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BYU's Faletau Satuala (11) and Tanner Wall close in on TCU's Jeremy Payne in a college football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU receiver Jo Jo Phillips (13) engages with TCU's Channing Canada in a college football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Brandon Gurney debate and pontificate on the hot BYU sports topics of the week.

1. BYU and TCU used to have a pretty spirited football rivalry in the mid 2010s. Which former Cougar rivalry do you miss the most?

DICKSON: There are so many to choose from. I know this won’t be very popular, but I miss BYU-Wyoming, BYU-Air Force and other WAC/MWC rivalries. They had history, they had malice, they had style. Everything about the Big 12 (aside from BYU-Utah) is superficial and empty. Every time the Cougars play Kansas State, or Iowa State, or West Virginia, or just about anybody else in the league, I have to look up the last time they played because I completely forgot about it. Rivalries are memorable. That’s why BYU-Utah has so much heft because we can all recall games from that past that mattered and stick in our memories. I even miss BYU-Utah State. The way college football is moving toward mega-conferences, you can’t even build new rivalries because you’ll only play some teams every three or four years. For now, BYU-Utah still has the kind of meaning we need in a rivalry. But that’s all we’re ever going to get.

GURNEY: There’s something to be said about going into a truly hostile environment where the fans exhibit a lot of adverse emotions, and that’s what BYU had at just about every venue in the old Mountain West Conference. I remember attending a BYU game at Air Force back in 2006 and was seriously shocked at how anti-BYU the crowd was. And that’s Air Force, a fanbase you’d easily assume would be relatively mild and respectful. But of all the old Cougar rivalries in the MWC, I think the one I miss most is the one with San Diego State. Sure, football was always heated, but men’s basketball is where you really felt the animus, and it was great. Rivalries is what makes college athletics great, as much as just about anything else, and I’m hoping the Cougars can engender the type of rivalries within the Big 12 that it had in the MWC, at least to some degree.

2. Which BYU football position group needed the bye week the most?

GURNEY: I was going to state that it was the offensive line, but cheated, looked ahead, and will address recent offensive line developments with the next question. So I’m going to go with the entirety of the Cougar’s second and third team units with the focus on the second-team offense that is led by senior quarterback Treyson Bourguet. The narrative coming out of fall camp was that Bourguet has made big strides, but when given the opportunity versus Colorado State, he promptly locked in on his initial read and threw an interception. Bourguet is going to have to be much better than he was a season ago should quarterback Bear Bachmeier go down with injury.

I’ll give a second group that needs work, and that’s the backup running backs. Guys like Journee Tonga and DeVaughn Eka have impressed with their abilities to run the football, but the real test is going to come with how well each can pick up the pre-snap checks and provide blocking support for Bachmeier. LJ Martin going down with any kind of injury is always a tough prospect, and should it happen, both Tonga and Eka are going to have to be ready to fill in effectively with every running back responsibility, which involves far more than simply running the football effectively.

DICKSON: Let’s say the defensive backfield, especially the backups. We might be close to getting back to the guys who were supposed to start the season since Raider Damuni is healing up, and that’s a good thing. The Cougars are going to face some explosive offenses over the next nine weeks and all of these guys will be needed to keep pace. It was pretty disturbing that the backups gave up so much yardage so easily to Colorado State’s third string quarterback. That should NEVER happen. The backups need to be able to hold their own, not only in games but in practice as well. There was plenty of film for the DB’s to look at to see where they went wrong against the Rams. Moving forward, this kind of extra work will pay off.

3. How will the loss of right tackle Andrew Gentry affect the BYU offense?

DICKSON: BYU fans probably felt Gentry’s name was being called way too often by officials for holding or offside, but the truth is he’s an experienced road grader and leader on this offense. His presence will be difficult to replace. There’s no question the guys tabbed to replace him (Bott Mulitalo and Siosiua Latu-Finau) are talented. They’ve gotten a good number of snaps in the first three games, especially against Colorado State. The thing they can’t replace is Gentry’s experience. Mulitalo and Latu-Finau will be facing numerous situations for the first time against TCU and its very stout run defense. It’ll be a challenge for the Cougars to move the ball consistently. This may be a game where Bear Bachmeier has to take over and make more big plays.

GURNEY: Gentry’s big strength is with his run-blocking where’s he’s flat out one of the best run-blocking tackles I’ve seen play for BYU in recent years. When reviewing film one can readily witness BYU typically exploiting runs off tackle right, where Gentry, along with Kyle Sfarcioc and Trevin Ostler have regularly busted through gaping holes to run through. I know fans are excited about the prospects of Bott Mulitalo and Siosiua Latu-Finau, but they’re very much unknowns at this point. Could either of them fill in effectively? Well, sure, and given their respective recruiting credentials, both or either could provide the type of play where the offensive line production doesn’t miss a beat. But that’s not a given and BYU is now at the point where another substantial injury to an offensive tackle could prove truly debilitating.

4. How do you see Saturday’s BYU-TCU game playing out?

GURNEY: I’ve watched two of TCU’s game this season and came away feeling that it’s a team that isn’t close to playing to its potential for whatever reason. The Horned Frogs continually shots themselves in the foot last week in a loss to UCF, and should they learn to limit the mental errors then the talent should largely suffice into making Saturday’s game more competitive than most are anticipating. So yeah, I think it’s going to be a close game, and given the rainy conditions that are forecasted, and fans should probably expect a game that ends with a 20-17 BYU win, or something like that.

DICKSON: I see a little bit lower scoring game, with BYU winning maybe 24-14 or something like that. The run game will be hard to establish because TCU is pretty good on defense. The Horned Frogs offense has been inconsistent and penalties have been a problem. Still, playing at home will give TCU some added juice. I see a close game in the first half with BYU pulling away in the second. Winning on the road in the Big 12 is always tough but I see a Cougars victory here.

5. Do you have the over or the under on BYU men’s basketball winning 25 games this season?

DICKSON: Until we know if Jaxon Kohler is going to play, it’s kind of hard to say. Things are trending toward Kohler being eligible and if that’s the case, the Cougars could definitely be around the 25-win mark and I’d take the over. There’s been a real emphasis on shooting with this team and if they can make shots, the addition of Kohler makes them a Sweet 16-worthy club. It’s important to note that everyone on this roster is stepping into a new role. Even Rob Wright III, who is going from No. 2 scorer to the MAN. Can he make good decisions about when to take over and when to distribute? Can Collin Chandler go from a No. 3 or 4 option to an No. 2 or at times No. 1? Can Tyler Betsey go from part-timer to full-time starter? Lots of questions to answer and we haven’t even seen this team play together yet.

GURNEY: I’m taking the over, and like Darnell said, that’s assuming Jaxon Kohler remains eligible to play throughout the season. I really like the overall makeup of this team, and feel that Kevin Young, who is still in the learning process of what it takes to form a top college team, took a lot of notes from last season’s ultimate failure relative to expectations. I feel that Collin Chandler is due for a breakout season, much like Richie Saunders had during his junior season in Provo. So pairing the Kentucky transfer with Rob Wright in the backup should give the team a very solid foundation to build off of. So yeah, BYU will seriously contend for the Big 12 Conference crown and do some damage in the NCAA Tournament.