Tell us how this game will play out and the score. I will go first
Both teams have great run stopping defenses but BYU was dealt a major blow when our run stopper guard was injured. If Hill were playing, this would not even be a discussion. BYU would win; But Hill is done for the year and BSU will come after Magnum with all kinds of blitzes and looks. BYU will not have much of a run game but we have 3 very tall talented receivers and BSU DBs go 5’9 and 5’10. Advantage BYU.
BSU is also starting a new QB and he was underwhelming in the passing game. If BYU shuts down the run game, It may be a tough to score in bunches.
The intangibles: Our special teams are special. The kicking game seems solid.
Tanner is a great passer, if the Oline can give him the time, he will get the ball to the “Best receiving core” BYU as ever fielded.
Our suspended players are back. Nacua and Takitaki are leaders and big play makers and are sorely needed in the D field. BSU has 8 seniors returning on defense and can play with anyone but their offense is suspect. I think this will be a low scoring affair and turnovers will determine the winner.
I hope BYU wins. I don’t know what else to say. In the last few years I never know what I am going to get with BYU from one week to the next… The last couple of seasons have brought devastating injuries and in fact last year it was not only Taysom Hill there were multiple costly injuries.It was the worst rash of injuries I have ever seen in the 50+ years I have followed BYU football. I hope week one wasn’t a trend carrying over from last year.
Then we seem to have the issue of guys having difficulty with the BYU culture (code for honor code).The running back corp looked to be almost as strong as the receiver corp with Jamaal Williams coming back and the blue chip recruit Charles West. Now Williams is gone for the year due to personal reasons (I suspect honor code issues) and West may never play for BYU with all the legal trouble he has been in.
It seems like there are several players on the edge of getting the boot this year. The cornerback Davis was in trouble for some kind of charge of assault and inciting a riot and TakiTaki was suspended for theft. I am surprised he got off with only a one game suspension. Davis and TakiTaki are both defensive starters. Is it too much to ask of these guys to keep their noses clean and stay out of trouble? It is disheartening to continue to hear about BYU athletes in hot water. Even return missionaries have had issues like Hadley a few years ago. I don’t know if there are more problems with football players than in the past or if it is an issue with football players not being able to get away with things anymore due to social media or if it is just a sign of the difficult times youth are having to cope with in the 21st century.
I guess my point is I would be very upbeat about this team if it had just the normal amount of injuries and player issues rather than multiple injuries and issues with key players. Injuries are hard to control but it is seems to me players controlling themselves may be just as difficult.
I will go out on a limb and predict BYU 34-24. I think Mangum is the real deal and there won’t be nearly the growing pains with him as there was with Christian Stewart last year when Hill went down. Mangum appears poised and confident and seems to have all the tools. He also has better wheels than I thought he would have. He may be everything we thought Jake Heaps would be but he appears to be far more mobile. He is a freshman but is 22 years old and has maturity and from all reports all the tools. He tied with Jameis Winston in the elite 11 competition out of high school. I know he only played less than a full 1/4 against Nebraska but I don’t know of too many guys in their first college game, after not playing in a real game for almost 4 years, who could have done what he did. If he stays healthy I am not worried about the QB situation.
Best BYU receiving corps ever? I think Kozlowski, Bellini, Kelly Smith, and the 1000 yard plus forgotten man D Mills might have something to say about that. Koz and Bellini both stuck around the NFL awhile. But I’m really just giving you a hard time, because I love our receivers. I also loved our pass blocking vs the Blackshirts. Our running game makes me want to cover my eyes while I puke up my guacamole. Grant Hedrick is a close lifelong friend of my son’s, so I’m required to state the obvious, that Grant was awesome last year and the new BSU QB is not. Of course, our secondary made Cody Vaz of Oregon State (who is not remembered by anyone in Oregon except bitter BYU fans) look like Aaron Rodgers playing against a middle school team, and that was a GOOD BYU defense with NFL guys on it, so the new BSU guy must be licking his chops. I was very confused by our defensive strategy last Saturday: corners retreat in prevent on every play, except for WR screens, in which case they run up completely out of control and miss tackles. Before seeing your prediction, I was thinking about 24-21, so we’re in the same mindset here. I’ll go BYU 28-27.
The day before the game and 3 fans have posted something, including fish the original topic starter.
I don’t really need to comment on that so I won’t.
I am sort of in the same mindset as Aro. I just don’t know what to expect or think. There are way too many unknowns and it is like a first game of the season again.
Mangum looked very good… no he looked great considering all of the factors involved. Hasn’t played football in a couple years, FRESH off a mission, etc. but no problem for him. I do think it is rational for us to expect a few bumps along the growth curve. He will throw some picks and he will make some poor decisions but I like what I see and he has a good history coming in.
Losing the nose tackle appears to be a big deal. That is too bad for him and the defense. They looked shaky at times and still forget how to wrap up and tackle. Hopefully that will get better but that leaves a few unknowns. I thought the RB’s would do better but it was the first game so maybe they pick it up some.
I was hopeful with Anae, but he was calling plays for a seasoned veteran in Hill. I don’t know if he will do the same for Mangum. I worry about his conservative ways and lack of imagination or creativity. We will see…
Lastly, I think BYU wins because they are at home and BSU was not impressive in their win on the smurf turf. If they can stop the flashy trick plays and tackle, BYU wins by a couple touchdowns. Being ready to play at the start would be nice as well… I predict BYU - 23 BSU - 14
Well, Hawkman, good to be back. I miss the old days and the active board, but I will continue to post (football and BB season only), in hopes that the activity will pick up. I agree on Tuiloma. He is not only big, but good, a la Fangupo/borderline NFL good. I have grave concerns about our D, and I think I’m trying to be nice and open-minded about it. I still don’t know how Nebraska didn’t pin 40 or 50 on us–our DBs looked COMPLETELY overmatched (and it’s not like Nebraska has a bunch of NFL WRs), and I can’t recall a game where our linebackers had more just brutal missed tackles. I can’t get over how terrible our secondary looked, and I still can’t believe Nebraska didn’t just abandon the run completely and keep shredding us the way they did in the first half. We all know that was ugly. I knew all I needed to know about Mangum when I saw his first pass (yes, dude has a cannon and great balance throwing on the run) and saw him scramble for 10 yards (yes, just mobile enough to get the job done). I think he will be good. But between our lack of a feature back and corners that look helpless, my expectations for the season are tempered. 8-4 or 9-3 would make me very happy about our season.
I predict BYU Defense will get 2 picks, one for a Touchdown. BYU Offense will throw for over 400 yards in a wild back and forth game. In the end BYU will prove to much for Boise State and the Cougars will WIN 35-21.
GO COUGARS!
Played without 2 starters. Nacua will be a game changer along with Warner. We also get one more back our there in Takitaki. He should be in there for Preator, who I think got hurt.
I am not worried about our linebackers and for the BSU game I think the DBs will be adequate for the the job. But with 2 new QBs, how can anyone think this game is going to be a high scorer? 20s or below.
I have had a hard time with this one. I thought Mangum looked sharp and crisp in his limited play, but he doesn’t have the experience reading defenses. If we had shown a strong run game that would take pressure off of him, it would be easier. My blue goggles say that we will always win regardless, but I honestly feel we lose a close game. I can’t pick against the cougars so I am saying us by 7 with one critical 1st down made by Jonny rugby.
Sorry guys. Too many injuries for us and BSU is really good. If I had confidence in Anae I’d feel better. We will see no screens, wheel route, throwbacks, wr passes, etc, and we will lose 31-20.
Pretty good call, Steven. I came back to this site in the third qtr to see what was happening. When I read this I laughed. Who would have thunk it? They get one more pick than you said and score like you predicted, Mangum passes for over 300 yards, Hine runs for almost 100 yards and the total score is only three points of your prediction.
Now let’s read what you think for next week. Keep it going!!
Wow, Aro. Only one point off from the actual score. Amazing! I, like you, was (and am) worried about the injuries but I REALLY look forward to another week of celebration. Good job on the score prediction.
I got lucky on that one. The pick six at the end bailed me out.
I won’t even venture a prediction on the next one. After week one the press was saying the freshman qb Rosen looked like Peyton Manning and then he did very little against a bad UNLV team. He like, Mangum, apparently has all the tools. Our defense better shut down the run and put some pressure on him.