BYU Cougars Preview 2024
No, the disappointing 5-7 season wasn’t because BYU made the step up into Power Five status in its first season in the Big 12.
The program didn’t duck teams as an independent. It had plenty of layups to bump up the wins over the years, but the 2022 team that went 8-5 beat Baylor and Stanford, along with a slew of high-end Group of Five teams in Boise State, SMU, and that year, Wyoming.
The 2021 version that went 10-3 won six games against Power Fivers. The 2019 team won at Tennessee. The 2018 Cougar won at Wisconsin. But there's a difference between getting up for a few big games here and there and the constant pounding from playing a Power Five team each and every week.
That’s not why 2023 BYU lost to a mid TCU team 44-11 and couldn’t do anything offensively against Texas and and West Virginia.
The Cougar offense couldn’t convert a third down play. The defense couldn’t stop them enough, either.
There was no pass rush, the offense finished 14th in a conference called the Big 12, and the passing game was awful, and BYU was still 5-2 and had five chances to get that one more win to go bowling.
But yeah, the 2018 team went 7-6 with five wins over non-Power Five teams. The 2019 won five of those, the 2020 team won 11, 4 in 2021, and even though the schedule wasn’t bad, the 2022 team won six.
This year? Now that SMU is an ACC team - and it’s on the road - there’s two. Southern Illinois, and Wyoming - going to Laramie isn't a breeze.
But BYU had 16 winning seasons in 17 years before 2023. It can get there again if …
BYU Preview 2024: Offense
- The passing game has to get going again. Kedon Slovis could throw the ball, but the O failed to get to 200 yards through the air in six of the last seven games - he got hurt.
That’s bad, but not getting any mobility out of the quarterback doesn’t help. Baylor and USF transfer Gerry Bohanon can’t throw it like Slovis, but he can run - he’ll add something new to the Cougar attack.
- The receivers have to do a whole lot more. Leading wideout Chase Roberts is back after catching 42 passes with five scores, and Darius Lassiter came up with our touchdowns, but the big plays have to come from somewhere. Averaging 11.2 yards per grab again - the lowest since 2017 - isn’t okay. Bohanon has the arm to push it deep.
- The ground game didn’t pick up the slack. Leading rusher LJ Martin returns after running for 518 yards, and Bohanon will help the Cougars get over 3.48 yards per carry as long as the line gives him room.
The line wasn’t bad in pass protection and keeping teams out of the backfield, but it didn’t impose its will enough. It’s an experienced enough group to be okay around C Connor Pay, but the veteran depth isn’t there.
BYU Preview 2024: Defense
- There’s experience, and the hope is for a lot more health luck. Ben Bywater has the upside to be one of the best linebackers in the Big 12, but he’s coming off a shoulder injury that cut his season short.
He’s good, and pass rushing terror Jack Kelly is coming in from Weber State. As long as these two do what they’re supposed to, the rest of the D that was so mediocre last season will bounce back fast. Speaking of staying healthy …
- The secondary was never quite right last year, either. Star S Micah Harper missed all of last season after making 62 tackles in 2022. Fellow safety Talan Alfrey is back after missing most of 2023, and the corners - depending on where Jakob Robinson plays - will be fine as long as the pass rush is better.
- The line has the parts to get into the backfield. Kelly will help with that, and Tyler Batty is the do-it-all end the rest of the line will work around. The tackles might not be all that experienced, but there’s size with enough options to come up with a decent rotation.
BYU Key To The Season
Besides staying healthy, win the turnover battle.
It’s not like there were a slew of close losses - just two of the seven were by seven points or fewer - but the Cougars could never seem to pull up out of the nosedive when they didn’t win the turnover margin. That didn’t seem to matter in 2022, but it did last year.
BYU was 0-6 when turning it over multiple times and 5-1 when it didn’t. To go along with that, it was 5-3 when forcing a takeaway, and 0-4 when it didn’t. Change this and be more tight/disruptive, and it’ll be a winning season.
BYU Key Player
QB Gerry Bohanon, Sr.
The Cougar offense wasn’t quite as good as it should’ve been early on, but the team was still 5-3 when Kedon Slovis was playing. It all fell apart over the last month when he was out hurt.
If Jake Retzlaff or Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet doesn’t take over and get, it’s up to Bohanon to use his experience and playmaking ability to revamp the attack.
BYU Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Jack Kelly, EDGE
The 6-2, 235-pound edge rusher can work as an outside linebacker, a defensive end, or as the Rover in the BYU system. At Weber State last season he dominated with 10.5 sacks, and now he should boost the Big 12’s worst pass rush.
Top Transfer Out: Danny Saili, DT
BYU didn’t really have any big losses through the transfer portal, but it did lose a BIG prospect … sorry about that, really. Saili was supposed to come in as a 6-2, 355-pound run stuffing prospect from the JUCO ranks, and he went right out to be a part of the Arkansas line.
BYU Key Game
Kansas State, Sept. 21
The Cougars didn’t play the Wildcats last year, and haven’t played them since winning the 1997 Cotton Bowl. This year it’s the Big 12 opener, and it’s a chance for BYU to establish its conference dominance at home.
BYU 10 Best Players
1. Tyler Batty, DE Sr.
2. Ben Bywater, LB Sr.
3. Jakob Robinson, CB Sr.
4. Micah Harper, S Jr.
5. Gerry Bohanon, QB Sr.
6. Connor Pay, C Sr.
7. Jack Kelly, EDGE Sr.
8. Darius Lassiter, WR Sr.
9. LJ Martin, RB Soph.
10. Will Ferrin, PK Jr.
BYU 2023 Fun Stats
- 3rd Down Conversions: Opponents 78-of-173 (45%), BYU 45-of-158 (28%)
- Sacks: Opponents 19 for 139 yards, BYU 11 for 105 yards
- Penalties: Opponents 89 for 732 yards, BYU 64 for 516 yards
BYU 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
Can the Cougars stay healthy? Can they get more production out of the lines? Can the offense get more production out of … everything?
Not sure, probably, and yeah, but it’s not going to be easy with road dates at SMU and Wyoming both dangerous early on, and the Big 12 season doesn’t have a sure-thing win ever - with the possible exception of the regular season finale against Houston.
It doesn’t help to miss Cincinnati, Colorado, and TCU, but not playing Iowa State, Texas Tech and West Virginia helps.
No, there isn’t a game on the slate the Cougars can’t win considering three of the toughest battles - Kansas State, Arizona, and Oklahoma State - are at home, and the date at Utah is one of those rivalry moments that could defy any and all analysis.
They’ll win enough of the 50/50 games to go bowling, but it’ll be a fight.
Set The BYU Win Total At … 6
Likely Wins: Houston, Southern Illinois
50/50 Games: Arizona, at Baylor, at Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, at SMU, at UCF, at Wyoming
Likely Losses: at Utah
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