Annual Smack: Day V

I feel the need to say to all of those yewt fans out there...

Win or lose on Saturday...

You are still a yewt, and not much can be worse.

I also have to say... thanks for reading--football smack is soooo much more fun when you do it before the game, not after (my hat is off to you, Bruce... you are the only one who wanted to play).

Ok... so I guess it is fess-up time. Who do I REALLY think is going to win this one? Here is my breakdown:

Utah is strong on defense and is very good a rushing the passer. They have a strong secondary that is good in coverage and linebackers that are serviceable (at best). Kruger will be the make/break point of emphasis for the Cougars. If he can be contained (along with Misi) the Cougars can win this game--because that will give Hall the time he needs to get rid of the football.

Utah is good on offense with a strong running game, good passing game, and very good gimmick plays. BYU has been fairly good on run defense this year, but has been pretty weak against the pass and will force a QB to beat them with his arm--this has been their strategy all year and it has paid off for the most part. My point in this is that it all depends on Brian Johnson's ability to complete accurate passes consistently. If the rest of the season is any kind of indicator, the Cougs will not get a whole lot of pressure on Johnson--though we may get a sack or two due to Brian's miscues. That said, Johnson will have to have a very good passing day to win the game. My only worry is that Utah will effectively spread the offense out--which forces our defense into "man" coverage (easily our BIGGEST weakness).

BYU has a stellar offense. TCU found a way to stop us, but there is not a team in the MWC that can match TCU's defensive athleticism--Utah comes close, but not close enough to be able to do what TCU did. That said, BYU will be able to score the points they need to keep them in the game as long as we commit ZERO turnovers.

Big surprise to you all, but I am picking BYU to win a close game--one that will be decided by less than 6 points. I think that our defense will be serviceable enough to hold yewtah on enough drives that we can manage to keep up offensively. My decision is also based on Utah's tendency to kick the field goal as soon as they are in range. They are so dependant on Sakoda that I really think he may be the downfall to this year's team--granted, he will be ice, and he will hit every one he kicks (except for the one we block), but the rub is that the yewts will need to have TD's (not feild goals) in order to maintain the lead.

Gonna be a good one!

GO COUGS!!!