1) Who knows? That's the mystery of CFB!! BYU has every reason to be up for this game. Some of the wind may have come out of the sails, but sometimes teams respond a little better when the weight of the world is off of their shoulders.

2) We struggle if we can't get pressure on the QB. A great pocket QB can pick apart our defense with 5-7 yrd passes. We rarely (almost never) play man, and there are spaces to be found in the zone defense if an accurate QB gets time. Mobile QBs can cause havoc as well, but our LBs seem to adjust well to that in recent years.

3) QB loss was devastating in game 1. True FR at QB is learning quickly, but still takes a little too long with reads. RB depth has been a HUGE issue as well. Our best player on defense (NG - Tuiloma) also went out in game 1 ... but may be back this week. That would be a game changer if he is really able to play.

4) True. If you have the athletes to do it. Man press is the way to go.

5) Honestly, no. Priorities are P5 >> Independence >>>>> G5. Independence isn't perfect, but it definitely has its perks. There's an incredible amount of freedom to play all over the country ... and schedule teams like ECU! Money is not really the issue for BYU. It's all about exposure and level of competition. I don't think that the AAC offers a significant upgrade in either (vs independence).

- I don't think that your offense is better than UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan, or Boise St this year. Those are some pretty good offenses. It's hard to tell with Michigan, we were pathetic as a team that day, but they might be fairly solid.

- I think you dramatically underestimate how good Boise St has been ... or perhaps overvalue ECU's accomplishments. You're record the last 10 years been 75-53 (0.586), which is pretty good by any measure. Last 8 years are a little better (0.606). Over the same period, Boise St has gone 113-19 (0.856), which is insane. They've won 10 games 8/10 years (actually 13/16 years), ECU has done it 1/10 years (and twice in team history). Their fans (Boise St) are probably the most insufferable group in the country, but they have been in a G5 class by themselves for quite some time. I just looked through your schedules and I'm not sold on them being "much more difficult". Sorry, but that sounds a lot like some East cost bias. I'd love to see the data.

- You got Boise St in a bowl game, I get that. But let's not overreact. They had just lost their first conference title in a decade and you may have snuck up on them. You guys blitzed them in the first half ... and hung on by the skin of your teeth. Great win for ECU. One of the best in the last 10 years for you guys.

- ECU has really done well against in-state/local rivals. Teams really struggle going to Greenville ... which makes me nervous for the return game. You guys have picked up momentum when a lot of other teams in the area have been struggling. That being said, some of those rivalries have been lopsided the other way if you go back 10-15 years. I'd love to see ECU keep doing well, because it shuts up the Hokie fans in my neighborhood.