Five Questions With a BYU Writer Ahead of Ducks vs. Cougars
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We're a little over 24 hours away from Oregon's week three showdown against the BYU Cougars. This will be a significant test for the Ducks and Dan Lanning against one of the best teams out west.
Today we bring in CougsDaily publisher Casey Lundquist to answer five questions.
1. What are the biggest keys to a BYU win?
For BYU, I think it comes down to two things
1. Maintaining the level of defensive effort that we saw against Baylor last week. Baylor's offense was coming off a 69-point performance in the season opener, and BYU's defense felt like it had something to prove after losing to Baylor in 2021. It showed, BYU put together one of the most impressive defensive performances of the Kalani Sitake era. Baylor QB Blake Shapen looked uncomfortable from start to finish after looking flawless in week one. If BYU is going to escape Eugene with a victory, it needs to maintain that level of defensive effort.
2. Establishing at least a moderate rushing attack. BYU's offensive line bullied USF in the season opener. The Cougars ran for 312 yards as a team on 8.4 yards per carry. Baylor boasts one of the best run defenses in the country, so it was a different story in week two. BYU ran for only 2.5 yards per carry against the Bears. BYU's offense can put up points in a hurry when it finds balance. Even moderate success in the running game will open things up for BYU quarterback Jaren Hall.
READ MORE: Can Oregon contain BYU quarterback Jaren Hall?
2. What did you learn about BYU from their win over Baylor?
BYU's defense, particularly its run defense, is much better than last year, especially with a healthy stable of linebackers. Last year, BYU limped to Waco with a defense that had been decimated by injuries. Baylor made them pay, running for 303 yards on 6.4 yards per carry that day. Coming into last week, it's clear that Baylor thought they would have success on the ground again. After all, the Bears returned four of five starters along the offensive line. They insisted on running the football even when it wasn't working, running for a total of 52 times as a team. BYU's defense was stout against the run allowing only 152 rushing yards on 52 attempts, an average of 2.9 yards per carry.
3. How much of a difference do Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney make for this offense if they're able to play?
They make a really big difference for BYU's offense. When they're available, it opens up a lot for BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. They both stretch the field vertically and open things up for BYU's ground game. Puka Nacua in particular is one of the more special skill players to come through BYU in recent history. He can break off 75-yard runs like he did in the opener, but it's his ability to make catches in traffic that makes him truly special. There's no such thing as a 50/50 ball for Puka Nacua, he comes down with 70%-80% of those. That skillset coupled with Jaren Hall's downfield throwing ability makes BYU's offense difficult to stop.
LOOK: Oregon releases uniforms for BYU
4. What is the biggest challenge you think Oregon presents for BYU?
Speed. BYU matches up well against physical teams like Baylor, it remains to be seen how they will match up against a team with Oregon's speed. The Cougars have tried to add speed on the recruiting trail and for the most part, it's worked. BYU's overall team speed is much better than it was six or seven years ago. However, Oregon still has the speed advantage in this game.
5. What's something about BYU (coaching, offense, defense, special teams, big picture for the program) that you think isn't getting enough buzz heading into this game?
BYU has played a lot of Pac-12 teams since 2011 during its run as an independent team. Last year, BYU had a lot of success going 5-0 against the Pac-12. However, the Cougars haven't had a chance to see how they match up against Oregon. Over the last decade, Oregon has been the standard of success not only in the Pac-12 but out West. This is an opportunity for BYU to make its case as the Best out West after going 23-4 in its last 27 games.
READ MORE: Oregon vs. BYU score predictions
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