Bronco does not generally run a "bend but don't break" defense. If that were so, BYU would have a divergence between their total defense ranking (yards) and scoring defense ranking (points). One would expect a much higher ranking in scoring defense than in total defense due to "bend but don't break".

The numbers do not reflect that. Some years BYU has a good defense (yards and points). Some years they don't (yards and points). Rarely is there a divergence between the two and it may go either direction:

For example:

2014 BYU Total defense rank: #56; Scoring defense rank: #71
2013 BYU Total defense rank: #47; Scoring defense rank: #22
2012 BYU Total defense rank: #3; Scoring defense rank: #3
2011 BYU Total defense rank: #13; Scoring defense rank: #22
2010 BYU Total defense rank: #24; Scoring defense rank: #33
2009 BYU Total defense rank: #28; Scoring defense rank: #29
2008 BYU Total defense rank: #59; Scoring defense rank: #39
2007 BYU Total defense rank: #10; Scoring defense rank: #9
2006 BYU Total defense rank: #38; Scoring defense rank: #10
2005 BYU Total defense rank: #91; Scoring defense rank: #83

You can make a case that three years: 2013, 2008, and 2006 BYU was "bend but don't break". But 2014 and 2011 are reversed. Most years BYU is pretty even between yards allowed and points allowed -- good, bad, or mediocre.