UCF Football: Looking at 2 Future Big XII Opponents
The UCF Knights have their own task at hand on Friday night. The Louisville Cardinals come to Orlando to face off once again. It’s going to be a great matchup for anyone that watches on television/streams or comes out to see the game live.
Starting in 2023, however, the Knights move to the Big XII. Here's a preview of a game featuring two future Big XII opponents that display the variety of styles and talent that UCF will be going against for years to come.
#9 Baylor @ #21 BYU
There are a few interesting notes to begin with. BYU, like UCF, joins the Big XII in 2023. Baylor has been a part of the league since 1996 and is a mainstay moving forward. Also, head coach Dave Aranda helped the Bears win the Big XII title last season.
It’s ironic that the two schools had a game scheduled one year before the Cougars were joining the Big XII. Call it a warm up game, if one will.
Baylor Defense
This defense is unique. They operate out of the 3-4 and utilize one of the most powerful players in all of college football with nose tackle Siaki Ika. “Listed” at 6-foot-4 and 358 pounds by the Baylor athletic department, his weight might be higher than that. He’s a difference maker regardless.
Siaki Ika is one of the most difficult college football players to block one-on-one.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
If a person watches this game, pay particular attention to how the defensive line attempts to occupy the offensive linemen in an effort to allow the linebackers and secondary members to flow to the football.
Baylor has speed and a solid amount of length. It’s a disciplined group, too. Until otherwise proven, Baylor’s defense is the standard in the Big XII.
It’s also one that UCF and every other new member will need to find a way to figure out if they are to contend for Big XII titles in the future. As for the game at BYU, there’s a basic question that must be asked first.
Can the Cougars find a way to run the football against Ika and the vaunted Baylor front line?
Baylor Offense
It’s a new player behind center, as Blake Shapen has taken over in Waco. He’s efficient; calculated. In fact, Shapen is much like many Big XII signal callers before him. Make a mistake on defense, he exploits that mistake.
With nine different Bears catching passes during their first game, as well as Shapen going 17 of 20 for 214 yards and two touchdowns, BYU’s defense will be challenged to slow down the Baylor passing game.
The running back room has multiple players that can make plays, including four separate running backs that went over 40 yards during Game 1. Look for the Bears to spread the football around and make BYU play in space.
BYU Defense
Like their head coach Kalani Sitake, the BYU defense is scrappy. They hustle and play physical football. There may not be a particular player that stands out, but paying attention to how fundamentally sound this team is holds value for anyone watching the game.
If there is a star, it might be linebacker Ben Bywater. He had a 102 tackles last season and registered five stops during BYU's 50-21 win over USF.
BYU Offense
Running back Christopher Brooks is an anomaly with regards to size. The 6-foot-1 and 230-pound running back is a downhill power player that rushed 13 times for 135 yards and a touchdown last week.
It’s the spread era, but Brooks could fit into the 1980s college football era quite well with his ability to pound the football between the tackles. If he can establish the run during the early portion of the contest, it will allow BYU’s quarterback play to have more chances for success.
Jaren Hall is an underrated quarterback for the Cougars. The fifth-year senior threw for 2,583 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions last season. He started hot with 261 yards, two touchdowns and one interception during Week 1 action.
Hall threw to several different players, much like Shapen, during the first game for the Cougars. If he is to lead BYU to a win over a talented Baylor team, there must be a commitment to keep Baylor’s defense off balance with misdirection running and passing plays. Do not discount some early-game “trickeration” either.
BYU’s history as a passing program could see a reverse pass, flea flicker or other unusual passing play in an effort to gain an easy touchdown.
What to Watch for
The size of Baylor. It’s a big football team that will not be over powered easily. One that can bang with some of the best teams in college football, in fact. UCF likes to play physical football and understanding where Baylor is right now will aid Knights fans in knowing what’s coming down the line.
As for BYU, expect a well disciplined squad that fill fight tooth and nail to win. It’s a program that should receive more respect than it does.
Bonus: the scenery around the BYU campus. It’s incredible.
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