DICKSON: I can’t tell you how many games (BYU and otherwise) where I’ve seen a team gets a big lead and immediately upon subbing the third and fourth string the opponent starts moving the ball and scoring. Or forcing quick three-and-outs on defense. What impressed me the most about the Cougars effort on Saturday was that there was simply no drop-off on either side of the ball when they subbed freely in the second half. The offense kept it simple but continued to move the ball and scored 20 second-half points. The defense never allowed Portland State an inch of room, even when the backups were in. Look, I know the Vikings weren’t very good, but I think we saw a glimpse of BYU’s depth and commitment from the entire team. That kind of focus pays off big-time if it can be maintained.

GURNEY: Much like Darnell, I was most impressed with the depth that was put on display with the fact that there was little to no apparent drop-off in level of play as BYU emptied its entire sideline throughout the second half. But I also grow increasingly impressed with BYU’s special teams unit, and particularly kicker Will Ferrin. I’ve never covered a BYU kicker who is more confident and speaks better about the team than Ferrin. In the win over Portland State he executed a wide variety of effectively-placed kickoffs and, oh yeah, he merely tied a school record with a 56-yard field goal made. With all the talk about BYU’s team leading up to this season, I don’t feel we’ve talked about just how good Ferrin and the special teams are.

2. Utah was one spot behind BYU in the initial AP poll but moved ahead of the Cougars after Week 1 to No. 25. Fair or unfair?

GURNEY: I think it’s fair. I have no problem with any extreme movement in polls during the first week of the season, as most teams can’t be accurately evaluated in any regard, and certainly not by dumb media types. And Utah looked really good. The Utes went on the road and completely dominated a name program in UCLA, and that counts for something. Sure, the Bruins will probably prove to be a dumpster fire this season under new Head Coach DeShaun Foster, but you can still assign a lot more stock in Utah’s win than with BYU trouncing a really, REALLY bad Portland State team. I believe the rankings will work their way out effectively over the course of the season, and no, Utah jumping BYU in the rankings is hardly a scandal and certainly not something any reasonable fan should get too upset over.

DICKSON: I’ve been an AP voter in various sports and I can tell you without hesitation that its just an opinion based on sports writer’s feelings. Don’t read too much into it. I can also admit some weeks I didn’t see certain teams or games and guessed. It’s impossible to keep tabs on every single team and every single game. Plus, these writers have plenty to do. How much time do you think they spend on ranking teams? Thirty minutes? An hour? To be honest, I never spent more than 20 minutes on ranking teams before I had to move on to something else. As for Utah passing up BYU in the AP poll, the Utes were pretty impressive against UCLA. But how good are the Bruins? We just don’t know yet. And the Cougars were sufficiently dominant against an FCS team. I would expect BYU to move into the Top 25 if it beats Stanford. Happy now?

3. BYU got 79 players into the game against Portland State, which might be some kind of record. Of the new players or subs, who caught your eye?

DICKSON: That number is ridiculous, isn’t it? It’s great for those youngsters and walk-ons to get actually game reps. Keeps them engaged because it’s a long season. Of the new players, offensive tackle Andrew Gentry was pushing guys all over the place and really liked what I saw from John Taumoepeau (I know he’s not “new” but it was his first start). I was impressed by Bodie Schoonover, a really fine athlete who has been in the program a few years who will make an impact defensively. Along with Chase Roberts, Noah Moeaki and Carsen Ryan, a pretty good day for former American Fork players, wasn’t it?

GURNEY: Geez, there were several and I’ll start with safety Talan Alfrey. He made several standout plays from the secondary and was graded as the top defensive performer by Pro Football Focus. The safety position is very crowded this year, but I think Alfrey earned himself more playing time with what he showed on Saturday. I also really liked what I saw from Isaiah Jatta at the tackle position opposite Gentry, who was also impressive. I believe BYU will provide better tackle play this season, and the play of Jatta on Saturday helped validate my reasoning. Again, Darnell stole most of my answers, but he failed to point out receiver Cody Hagen, who put on display his 4-star talent with the notion that he could very well finish the season as a top receiving option.

4. The Cougars step up in competition this week hosting Stanford. What do you expect to see on Saturday?

GURNEY: I think it’s going to be a low-scoring game. I think Bear Bachmeier still needs some time to settle down. I know that BYU’s defense is very good and I know that Stanford’s offense is pretty bad. That all equates to a relatively low-scoring game. I do believe that the Cougars will win the game soundly, but I also anticipate the Cardinal to show better than it did during the game at Hawaii. Having gotten over the first game hump, coupled with two weeks to prepare for BYU, should present a more formidable Stanford team although I sincerely doubt that whatever strides made will wind up with a sniff of an upset win.

DICKSON: I expect Stanford to be much improved from its opener against Hawaii. The Cardinal have a new coach and a new system and the improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 should be noticeable. However, I expect BYU to take a step forward as well. It wasn’t a great start on either side of the ball against Portland State and I know the coaches will be bringing that up to the player’s attention this week. I expect Stanford to attempt to establish a good running game and the Cougars to really focus on limiting that part of the attack. On offense, BYU also wants to run to set up the play-action pass for Bear Bachmeier. So expect some smash-mouth football that will keep the score down a bit. I still expect the Cougars to win by at least two scores.

5. The No. 19 BYU women’s volleyball team went 3-0 in the doTERRA Classic last weekend. Just how good are the Cougars in 2025?

DICKSON: All I can say about freshman Suli Davis is “wow.” OK, here’s some more. She definitely had a great debut, leading the team in kills with 39 (3.9 per set) in the three matches while hitting .313. Claire Little Chambers was terrific as usual, with 38 kills (3.8) and hitting a robust .419. I really thought sophomore setter Alex Bower was super-human to start the season, not just running the offense but passing and blocking really well. The biggest revelation for me was returned missionary Sophia Callahan, who was superb as a third option on the pins. If the Cougars pass well consistently, it could be a special season.

GURNEY: BYU is probably better than its current No. 19 ranking. I’ll say that. I didn’t follow the match nearly as close as Darnell, but the numbers really do speak for themselves here. Considering how new Suli Davis is to collegiate play, fans can anticipate big things from her this season. I’m going to cheat here, and point out that our very own Darnell Dickson is already drawing comparisons to Roni Jones-Perry, who was one of the best every to play in Provo. So yeah, I’m very bullish on this year’s team and believe the Cougars could develop into a legitimate national champion contender.