College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the BYU Cougars season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– BYU Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 7-6
Head Coach: Kalani Sitake, 5th year, 27-25
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 71
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 34
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 73
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense was really, really good against the okay to bad teams, and it was really, really just okay against everyone else. The Cougars averaged 444 yards and 28.5 points per game overall. They failed to hit 360 yards against Utah, Tennessee, Washington and Boise State, and they hit 400 or more against everyone else including USC.
This year’s offense is full of good veterans for an attack that should be even better, and when it’s not, it should still be able to come through in key moments like it did in the win over the Vols and Broncos.
– Zach Wilson didn’t explode like many hoped he would – Thring for 2,382 yards and 11 scores and nine picks – and he ran for 167 yards and three scores. The 6-3, 2101-pounder is accurate, he’s not afraid to take shots, and now he has two years under his belt.
The backup situation is terrific with Baylor Romney – who threw seven TD passes and two picks – and Jaren Hall good enough to step in if needed. Both were fine when they got their chances.
If Matt Bushman isn’t the best tight end in the country, he’s not terribly far off. The 6-5, 240-pounder led the team with 688 yards and four scores on 47 grabs, but the top three wide receivers are gone.
Gunner Romney is a solid junior who caught 31 passes, and Dax Milne made 21 grabs for 285 yards and two scores. The rest of the parts have to fill in, with 604, 215-pound Neil Pau’u the linked No. 3 guy.
– All five starters are expected back on a line, but there should be some big fights among a group that was fine, but wasn’t dominant. There’s depth, and there are plenty of options. 6-6, 300-pound junior Brady Christensen is a keeper at left tackle, and junior James Empey has established himself the main man at center.
It would be nice if a No. 1 rusher could rise up. Sophomore Sione Finau is back after leading the way with just 359 yards, but he’s likely going to be a part of a rotation around Utah transfer Devontae Henry-Cole. Running back by committee wouldn’t be a horrible thing here.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know
– There defense was okay, but it was hardly the rock – especially against the run – that it was in 2018. The pass rush wasn’t there and the secondary was spotty, but it was young group that went through the growing pains – 14 of the top 16 tackles are expected to be back.
– The linebacking corps should be one of the team’s biggest strengths. Leading tackler Kavika Fonua is back in the middle coming off an 83-tackle season, but the 6-0, 205-pounder is built like a safety. So is third-leading tackler Isaiah Kaufusi on the outside, but 6-3, 235-pound sophomore Payton Wilgar is a thumper on the inside.
This is a DEEP group that can easily get creative with the alignments – leading tackler-for-loss guy Chaz Ah You has to be on the field.
The defensive line has plenty of options to be fine, but the pass rushers have to emerge around 6-4, 321-pound Khyiris Tonga on the nose. No one came up with more than two sacks, and that means senior Uriah Leiataua needs to rise up on the outside, and 6-4, 305-pound Lorenzo Fauatea has to be more active at his tackle spot.
– The defense has a whole lot of depth, experience and talent among the front seven, and the secondary has that, too. It just has to do a little work.
The situation is hardly a problem, though, with 6-2, 200-pound Zayne Anderson back somewhere – either safety or linebacker – after being in-and-out of the mix over the last two years.
D’Angelo Mandel is a veteran corner on one side, and 6-2, 195-pound Chris Wilcox is back after missing almost all of last year to potentially take over on the other. Getting back Isiah Herron – who flirted with the transfer portal – is a help.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top BYU Cougars Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top BYU Cougars Players
Best BYU Cougars Offensive Player
TE Matt Bushman, Sr.
The offensive line has several good options, QB Zach Wilson has the upside to be special, and the hope is for a top running back or wideout to step up. But it’s the tight end who’s the star.
The 6-4, 245-pounder has the right size, the right hands, and the right athleticism to be exactly what you want in a tight end. He’s able to stretch the field a bit, and he’s good as a go-to guy with a team-high 688 yards with 47 catches and four scores.
2. OT Brady Christensen, Jr.
3. QB Zach Wilson, Jr.
4. C James Empey, Jr.
5. OG Tristen Hoge, Sr.
Best BYU Cougars Defensive Player
DT Khyiris Tonga, Sr.
The Cougars are loaded at linebacker, and they have several good parts on the line and secondary to make the D better, but it all works around the 6-4, 321-pound NFL-caliber body for the interior.
Athletic for his size, he’s tough enough to hold up for 45 tackles, but he doesn’t get into the backfield all that often – that’s not his job. It’s fine – he’s a true anchor.
2. LB Kavika Fonua, Sr.
3. S/LB Zayne Anderson, Sr.
4. LB Isaiah Kaufusi, Sr.
5. LB Chaz Ah-You, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The BYU Cougars Offense
The running game has to get better. There isn’t a sure-thing superstar running back to work around, but there’s a deep group to keep everyone healthy and moving – at least if one doesn’t emerge.
Throw in the mobility of QB Zach Wilson and a line loaded with experienced and depth, and being better than 159 rushing yards per game is a must.
More than that, it’s about being effective. The rushing attack was great late in the year against Idaho State, UMass, Hawaii and Utah State, but it didn’t go anywhere against Utah, Washington or Boise State.
Biggest Key To The BYU Cougars Defense
Will the pass rush ever show up under this coaching staff? The D under head man Kalani Sitake and defensive coordinator Ilasia Tuiaki has been good, but it hasn’t always been special at getting into the backfield.
The D before this coaching staff generated 40 sacks and 98 tackles for loss. Last year’s defense came up with 17 sacks and 61 tackles for loss.
There are way too many good players to let that happen again – four Cougars tied for the team sack lead with just two.
How bad was the pass rush? Five of the sacks came in the Hawaii Bowl loss to Hawaii, and two others came in the regular season finale against San Diego State. that means ten of the sacks were spread out among the other 11 games with five games without any sacks.
Again, that can’t happen again – not with this group.
Key BYU Cougars Player To A Successful Season
WR Gunner Romney, Jr.
The Cougars could use a dangerous wide receiver to go along with TE Matt Bushman to make the O go.
The running game might be a bit spotty again, but the defense should be better, and QB Zach Wilson will likely be more dangerous. With the top three wide receivers gone, though, someone has to take over the No. 1 role.
There are plenty of options, but the 6-3, 215-pound Romney has the experience as the leading returning wideout – catching 31 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns – to grow into the job.
Key Game To The BYU Cougars Season
at Boise State, Nov. 7
At the moment, who’s BYU going to play?
It’s possible it’ll figure out a date with Notre Dame, and there’s a whole lot of creativity about to kick in, but the Boise State game should stick.
Last year was a fun game – a 28-25 BYU win – even though the star quarterbacks on both sides didn’t go. This year, it might be the biggest game of the Cougar season, and it would’ve been huge even if the five Group of Five games were still on the table.
– BYU Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 BYU Fun Stats
– 4th Quarter Scoring: Opponents 100 – BYU 39
– Fumbles: BYU 15 (lost 10) – Opponents 13 (lost 7)
– Rushing TDs: BYU 25 – Opponents 14
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: BYU Cougars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Well this is going to be interesting.
BYU has a better team than the 7-6 version of last year, and it’s possible it has the best team yet in the five-year Kalani Sitake era.
Now who’s it going to play?
It loses the dates against Utah, Michigan State, Arizona State, Minnesota and Stanford. That stinks, but that’s life as an independent.
The Mountain West might open up its arms for BYU to grab the TV audience and the national attention, and other independents – Notre Dame? Please? – should be interested. But if the season is able to go on, let’s worry about that later.
BYU has the quarterback, it has the lines, it has the linebacking corps, and it has the kicker in all-around talent Jake Oldroyd. In Year Five, this is the season when it’s all set up to kick in for Sitake and his program, but …
It’s life as an independent.
There’s enough depth and youth in place that 2021 can be great, too. But first, if the Cougars get to a chance to play at least a ten-game season, they’re going to come up with something big.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
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