All eyes on BYU’s run game heading into season opener (plus weekly predictions)

Can they pound it?

Will there be a physicality that is on display and readily felt by opponents?

Just how big of an impact has the hire of line coach TJ Woods had on BYU’s offense? And if the offensive line on a football team is a measure of how a season will go, how will the Cougar road graders, the first line of attack, fare?

There are many facets of BYU’s opener against Southern Illinois that pique interest in light of the Cougars’ five-win season a year ago.

None weigh heavier than the highly anticipated revelation as to whether the team’s offensive line and run game have improved.

It was only a year ago that BYU opened up against Sam Houston and eked out a ho-hum 14-0 win . The next week, the Cougar offense scored more than 40 in the expected blowout win over Southern Utah University, but the same feature — a lack of dominating push by the offensive line — was on full display.

That day, BYU rushed for just 46 yards.

That prompted SUU coach Delane Fitzgerald to utter a painful truth on his weekly radio show a few days later.

Basically, Fitzgerald said BYU’s offensive line and run game weren’t scary or a threat.

He had no respect for BYU’s offensive line. They were shadow dancers.

“BYU’s inability to run the football on us on Saturday is a combination of us being good and them not being where they are supposed to be,” Fitzgerald said on his coach’s show .

“I worry about them a little bit in the Big 12 with that offensive line. But because of that, they started standing there and throwing the football and we got outclassed in the secondary.”

Ouch.

The onus of this offseason has been on Woods, a veteran coach brought in by head coach Kalani Sitake to specifically elevate the offensive line. With experience in Big Ten territory and coaching roots at Utah State, Woods arrived with his notebook filled with ideas of how to teach, motivate, encourage, push and elevate players.

It takes more than just yelling — something his predecessor did a lot of with little impact, as shown by last season’s production, one of the worst run offenses in the country.

SUU transfer tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase is a 6-foot-3, 255-pound athlete from Mountain View High in Mesa, Arizona — home of a lot of former Cougars, including QB John Beck and defensive end Todd Shell.

Ta’ase will join other tight ends to help shore up BYU’s upfront blocking execution with the linemen.

“We’ve improved on everything,” Ta’ase said of BYU’s offense.

“We started with the run and that’s made our passing game better”

Ta’ase agreed that BYU’s failings up front led to an intense amount of scrutiny and work in the offseason in Provo.

“It’s had everything to do with our offseason and preparation for training camp.”

Ta’ase believes Southern Illinois will be a good test on Saturday because of a front seven with “high motors” and can move around, use speed and make plays.

There’s been a theme for Aaron Roderick’s offensive players this fall. They were beat up last year. That was embarrassing. That led to hunger to prove themselves.

“Humble, but confident” is how Ta’ase put it.

This week’s picks

• TCU 28, Stanford 21
• Georgia 31, Clemson 21
• Penn State 27, West Virginia 21
• Washington State 34, Portland State 7
• Texas 42, Colorado State 10
• Miami 21, Florida 17
• Boise State 27, Georgia Southern 21
• Kansas State 38, UT Martin 9
• Baylor 38, Tarleton State 10
• Houston 31, UNLV 17
• Oregon 44, Idaho 7
• Notre Dame 34, Texas A&M 28
• UCLA 28, Hawaii 24
• Utah State 24, Robert Morris 17
• Arizona 38, New Mexico 17
• Arizona State 27, Wyoming 21
• Washington 42, Weber State 9
• BYU 38, Southern Illinois 14