Q & A: BYU vs. UH

Who are we? The Cougars! Who are we going to beat? The Cougars! (In the original Simpsons episode, the teams were both named the Wildcats; still, the joke works.) Here are Brad's questions and my answers regarding this week's game.

Q: BYU is 29th in the nation in yards per game which is great but only 70th in points per game. Why? What does BYU need to do differently to score?

A: The most telling stat for this discrepancy is BYU's red zone offense. In 26 trips to the red zone, BYU has only scored 12 touchdowns. On the other 14 drives that made it to the red zone, the Cougars have kicked 9 chip shot field goals and turned the ball over 5 times. They are leaving a lot of points on the board. Even against Texas, which has been their most explosive offensive performance thus far, BYU's offense had to settle for four field goals after cracking Texas' 20 yard line. While field goals are obviously better than turnovers, they often represent missed opportunities.

In terms of what needs to be different, it again all comes down to the offensive line and Taysom Hill's accuracy. The closer you get to the goal line, the more teams are going to focus on stacking the box and tightening up the field. If BYU decides to pass, Hill needs to be decisive and on the money with his throws. He has been getting better and better at this but is still a work in progress. In order for Hill to make good throws, he needs a good pocket to throw from. This year's o-line has had a hard time providing him with any room and windows to throw through. If BYU decides to run, they need the line to get a better push up front. Otherwise, BYU will continue to struggle in the red zone.

I'm not sure who this 'Spirit' guy is but maybe he laid down a good block for Hoffman? Courtesy Deseret News.

Q: How is BYU going to slow down an offense that doesn't rely on their run game to win?

A: On the season, Houston is averaging almost 78 offensive plays per game. So far, they run the ball just over 50% of the time. This number is a little skewed because they have run the ball often late in blowouts against weak competition. Still, the numbers suggest that this is a balanced offensive attack. But, as is the norm at Houston, they like to throw the ball, a lot. Houston is averaging 288 yards a game through the air (good for 27th in the nation).  BYU's opponents have only thrown for over 200 yards in 3 of 6 games in 2013. The two teams with the most success against BYU's secondary have been Texas and Utah (313 yards and 273 yards respectively). Both teams scored only 20 against the Cougars.

Houston's John O'Korn. Courtesy Deseret News.

I think the reason BYU has had success against the pass is mostly due to their front 7. The cornerbacks have not been superb and have been burned a few times for big plays. If Houston's QB O'Korn has time to throw downfield, it could be trouble for the Cougars in blue. However, he is a Freshman and if BYU's front 7 can continually put pressure on him and hit him I think he might start to get happy feet as other quarterbacks have when the big boys have laid the wood on them. O'Korn has been very successful thus far but I guarantee he has not taken a hit like the ones Kyle Van Noy has been delivering all year. I think Bronco will dial up blitzes early and often in an attempt to rattle the young QB.

Q: 3 things BYU needs to do to win (other than score more points)?

A: 1- BYU needs to get to the QB. Against a quality passing team, BYU needs to get to the QB early and often. Thus far, the Cougars are 90th in the nation in sacks. That number needs to go up and even if we don't register sacks, we still need to hit the QB and make him pay for standing in the pocket. Again, this will help the secondary tremendously.

2- Ball security. Through six games, BYU has 11 turnovers on offense. This leaves them at -3 turnover margin for the season. Houston is leading the nation in turnover margin and has caused the 3rd most turnovers overall. Against an opportunistic defense, the Y needs to hold onto the ball and not put the defense against the wall.

3- Win in the trenches. On defense, BYU's line has won almost all (if not all) battles against opponents' offensive line. However, the opposite is true for the Cougars' offensive line. Other than the Texas game, BYU's o-line has failed to protect Hill in the passing game or gotten any real push for the running backs. For BYU to beat quality opponents, this needs to change.

Q: Who wins and why?

A: BYU wins. The reason is pretty simple: they are the better, more physical team. Houston has yet to play an even decent team (unless you count Rice...which I don't). I think they will be caught off guard by the sheer physicality of the Y's defense and the speed of the game. While Houston's defense is only giving up 19 points a game, they have been essentially playing high school teams. 

BYU wins pretty easily 31-14. 

As a side note, this will be the first BYU game I will have seen in person since the 2010 season. According to John Foggerty, "if you're ever in Houston! You'd better do right. You'd better not gamble! Ya'd better not fight! Ah, the sheriff will grab ya! And his boys will bring ya down! The next thing you know, boy, you're prison bound!"