BYU hits the road to face a tough Arizona Wildcats team, while the Utes host ASU.
The moment is big for both Utah and BYU this Saturday when the Utes host No. 21 Arizona State and the Cougars travel to Tucson to take on Arizona.
Two wins and these two rivals stay on track for rankings, a possible Big 12 championship game berth, and a nice picture frame around the impending rivalry game the following week at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Lose, and it’s a lot of angst. The Utes would have two league losses, and No. 18 BYU would likely drop out of the AP rankings.
ASU and Arizona should give Utah and BYU all they can handle, but with all due respect to the Sun Devils and Wildcats, Utah and BYU have the defensive moxie to put the kibosh on these desert aspirants.
ASU at Utah
Morgan Scalley would have had his hands full with ASU’s QB Sam Leavitt, but caught a break with the announcement Thursday that Leavitt was “doubtful” for Saturday’s game. Friday afternoon, reports surfaced that Leavitt will in fact be unavailable for Saturday’s late-night showdown. Not having to deal with Leavitt’s elite arm and scrambling ability should be a relief for the Utes.
Leavitt’s replacement will be senior Jeff Sims, a sixth-year senior who has played at both Georgia Tech and Nebraska. ASU’s offensive game plan will not change with Sims.
What ASU could struggle with is giving its offense enough chances without Leavitt’s dynamics. Not only is Utah’s defense capable, but the Ute offense leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game and Devon Dampier is a good enough passer for the Utes to control the ball with long drives and frustrate the visitors.
At least that’s a theory.
If Utah can score first and force ASU to keep up with them, it will go a long way in beating the Sun Devils.
Utah leads the Big 12 in running the ball, averaging 242.6 yards a game. Ball control will play a huge part in this game. Look for time of possession and chunk plays to make the difference, aside from the all-important turnover factor.
Kyle Whittingham has not won a Big 12 game in Rice-Eccles Stadium, but he does have an impressive record against Arizona State. He is 6-3 over ASU in the last 10 years with an average score of 31-20.
ASU remains the Big 12 defending champion and for the past two seasons, the Sun Devils seem to have a penchant for making huge plays at the right time.
“If you want to win the conference, you’ve got to stand toe to toe with the big boys and come away with wins,” Whittingham told reporters at his weekly press conference. “That’s the bottom line.”
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters this week that he has great respect for Whittingham and has used the Ute veteran coach as a blueprint for his Sun Devils.
“The culture that he’s established there is elite ... We’re not playing a football team, we’re playing a football program. Those are the hardest teams to beat,” said Dillingham.
BYU at Arizona
The Wildcats have the third-best defense in the league behind No. 1 BYU and No. 2 Texas Tech. Arizona’s defense will be the best BYU and its freshman QB Bear Bachmeier have faced all season.
Arizona is the only FBS defense not to allow a touchdown pass all season.
Expect Bachmeier to be pressured and chased in this game. His ability to process fast will be tested Saturday night. Fortunately, like Utah, BYU can run the football and ranks just behind the Utes (242.6 yards per game to 234.0 ypg) in rushing offense.
This season, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has received high praise from Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill for his game management and ability to put his defense in good situations. Roderick would say the same about Hill’s defense, which leads the Big 12 in total defense for the second season in a row.
In yards per carry, Texas Tech leads the Big 12, allowing just 2.3 yards. ASU is second, allowing 2.6, followed by BYU at 2.8 and Utah at 3.0. This weekend, we’ll see this statistic tested with three of the four best defenses against the run in these two games. Arizona ranks No. 3 in the league in total defense.
BYU’s defense will need to force turnovers and throw quarterback Noah Fifita off balance, interrupting his timing with pressure. This effort needs BYU’s defense to bottle up the Arizona run game, as has been the case most of this season.
Arizona’s only loss is on the road at Iowa State, a team that boasted a stiff defense before injuries took their toll in September. For the Wildcats, BYU’s defense will be the best Noah and Company have faced this season. In other words, this will be a defensive faceoff for both teams in Tucson. Turnovers and takeaways will be huge.
While BYU may be without defensive leader linebacker Jack Kelly, Arizona will be without its best defensive lineman, rush end Tre Smith, who is out for the season.
This week’s predictions
- UNLV 37, Air Force 17
- Hawaii 33, Utah State 27
- TCU 28, Kansas State 21
- Houston 31, Oklahoma State 27
- Cincinnati 34, UCF 24
- LSU 42, South Carolina 21
- Michigan 28, USC 21
- Georgia 27, Auburn 24
- Texas Tech 37, Kansas 28
- Tennessee 34, Arkansas 21
- Iowa State 24, Colorado 21
- Oklahoma 28, Texas 24
- Oregon 42, Indiana 34
- Alabama 27, Missouri 24
- Ohio State 34, Illinois 31
- Utah 27, Arizona State 17
- BYU 24, Arizona 21
Last week, 15-1; overall, 79-19 (.806)
Category: General Sports
