DICKSON: To be honest, with the quality of opponents in the first two weeks, it’s kind of hard to say. Just off the top of my head, the defense getting home to the quarterback and the offense finishing drives both come to mind. It’s hard to fault the defense much because it has been so dominant but there are stiffer tests coming so it’s important to maintain that edge. The offense just didn’t seem very aggressive against Stanford and some of that may have been by design. I would expect to see a much more dynamic offensive design against East Carolina.

GURNEY: Catching the ball more consistently would be a good start. Harsh? Yeah, probably, but BYU receivers need to do better in order to help out true freshman Bear Bachmeier, and I’m confident they’ll do as much. But, in general, the Cougar passing game has to become more of a weapon moving forward versus their more competitive schedule, beginning this Saturday against East Carolina. A lot of it is on Bear, sure, but BYU’s experienced group of receivers need to show forth better production in order to streamline the overall passing attack.

2. What’s your biggest concern for the Cougars going to Greenville to play East Carolina?

GURNEY: It’s defending against quarterback Katin Houser. He’s the best quarterback BYU has faced so far this season, and by a wide margin. The onus will be on cornerbacks like Evan Johnson, Therrian Alexander and Mory Bamba, among others to step up big and limit what has proven to be a productive passing arsenal. Oh, and don’t forget about a healthy pass rush. Coaches have spoken highly of their group of defensive ends, and this is the game for those players to shine and shorten the coverage responsibilities of BYU’s relatively inexperienced cornerbacks.

DICKSON: I have a couple. Freshman Bear Bachmeier is going on the road for the first time as a starting quarterback and you so East Carolina has some special things planned for him in terms of coverage and pressure. If LJ Martin can be a stud rusher, it may not matter that much. The more 2nd or 3rd-and-long situations the Pirates can get the Cougars in the better for the home team. Also, the East Carolina passing attack is going to stress the BYU defense in a much different way than Portland State or Stanford. How will the Cougars hold up against the tempo and attacking mentality of the Pirates?

3. How do you see the BYU-East Carolina game playing out?

DICKSON: Really good question. I wish I had some special insight or hot take but we’re still so early in the season. As I wrote above, the East Carolina passing game is going to really test BYU’s secondary and we’ll see how that goes. I believe the Cougar defense is going to cause two or three turnovers and that could really swing the balance. Call it BYU 31, East Carolina 21.

GURNEY: When BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill has time to prepare for an opposing offense, which fields the quarterback he’s prepared for, his defenses shine. The teams that get over on Hill, in general, are teams that present new quarterbacks, such as both Oklahoma State and Baylor last season. So, with two weeks to prepare, I’m bullish on BYU’s defense in limiting the Pirates considerably. I still have questions about how effective BYU’s offense will prove, but I’m foreseeing a relatively comfortable win. Let’s say something like 24-10.

4. BYU women’s soccer (5-1-1) begins Big 12 play ranked No. 11 in the country and plays at Arizona State. How do you figure the Cougars chances for winning the Big 12?

GURNEY: I gained a lot of appreciation for this team when covering them last Friday, and certainly after discussing this very thing with Coach Jennifer Rockwood. The Cougars have gone through a very tough pre-conference schedule and fared very well, all factors considered. They’ve done as much with a team that doesn’t include a lot of seniors, so even improved play is somewhat easy to predict. BYU will absolutely contend for the Big 12 Conference title and should be able to make a good run in the NCAA tournament.

DICKSON: This team has been so good defensively I give the Cougars a chance against anybody. However, the offense really hasn’t hit its stride yet. A lot of good chances that barely miss, and that’s frustrating for BYU. The Cougars haven’t been able to hold possession like some of Jennifer Rockwood’s best teams and that is a worry against some elite programs in the Big 12. With so many freshmen making contributions, I can see BYU continuing to get better throughout the season and could make a nice run in the Big 12 Tournament.

5. BYU has one of the most unique men’s basketball schedules in school history. What will be the Cougars record in those 13 games?

DICKSON: What’s interesting is that BYU has patterned their schedule after what Arizona did last year. Despite double-digit losses, the Wildcats still got a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Cougar assistant coach Chris Burgess pointed out to me in our recent conversation that Arizona went 0-5 in their high-profile, top NET games in the non-conference. So even if BYU loses some of their marquee games in the non-conference it ultimately benefits the Cougars in the end. Playing Villanova, Wisconsin, UConn and Clemson is pretty challenging but in the end the right way to get a high seed. Let’s say BYU goes 10-3 or 9-4 in the non-conference.

GURNEY: There’s going to be speed bumps, much like last season. I mean, Kevin Young is a very good coach, sure, but any coach presented with a complete roster overhaul will undoubtedly experience at least some turbulence at take off. BYU’s roster is extremely talented, and forging all of that talent into one productive unit will take time, and I honestly could see BYU heading into Big 12 Conference play with a single-digit win total, and it will mean far less than many anxious fans with high expectations will assume.