake Retzlaff and the BYU offense need at least 28 points to have a chance at getting the upset, which is easier said than done. If the Cougars can make that a reality, though, the home team will likely have a chance down the stretch.

DICKSON: When you hear the phrase “establish a running game,” you probably think of lining up in with a couple of tight ends, some big backs and trying to run over the opposition right from the start. That’s really not BYU’s game. Kalani Sitake said Wyoming came out intent on stopping the run and loaded up the box. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick responded by throwing the ball eight of the first nine plays. Personally, I don’t care WHEN the Cougars run the ball but they need to be able to do it effectively with the context of the game plan.

It’s going to have to include a quarterback run threat, because so far BYU hasn’t been able to run consistently no matter who the running backs are, and that’s on the offensive line. They’ve been pretty good at pass blocking but I’m still not seeing a lot of consistent movement of the line of scrimmage. So my biggest factor is an offensive game plan that finds a way to move the ball well enough on the ground to set up some big passing plays. Is that too much to ask?

5. For the first time since 1962, the BYU men’s basketball team won’t be playing any other teams from Utah in the preseason. Do you think the Cougars should try harder to continue rivalries with Utah State, Weber State, UVU, etc?

DICKSON: It’s a sad reality of college basketball scheduling, isn’t it?

We saw it when Utah joined the Pac-12 and had to start weighing the necessity of playing in-state schools versus the constant Quad 1 and Quad 2 games during conference play. Now that BYU is in the Big 12 (and the league added two more conference games to the schedule) it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to keep these teams on the schedule. There is also the factor of the financial “guarantee” for these games. Should they get the same amount that they get if they are playing at UCLA, or going back east to play an SEC or ACC team? It’s a complicated issue. It will be interesting to see what BYU does in the future. Mark Pope used to say “in-state games are magic,” but I’m not sure the Cougars can conjure up many of these matchups moving forward.

LLOYD: I love the in-state games and I’m glad that one of the standard nonconference showdowns for the last decade (Utah) is now back to being a couple of conference games.

But I’m realistic enough to know that these things aren’t as easy to navigate as they appear on the surface. Both teams have to be willing to come to the table and work through things like scheduling, costs, neutral-site opportunities and other logistics.

I want BYU to be aggressive in trying to make it work out, but I don’t want them bending over backwards and ignoring realities. It has to be the right fit for the Cougars, just as it is the right fit for the in-state teams they could face.

Because of that view, I hope it works out for more in-state nonconference matchups to become a reality but I won’t judge BYU harshly if sometimes it doesn’t.