Week 1 Preview: BYU vs Arizona

 The 2016 Season kicks-off this Saturday night for the BYU Cougars when they square off against the Arizona Wildcats at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  Both teams return impact players on both sides of the ball, yet both teams have questions surrounding their coaching staff.  Reports are that even though the game is in the Wildcats backyard, the stands of the neutral field will be near a 50-50 split, which promises a great atmosphere adding to what appears to be a great match-up between the Cougars and Wildcats. Both teams are coming off roller coaster 2015 seasons and are looking to prove to that they are capable of winning consistently. Starting the season off with a win would go a long way for both teams as they both face daunting 2016 schedules.

What's on the Line?

For BYU this will the first game under new head coach Kalani Sitake and his staff.  Fans and players alike are excited about the return of Sitake, Ty Detmer (OC) and others who once donned the white and blue as players, but nobody really knows if that excitement will translate into success on the field.  BYU's coaches and players have been tight lipped about schemes on both sides of the ball other than acknowledging that they will take snaps from under center and in the shotgun and that the defense will line up primarily in a 4-3 base (could they be any less descriptive?).  A win would only add fuel to the hype-fire that is currently burning brightly in Provo. A loss would certainly not be devastating, but could take some wind out of the Cougars independent sails.

For Arizona, Rich Rodriguez and company are seeking to maintain their fast paced and high powered spread offensive scheme, while establishing a new identity defensively under new coordinator Marcel Yates. There is no question that the Wildcats will score, but will they be able to keep their opponent from outscoring them (they gave up an average of nearly 36 points last year while averaging 37)? Inconsistency was the best word to describe Arizona last season. This year they would love to find a way to depend on something (anything). A win would be huge for Arizona. Their schedule in the PAC 12 will be grueling this year, so the Wildcats can't afford to drop any of their non-conference games this season.

Who has the Edge?

Offense vs. Defense
BYU's Offense has plenty of experience in every position except receiver, and even there they return 3 key contributors from 2015.  The big question here is will BYU's personnel fit Ty Detmer's new system?  Fifth year senior Taysom Hill will look to lead the Cougars to Detmer-esk success, but nothing has been proven yet. Detmer has promised that the Cougars will attempt to establish the run, so the return of Jamaal Williams, who will seek to become BYU's all-time rushing leader in 2016, along with a full stable of capable RBs certainly won't hurt their chances.

Arizona's Defense lost it's leader, Scooby Wright, from 2015 to the NFL draft. Even when Scooby was on the field for the Wildcats, they had a hard time keeping their opponents from scoring last season. New DC Marcel Yates (formally of Boise State) will try to sure things up on that side of the ball, but it won't be easy. Simply put Arizona hasn't been good defensively for a long time, and it will probably take a couple of year for Yates to turn the tables.

The Edge?
Even though we aren't totally sure what BYU's scheme will look like, they do have solid group of guys who have shown in the past that they can move the ball and score points. Arizona's defense in the past has also shown that they can allow any decent offense they face to move the ball and score. The edge of the BYU Offense Arizona Defense match up goes in BYU's favor.

Arizona's Offense and Rich-Rod have a reputation for going fast, and going hard. Once again the Wildcats will be lead by junior Anu Solomon who is more than capable of spreading the ball around to the various weapons surrounding him. They will likely rely heavily on the read option to keep BYU off balance. Nick Wilson, who rushed for 725 yards and 8 TDs last year will command the lions share Arizona's carries.

BYU's Defense returns several experienced players, but the loss of Bronson Kaufusi to the NFL is sure to be noticed. Under Bronco Mendenhall the Cougars operated in a 3-4 scheme, but with Kalani Sitake they will switch to a 4-3 scheme that will depend on man coverage and getting to the QB quick.  Historically BYU has struggled in man coverage but some close to the program think that the Cougars might finally have the athletes to cover speedy receivers, only time will tell.


The Edge?
Over the years BYU has showcased strong defenses, but nobody knows how the current personnel will fit into the new scheme. Given the fact that Arizona's offense as a whole remains as intact as a college football team can hope to stay from year to year, the edge goes to Rich-Rod and his high octane fast paced approach.

Special teams are a big question mark for both teams.  Neither team has a place kicker who has ever attempted a field goal in a college football game. BYU does return punter Johnny Linehan who averaged 42.7 yards per punt, and had a season long of 77 yards in 2015. Arizona doesn't have a punter on roster who has ever kicked in an FBS game.

The Edge?
The edge here (and it is a very slight edge) goes to BYU mainly because they have the only kicker or punter with any true experience on their roster.

 The Bottom Line
This game is a huge opportunity for both teams. I expect both sides to do well offensively, and struggle somewhat on defense. In the end I believe the biggest difference maker will be BYU's Taysom Hill, who has shown time and time again that when his team needs him, he can take over a game and lead them to victory. I have BYU winning in a tight one, 34-31.