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The BYU Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Baylor Bears at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at McLane Stadium. Baylor will be strutting in after a win while the Cougars will be stumbling in from a loss.
There was early excitement for BYU after they claimed the game's first points last week, but it was the Boise State Broncos who ended up claiming the real prize. BYU came up short against Boise State, falling 26-17. No one had a standout game offensively for BYU, but they got scores from RB Tyler Allgeier and WR Samson Nacua. That was the first 300+ yard effort for Hall this season.
Meanwhile, the Bears' offense rose to the challenge against a West Virginia defense that boasted an average of only 18 points allowed. They were the clear victors by a 45-20 margin over the West Virginia Mountaineers. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Baylor had established a 42-13 advantage. Their QB Gerry Bohanon was on fire, passing for four TDs and 336 yards on 29 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown. Bohanon's 75-yard touchdown toss up the middle to WR Tyquan Thornton in the first quarter made for one of the most memorable moments of the day.
The Cougars are expected to lose this next one by 6.5. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
BYU and the Bears now sit at an identical 5-1. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: BYU is stumbling into the contest with the 171st most rushing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up eight on the season. Baylors have had an even harder time: they are 154th worst in the nation in rushing touchdowns allowed, with seven on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
