BYU 1-on-1: What do we know: Just how good is the undefeated BYU football team?
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- BYU senior defensive lineman Tyler Batty runs off the field with other Cougar players at halftime during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
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- BYU fans cheer on their team during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
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- BYU women’s basketball coach Amber Whiting shouts to her team during a game against Loyola Marymount at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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- BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young watches practices with assistant coach Will atVoigt (left) and Chief of Staff Doug Stewart at the Marriott Center Annex on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
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- BYU freshman defensive back Tommy Prassas scores a touchdown after recovering a fumble during the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Jared Lloyd give their opinions on the hot BYU sports topics this week:
1. What was your favorite moment of BYU’s 38-9 victory against No. 13 Kansas State last Saturday?
DICKSON: There are quite a few to choose from, right? From start to finish, it was a pretty magical night for BYU football and its followers. The sudden change at the end of the first half was something I haven’t seen at LaVell Edwards Stadium for a long time and it was an amazing wave of emotion that the Cougars rode to victory.
If I have to pick just one moment, I’d have to go with Parker Kingston’s punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter. He turned disaster into one of the coolest plays you’ll ever see.
There were so many elements to the return: The fact that the Cougars were in “punt safe;” Kingston muffed the ball but got it back; He almost got knocked down by teammate Raider Damuni inside the 5-yard line; Several Kansas State players ran into each other like Keystone Cops; Linebacker Isaiah Glasker ran the full length of the field with Kingston; The reaction of the ROC in the northeast corner when Kingston finally reached the end zone. And then Kingston’s, ah, physical reaction to running about 130 yards at a full sprint later on the sideline.
You don’t get to see many of those kinds of plays in college football.
LLOYD: This may sound odd in this day and age but — while there were many great moments on the field — my favorite came after the game.
It was when no one rushed the field.
To clarify, I’m not someone who thinks fans should never rush the field even though there are certainly some risks inherent in such behavior. There are moments in sports worthy of that type of celebration.
But Saturday wasn’t such a moment for BYU — and shouldn’t have been.
This is a Cougar team that has beaten top-ranked teams in that stadium and had thrilling, dramatic finishes. A win over a No. 13-ranked team that was as one-sided as that one should be enjoyed, certainly, but it should also feel like it can happen every year.
This BYU team went into that game expecting to win and did, and I liked that the Cougar supporters acted like they expected it as well.
2. After four games what do you think you know about this BYU football team and what questions do you still need answered?
LLOYD: I think the most obvious thing I know is that BYU is significantly better than many thought they would be, which to me is a strong endorsement of how Kalani Sitake is approaching building his program.
The Cougars chose to bet on team chemistry and cohesion much more than on the transfer portal and high-profile acquisitions, and the benefits of that decision are evident in how BYU has performed through four games.
My biggest question at this point is just how good can this Cougar squad be in 2024? Because I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere close to it yet.
BYU has been solid on defense, but have still surrendered some long drives to opponents. The Cougar offense has been opportunistic but still isn’t as dynamic and consistent as it can be.
There is the chance that injuries and losses will pile up in coming weeks, derailing BYU’s promising start. But there is also the chance that these Cougars just keep getting better, which could make for something pretty special.
DICKSON: I know that defense is this team’s calling card. This is not only one of the best defenses we’ve seen from the Cougars in more than a decade, it’s also one of the deepest defenses BYU has ever fielded.
Coaches have way more confidence in the two-deep than I’ve ever seen, and they can sometimes go three or four deep at some positions. There are playmakers all over the place and the linebacker group, even though it lost Ben Bywater due to injury before the season even started, is really, really good. I felt like one of BYU’s biggest problems in the Big 12 last season was the defensive line getting overwhelmed. The Cougars are really improved there this year.
Questions? Well, the offense has had its moments but we’ve still yet to see a really good performance against a power conference team. The SMU attack was saddled by turnovers and while the offense put up 24 points against Kansas State, it had some very short fields to go because of how well the defense was playing.
There are some really talented playmakers on this team and you would hope as the season progresses the Cougars would be better at executing the attack. That’s probably the only thing holding me back from declaring BYU a true contender for the Big 12 title.
3. What will be the key factor or factors in BYU’s game at Baylor on Saturday?
DICKSON: Going from the home environment at LES to a road game can sometimes be pretty difficult. This Cougar team needs their leaders to help everyone get focused. Baylor has had some adversity this year but it is a very talented team, maybe even more talented than Kansas State.
I think one key factor will be how the defense handles the Bears offensive attack, which has been pretty up and down this year. The quarterback position has been unsettled and if the Cougars confuse and dominate, it could lead to more turnovers and opportunities for the offense.
LLOYD: The first factor has to be a demonstration of how well can BYU handle success. Too often a big victory can turn into a lackluster performance in the next game, and I don’t think this BYU squad is good enough to roll out a C- or D-level showing against the Bears on the road and still win.
The other factor I think is vital for the Cougars is to continue to elevate their resiliency. BYU has yet to trail an opponent by more than six points, but it could happen this week. The Cougars better be ready to bounce back if it does.
I’m optimistic that the maturity and levelheadedness of the 2024 BYU squad will give the Cougars an edge in both categories, and these are the games good teams win. This Saturday will be another data point in just what BYU football is this season.
4. BYU men’s and women’s basketball officially started practice this week. What are your expectations for both teams?
LLOYD: I expect both Cougar hoops squads to have a strong sense of urgency for the 2024-25 season.
That may be understandable for Amber Whiting and the BYU women’s basketball team. This is Whiting’s third year at the helm and she currently has a 32-33 record. While that isn’t horrendous, there should be some noticeable improvement this year as she puts her stamp on the program more and more.
It’s probably less obvious for Kevin Young and the Cougar men’s basketball squad, given that this is his first year of being a college head coach. That usually provides a little bit more leeway.
But Young made a big splash with his recruiting and the NIL investments that went into bringing in high-profile players. Many have already talked about how Young’s NBA background was an additional incentive, since they have dreams of competing at the highest level of basketball.
That means Young really needs to have all that translate into wins sooner rather than later to keep the momentum rolling and have that reputation get solidified. If BYU comes out flat or falters during the season, it may be tough to recover.
I think that while both Cougars teams will have some growing pains but will also get some big wins and show signs that things are going in the right direction.
DICKSON: Kevin Young stacked a lot of wins during the offseason with some terrific recruiting, not only of new talent but retaining key contributors from the previous season. How he and the coaching staff puts all this talent together is going to be fascinating to watch.
The preseason is set up for success with just a couple of tough neutral site matchups, so the Cougars should be able to put together a pretty solid record going into Big 12 play. Other conference teams (specifically Kansas and Baylor) also got more talented with big pickups from the portal and league play will be just as difficult, if not more difficult, than last season.
My expectations are that BYU will compete every night but until I get a look at how all of this talent works together, I’m not willing to go much further than that.
As far as Amber Whiting’s group, I think they got more talented and experienced through the portal and with a good freshman class. Whether that translates into a better record than last year’s 16-17 mark (6-12 in Big 12 play), again, that really depends on how this talent meshes together.
I expect to see some good and bad moments during the preseason as this group gets used to each other on the floor. The Big 12 is loaded with talent and a good goal would be to get to .500 in league play. That’s possible if most of the offseason moves bear fruit.
5. Heather Olmstead is playing four freshmen in the regular rotation on the No. 17 BYU women’s volleyball team and Jennifer Rockwood started four freshmen in Monday’s 2-1 win against Utah for Cougar soccer. Freshman “Touchdown” Tommy Prassas made a huge play with a scoop-and-score on Saturday against Kansas State. Are freshman taking over the sports world?
DICKSON: I think there are a couple of reasons why freshmen are seemingly more ready to contribute right away.
Most athletes play club sports as well as with their high school team and those programs are really competitive. There are some pretty intense summer programs for football players, too.
Also, I believe coaches are more willing to play freshmen that are talented right away so they don’t lose them to bigger offers in NIL or through the portal. BYU football is playing upwards of 50-60 athletes in a game, and playing time mean more satisfaction for the younger players who are impatient about “waiting their turn.”
LLOYD: There are a couple of factors at play here, including the talent development Darnell referenced. The intensity of the training at the youth level does mean players come in more prepared, but the cost is often more physical wear-and-tear which makes them more likely to get hurt.
I also think that the opportunities are there for more freshmen to be major contributors this year in BYU’s fall sports. The Cougars had a number of seniors move on in both women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. That coupled with injuries opened doors for some of the young newcomers to get into the action right away.
A coach’s job is to give the team the best chance to be successful. If freshmen are the best option to do that, a coach should give them that opportunity and see if they make the most of it.
