DICKSON: The Cougars started slowly on offense but a jump start from the defense (two interceptions including a pick six from Evan Johnson) got things going. Bear Bachmeier and the offense were really good in the second half taking advantage of ECU’s commitment to stopping the run. Receivers were open all over the place. We know the defense is good and the numbers bear it out. Think about this: East Carolina ran 69 plays against BYU, which is right at the average for the Pirates. But ECU came into the game averaging 37 points on those 69 plays and only got 13 against the Cougars. That’s a stout defensive performance, no doubt.

GURNEY: BYU’s consistency in its style of play and how it goes about winning games continues to impress me. The Cougars set the tone early with standout defensive and special teams play, allowing the offense to eventually catch up and finish out strong. It’s the template for BYU football dating back to last season, and it’s proven very effective. This team knows what it is and the culture is very strong, which leads to a strong identity and consistency of play regardless of the venue and opponent.

2. Why do you think freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has been so good after slow starts in all three games?

GURNEY: The slow starts bother me and I do think it’s very important that Bear gets off to better starts in the future. But still, finishing strong is more important than starting strong, although both would be ideal. I don’t know how Bear gets better at this other than with more experience. But generally, I do think it speaks well to his football intelligence that he’s able to settle down and improve throughout the course of the three games he’s played at the collegiate level.

DICKSON: It’s a good question. Even the ESPN announcers were raving about how Bachmeier looked like a completely different quarterback in the second half than the first or that they saw on film. I thought Aaron Roderick called a great game in the second half and Bear was on target. He was 9 of 11 passing with one drop and one that was inches away from a long TD. I also thought the quarterback draw calls were fantastic after ECU kind of pounded the read option look in the first half. So I would say Roderick is still adjusting to what plays in the offense work best for Bachmeier. Also, he’s a true freshman. But he’s showing he learns quickly and that’s good to see.

3. What do you think about the two Lehi High school football commits, Devaughn Eka and Legend Glasker?

DICKSON: Eka is one of the best running back prospects to come out of Utah in a long time. He’s always been speedy and shifty but he’s added a few more pounds and can run between the tackles, too. He’s an excellent receiver as well, so I like his versatility. Just last week against one of 6A’s top teams, Skyridge, he was terrific with 137 rushing yards on 20 carries. As for Glasker, he’s a special talent. In just 13 games for the varsity he’s totaled 18 touchdowns. He’s got speed and the ability to catch the ball in traffic. I think it’s pretty important for BYU to mine the state of Utah for top talent and these two guys fit the bill.

GURNEY: One of my pet peeves is when BYU presents a roster that is relatively bereft of quality running back depth. You look at this season’s roster and it’s looking okay now, sure, although I believe it’s one injury to LJ Martin in becoming a real issue for the offense, and for the team. So yeah, give me all the quality RB depth, and particularly when it involves someone as talented as DeVaughn Eka. What I like about Glasker, despite his first name, is that he’s managed to rise in the recruiting rankings despite having committed to BYU relatively early. It’s usually the other way around with early Cougar commits and it tells you that Glasker is more than validating his status as a top recruit. He can burn on the edge and can play multiple positions. Also, Lehi has become prime recruiting ground, and it serves the Cougars well to actively sign players from what has become one of Utah County’s premier football factories.

4. What do you see as the key factor or factors in BYU getting a win at Colorado on Saturday?

GURNEY: I think Colorado is going to present a much tougher challenge this week than most fans are anticipating. The fact that BYU’s defense completely stalemated Colorado’s offense in the Alamo Bowl leads me to believe the Buffalo’s offensive staff spent a good chunk of the offseason studying why it went down the way it did. So I’m anticipating adjustments made. But BYU Defensive Coordinator has been ahead of the curve presented him in just about every game he’s coached at BYU, and I have to assume he’s well-prepared for whatever adjustments Colorado has in store offensively. So I guess that’s my key; for BYU simply to stay consistent in what it does and not get out of the strong identity it’s established dating back to last season.

DICKSON: You know that the Colorado defensive coaches are watching film of the run blitzes employed by East Carolina that resulted in eight tackles for loss. Can the Buffs duplicate that mayhem? So far, Colorado has been pretty poor against the run, giving up 194.5 yards per game. So I would expect BYU to try and establish LJ Martin and Sione Moa as threats early. Until he’s not a freshman, teams will try to force Bear Bachmeier to beat them through the air. If the Cougars can run for 200-plus yards against Colorado, I think they win pretty comfortably. If not, it’ll be up to Bachmeier to have another great second half.

5. Whose been the BYU football MVP so far?

DICKSON: So many players to choose from, mostly on the defensive side. At this point, it’s hard not to go with linebacker Jack Kelley. BYU plays so many defenders that he’s only second on the team in tackles with 13 (defensive end Logan Lutui is first with 15 and that’s pretty impressive) but also has three sacks and a forced fumble. The general mayhem and chaos Kelley creates means a lot to the Cougars and if opponents don’t game plan for him, that’s a big problem for them.

GURNEY: Jack Kelly is the easy answer, and it’s going to be hard to argue against Darnell’s choice, admittedly. But I’m going with Keanu Tanuvasa. BYU Coach Kalani Sitake brightens up considerably whenever mentioning the Utah transfer’s impact on this year’s team, and for good reason. He’s creating a problem on the interior and often demands a double-team. In doing as much it frees up Kelly and other top defenders to make the type of plays they have so far this season.