WVU vs. BYU Predictions: Run Defense, Turnover Margin, & Bear Trap

The BYU Cougars are heavily favored against West Virginia, but as always, there are a few things that happen within the game that dictate the outcome. Jed Drenning and I looked at three specific areas and made predictions on what we think will happen on this morning's episode of In the Gun.

Will BYU run for 200+ yards?

Schuyler: I’m going to go no, they don’t. I think it’s going to be a pretty balanced attack. I think Bear Bachmeier is going to do his thing, and I think after the last two weeks, Zac Alley is going to have some answers and get this team ready to go. I don’t think that we’re going to see three straight performances like that against the run. They could maybe push that number, but getting over two bills three straight weeks against this unit, I can’t see it happening, as good as BYU has been.

Jed: I’m going to say no as well. I just have to believe that the tackling will improve. If the tackling improves, everything else kind of falls into place because it’s not like we’re missing a ton of run fits or MAs. It’s just technical stuff. It’s old school, get them to the ground. That’s something that’s been worked on, addressed.

BYU’s Bear Bachmeier is one of five P4 starting QBs to not throw an interception yet. Does WVU pick him off tonight?

Schuyler: I want to go, yes, because I think what Zac can do is confuse quarterbacks, especially young guys. I just can’t see it happening this week. As you mentioned in the preview, the coordinator does a pretty good job of putting him in good situations.

Jed: I like your thinking. That zero, to me, is misleading. He has put the football in harm’s way and toyed with fire. He has gotten away with some. There are ways to confuse him. I understand that Aaron Roderick, their o-coordinator, is going to do all he can to gameplan around us, confusing him. I just think there might be some circumstances in which we do, and we get that quick look, and he gets off that quick look, and that’s when he becomes the freshman. I think we might be able to get one.

BYU is toward the top in the Big 12 in turnover margin; WVU is near the bottom. What happens in the turnover margin in this game?

Schuyler: I’ll go with BYU favored, I guess, because I don’t have West Virginia picking off Bachmeier. And I think with the nine turnovers for West Virginia… I mean, you had the fumble issues against Robert Morris, you had Scotty Fox making two freshman mistakes. But if Khalil Wilkins starts and plays, you run the risk of that happening again. Yeah, I’ll lean with BYU here.

Jed: I’ll say yes. I’ll be different. The nature of nine turnovers, well, that’s easy to say, it’s because you’re playing four quarterbacks, or there’s no continuity on offense. That’s in part true, but there have been aberrations like the Robert Morris game, and you mentioned the Scotty Fox two-play sequence — just unusual things happening in clusters that have driven that number up higher than it should be.

Will BYU run for 200+ yards?

BYU’s Bear Bachmeier is one of five P4 starting QBs to not throw an interception yet. Does WVU pick him off tonight?

BYU is toward the top in the Big 12 in turnover margin; WVU is near the bottom. What happens in the turnover margin in this game?

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