Kedon Slovis passes (Photo by BYU Athletics)
Kansas
Coach Sitake knew the problems of this one in the immediately following press conference. He talked about how huge two defensive scores for Kansas were. The big hit on Parker Kingston got BYU behind early and the missed call would never really be overcome.
If this had been called properly, it would have given BYU a 15-yard first down and wiped away a Kansas touchdown and a Kansas interception in the second half because the defender would have been ejected had the call been made correctly.
Despite this, BYU had plenty of chances in this game on both sides of the ball. Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter led the way on the offense and Ben Bywater did once again on the defense. Kedon Slovis worked hard, but as Coach Sitake noted, BYU playing from behind hurt their offense. It was already tough to run and get behind and Kansas’ use of the clock made it nearly impossible. This also allowed the Jayhawks to focus more of their defense on the pass with no need to stay balanced.
Credit the Kansas Jayhawks though. What BYU struggled with, the Jayhawks excelled at. They were efficient in the passing game and strong in the running game. They didn’t turn the ball over either. Their quarterback Jalon Daniels is an elite player and Lance Leipold is just as an elite coach. The Jayhawks take on top-five Texas next and while Texas should win, a Kansas upset would not surprise me at all.
BYU Bounce Back
The Cougars will work hard to put this one behind them as their Big 12 home opener comes up on Friday. They get another new Big 12 team in the Cincinnati Bearcats. UC is 2-2 but they are a capable yet desperate team. They beat rival Pitt but lost to rival Miami (OH) (who could be MAC Champions this year) and lost to Oklahoma. Despite their record, the Bearcats are still a good and threatening team.
With quarterback Emory Jones, Cincinnati shows flashes of great play. They move the football well but struggle to score when they get in range. As a Cincinnati native, I can tell you that they have plenty of talent, and really just seems like if they can just get some traction they can compete with anyone in the Big 12.
While they are a talented team, they are a team that BYU should defeat. Talented quarterbacks Brett Gabbert and Dillon Gabriel both had some success against the UC defense so Slovis and his receivers should as well. Most importantly, L.J. Martin and the running game should be able to get moving against Scott Satterfield’s defense.
BYU’s Schedule
The remainder of the season for the Cougars isn’t easy but is manageable. Coach Sitake has said this team has the talent and that their problems are fixable and I couldn’t agree with him more. This isn’t a team that is going to be severely overmatched. They are a team that never quits and who has an opportunity to make their mark on the Big 12 in their first season there.
They should defeat Cincinnati on Friday. Going to TCU the week after that will be a little more difficult, but a game the Cougars should compete in. Welcoming Texas Tech to Provo after that should also be a win with the season the Red Raiders are having at the moment. Going to Texas the next week looks like a tough outing and would be a massive upset if BYU could defeat the Longhorns. Then a road trip to West Virginia, another tough place to play but another winnable game. Followed by a home stand against Iowa State, a good team that’s struggling, and Oklahoma, another college football titan. Finally, a home game against Oklahoma State. BYU should finish no worse than 7-5 and a bowl game.
Final Quarter
I loved Coach Sitake’s perspective ahead of this game. He crushed it in the media availability above. I love to hear the players leadership has a sense of urgency but not panic. He talked about taking shots with Kedon Slovis and the receivers and I love it. This BYU team has showed in the past two games that momentum is huge for them and shots help tremendously with momentum.
BYU will be wearing their best uniforms on Friday with the Royal Rush. I love the all royal blue for the Cougars. It is truly their best uniform combination of all time. I’m with this team and still excited for what they can do this season!
