1 / 4

BYU's Mawot Mag (0) drives past an Arizona defender in a Big 12 men's basketball in the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 4

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick (left) answers a question while head coach Kalani Sitake (center) and defensive coordinator Jay Hill look on during the signing day press teleconference in Provo on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

3 / 4

Super bowl game catering food, appetizer for party.

stock.adobe.com

4 / 4

Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes celebrates after the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, MO. The Chiefs won 35-24 to advance to Super Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jeff Roberson, Associated Press

❮ ❯

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

1. What did we learn from BYU’s loss to Arizona in men’s basketball on Tuesday?

DICKSON: BYU got beat by Houston by 31, had a shot at beating Texas Tech at home but lost by five and hung with Arizona for 30 minutes before losing by 11. Those are the best three teams in the Big 12, in my opinion. So what I learned from the Arizona loss is that the Cougars have the ability to play with good teams, for the most part, but haven’t figured out how to finish things. Yeah, BYU dried up offensively against the Wildcats but it was really on the defensive end that things unraveled in the second half. The Cougars have a hard time getting stops against really good offensive players that can take the ball to the rack and pretty much everybody in the league has two or three guys like that. Until BYU figures out how to be better defensively, I don’t know how they will be able to beat any teams near the top of the league. The rest of the schedule is daunting. West Virginia is much better than anyone thought it would be this year and BYU has the Mountaineers twice. Kansas State is on a roll, Kansas is still Kansas, there’s another shot at Arizona, Iowa State is coming up and the regular season ends against Utah.

Right now most NCAA projections have BYU barely in or just out, and I’m not sure how they change that with the schedule coming up.

LLOYD: I don’t know if this can really be considered a new lesson because it is the same reality the Cougars have displayed all season: If BYU shoots the ball well, it can beat anyone. If not, winning is hard.

The Cougars were just 10-of-34 from downtown (29.4%) and against a good opponent playing at a high level that isn’t going to cut it.

I understand the logic behind the infatuation with the 3-point shot, but even with a group of players who are solid shooters it is still a high-risk, high-reward approach to fire up 34 treys when you aren’t hitting them at a better rate.

Even with that, BYU was in the game but simply didn’t get the job done when it needed to. That is who this Cougar team is this year.

2. How dangerous is the Cougars’ road trip to Cincinnati, a team they beat by 28 points the first time around?

LLOYD: In the Big 12 Conference, every team has to take every game seriously but even more so when they go on the road. These are good teams and just about anyone is capable of putting some things together and getting a big win.

Cincinnati may be sitting near the bottom of the standings with its 3-8 record, but in some ways that makes the Bearcats more dangerous. They can just go play without much pressure.

BYU is also at a time in the season where it doesn’t have much room for error. Sure, losing to a ranked Arizona team isn’t going to be a big deal — but dropping a game to a 13-9 Cincinnati team wouldn’t be a good thing for the Cougars’ NCAA at-large hopes.

DICKSON: Every team experiences ups and down during the season and from the looks of the Bearcats on Wednesday, they are on an upswing. They inserted Day Day Thomas into the starting lineup recently and sometimes that’s all it takes to get on a roll. Look at BYU, which put Mawot Mag into the starting lineup and what followed was four straight wins. The Cougars have shown they can win on the road (against UCF and Colorado) but Cincinnati is going to be a very difficult test. The Bearcats have some athletic offensive players such at Thomas, Dillon Mitchell, Jizzle James, Simas Lukosius and Dan Skillings that can get hot against BYU’s unsteady defense. I expect a much closer game in Ohio on Saturday.

3. What BYU football recruit stands out to you the most in the Class of 2025?

DICKSON: It sure must be an eye-opening experience for the 2025 recruits that have already enrolled at BYU. They are thrust directly into conditioning and the reality of competing against older teammates who have already gone through the adjustment period. Every recruit feels like they can contribute right away but very few can. I think Hunter Clegg, a defensive end from American Fork who just returned from a church mission, will surprise people with how ready he will be for the 2025 season. Clegg was a holy terror as a high school player and his motor will get him on the field sooner than later.

LLOYD: It’s going to be a little while before we see him on the field but I’m intrigued by McKay Madsen. To accomplish what he accomplished on both offense and defense in high school is incredibly impressive.

One thing BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick highlighted is Madsen’s explosiveness, which is something you can see on film. He is an athlete with some power and burst that makes him tough to stop.

I hope he turns into the same type of explosive bruiser that Tyler Allgeier was for the Cougars a few years ago. They aren’t exactly the same type of player, but I can see some similar traits.

4. Did the Cougars get better more on offense or defense with this recruiting class?

LLOYD: BYU always goes into every recruiting cycle with two goals: Address specific needs and get the best players available. With that in mind, I think you have to say the Cougars were more aggressive at filling holes on the defense.

BYU lost a significant portion of its defensive line and secondary, which meant there were certainly opportunities for guys to come in and compete right away. The Cougars need the recruits and transfers who joined the team to be able to shore up the depth and be ready to contribute sooner rather than later.

While the BYU offense did have needs on the offensive line and at tight end, I think the Cougar position groups are a little more set on that side of the ball heading into 2025.

DICKSON: The Cougars definitely needed more help on the defensive side, not just because of the graduates but of the defections of those who might have provided depth. BYU went out and got some experienced players to fill some of the gaps but there will be players from the Class of 2025 that will be in the two deep and on special teams. I like Weber High School linebacker Tyler Payne and Kelepi Finau, a defensive lineman from Oakland, a lot. The most important thing for these players to do is to learn their job and what it takes to be a college-level football player.

5. What is your snack of choice for Super Bowl Sunday and will the Eagles or the Chiefs win the game?

DICKSON: The wings I make in my air fryer are pretty good, and my son, Casey, makes some pretty mean meatballs for Super Bowl Sunday. We’re a chip-and-dip family as well, and my wife takes good care of us with the variety.

I expect a pretty good game on Sunday and like most BYU fans, lean towards the Chiefs and Andy Reid. His pro career has been pretty spectacular. When I typed, “What is Andy Reid’s coaching style?” into AI, it came back with “He is known for being adaptable, trusting and player focused. He emphasizes open communication, efficiency and balance.” OK, sounds good to me. I still think the Chiefs will have their hands full with the league’s best running back in Saquon Barkley, but KC has the best clutch quarterback in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. If it comes down to the final two minutes, who’s going to hate a fantastic finish?

LLOYD: Choosing one favorite from the plethora of possibilities at a Super Bowl party is a tall task indeed, particularly because I’m someone who loves variety. Give me some wings and then some guacamole and then some pizza and then some potato chips and then some fruit and vegetables. I’ll just keep circling the buffet.

But if I’m going to pick one, I’ll go with jalapeno poppers. I love that spicy kick you get with the smooth cheesy filling and can you really go wrong with bacon?

As for the game itself, I think it’s going to be a good one. Philadelphia is explosive and I think the Kansas City defense has shown itself to be vulnerable at times. But it’s not easy to dethrone the champs, so I’m going with Andy Reid’s Chiefs to make history with the three-peat.