Game Day Primer: Week 1 at Navy
Giving you all the game day material on the Cougars you never knew you needed
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Today is game day for BYU football. The Cougars are in Annapolis, MD to face the Naval Academy tonight in a primetime contest at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on ESPN. It feels like getting to today has taken ages, but nonetheless it’s here and I am here to give you all of the insight, expertise and knowledge that I can dispense upon you ahead of tonight’s game.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
As you’re well aware, BYU will start Zach Wilson at quarterback tonight. You’ll also note that his top offensive weapon, Matt Bushman, is out for the season. It remains to be seen how the Cougars will adjust & account for the lost production of Bushman, but it will be a group effort.
Expect to see a combination of Isaac Rex, Masen Wake, Carter Wheat and Lane Lunt fill in for Bushman at tight end. The wide receiver corps tonight is long on potential, but short on production with Dax Milne, Gunner Romney and Neil Pau’u the presumed starters and Chris Jackson, Keanu Hill and Brayden Cosper backing them up. A note that highly-touted freshman receiver Kody Epps did not make the trip to Annapolis due to an injury suffered in practice last week.
The Cougars offensive line will be a key in this game as the Cougars will need to control the time of possession as much as they can. Navy’s felxbone scheme is geared towards ball control and running the ball effectively will be a big key if the Cougars prevail. Your starters on the line are expected to be as the depth chart released last week indicated:
LT - Brady Christensen, Harris LaChance
LG - Clark Barrington, Keiffer Longson
C - James Empey, Joe Tukuafu
RG - Tristen Hoge, Connor Pay
RT - Chandon Herring, Blake Freeland
Additionally, BYU has traveled extra lineman for this game including former Utah transfer Mo Unutoa. Keep an eye on Blake Freeland as he could play in certain scenarios and packages as a tight end tonight, much like BYU has done in the past with undersized linemen like J.J. Nwigwe and Addison Pulsipher.
At running back, it appears the Cougars will feature two backs in Lopini Katoa and Tyler Allgeier. As fall camp progressed those two separated themselves from the rest of the backs on the roster. The hope was that junior college transfer Hinckley Ropati would be able to serve as a capable third option, but he suffered a knee injury that ended his season prematurely. Should BYU need to turn to a third option, that should be Jackson McChesney for tonight’s game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Navy’s option-attack on offense will be tough for the Cougars to contain completely. The Midshipmen are annually a top-five rushing offense in the country and holding them to anything less than 300 yards in a game is an accomplishment. Expect to see BYU utilize different defensive fronts in an effort to confuse Navy’s offensive line with both three-and-four-man fronts.
Khyiris Tonga will be the key for BYU in the middle of the defensive line. The Cougars will need him to channel what he did against USC last year, when he routinely was in the opposing backfield and disrupting everything going on. Guys like Lorenzo Fauatea will also need to be stout on the interior while Bracken El-Bakri and Zac Dawe will be key at defensive end, especially in three-man fronts to clog up and lock down Navy’s fullbacks on the dive.
Fall camp sensation Alden Tofa will have a lighter load in tonight’s game, but expect to see him, Tyler Batty and Fisher Jackson in spots where Navy may look to pass. If the Cougars get up early in this game, the role of the opposite end that the three play will become more important if Navy feels they need to throw the ball more to get back into the game.
BYU’s linebackers appear to be will established and regardless of how many hybrid positions the Cougars list on their depth chart (shout-out to CINCO, JACK, ROVER etc.), there will be a emphasis on having bigger backers on the field to help contain Navy. Expect to see Keenan Pili, Payton Wilgar, Isaiah Kaufusi and Navy transfer Pepe Tanuvasa in heavy rotation along with key backups in Max Tooley, Ben Bywater and Drew Jensen. Kavika Fonua will also have a key role as he’s listed to start at NICKEL which will require him to play run and defend play-action passes against Navy slotbacks.
BYU’s secondary entering this game is, to be succinct, banged up. The starters in tonight’s game are a good frontline which is expected to feature Troy Warner and Keenan Ellis at cornerback with Chaz Ah You and Zayne Anderson at safety. Behind them is a mixture of walk-ons consisting of Hayden Livingston, Shamon Willis and Caleb Christensen at corner and Jared Kapsi, Tevita Gagnier and Matt Criddle at safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Not many surprises to be had on special teams for the Cougars, but the coaching staff is very high on freshman punter Ryan Rehkow’s abilities. The 6-5, 240-pound athlete has a monster leg that could be displayed in tonight’s contest. He will take a load off placekicker Jake Oldroyd, who will focus on field goals and PAT work. Freshman Caleb Christensen is the Utah high school record holder for kick return touchdowns and he will look to replicate that success for the BYU football program.
KEYS TO A BYU WIN
Here’s the keys in my mind to ensure a BYU victory tonight:
Run the ball effectively: BYU must try to balance the time of possession battle and take pressure off of Zach Wilson. Rushing for anything over 150 yards in the game would be a good thing
Win the turnover battle: It’s cliche, but Navy has an uber-aggressive scheme and will bring the heat all night long looking to cause havoc and turnovers. BYU needs to protect the ball. Forcing some turnovers of their own would go a long way towards ensuring a Cougar win
Take the ball and start quick: If the Cougars win the coin toss, they should elect to receive the ball and go on the offensive. Navy loves to dictate the terms of the game, but BYU needs to make the Midshipmen play on their terms and a quick start wold do wonders for that
MY PREDICTION
The line at most sportsbooks have BYU as a one-point favorite with the over/under set at 49 at time of publication (could and likely will change in the lead up to kick-off). I am taking BYU and the points as well as the under with my score prediction being BYU 24-Navy 22
Enjoy the game everybody and we will have postgame reaction on the Locked On Cougars podcast as well as some day-after thoughts coming to your inbox tomorrow as well.
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