GAME PREVIEW: BYU vs. San Jose State

PROVO -- BYU did just enough to get a win against Utah State and there is nothing wrong with that. A win is a win, right? These are the games that teams build off of. Riley Nelson came in and fired up the team and led a miracle drive with an even more miraculous last play. The big question coming through this week is whether Nelson will get the start or Jake Heaps will retain his job entering the soft part of the BYU's schedule.

San Jose State should provide enough of a challenge to make the team work, but if BYU can't work out the offense this could be another game that is closer than it should be. Before a look towards what the Spartans will bring here is what was learned last week from the Cougars against the Aggies.

What did we learn from the previous game?

The offense can do big things. The last quarter and a half or so showed what the BYU offense could be when things are clicking. They had struggles still, but they weren't great at any point when Nelson came in. Cody Hoffman, McKay Jacobsen and Marcus Matthews all made plays that made Nelson look really good, but he gave them the chance to make the play. The offense played into Nelson's hands with designed draws, the line gave him enough time and he did enough to move around and buy time. Whether Heaps or Nelson starts their job is to do nothing more than to get playmakers the ball. If Heaps can do this from now on he should start. If not, Nelson will lead this team for the rest of the season.

This is the balanced attack BYU was looking for. There were 46 rushes, a few were called passes and Heaps and Nelson scrambled, and 39 passes which is just over 50 percent rushing. This number would have been a little higher on the run side if they weren't playing from behind. However, this shows that down the stretch look for the Cougars to run more and more. They want the quarterback to have an easy read out of play-action so their percentages can go up and they can wear defenses down.

The defense has been covered by great play from two stars. Uona Kaveinga and Kyle Van Noy continue their stellar play. The defense has been good through the first handful of games, but Van Noy and Kaveinga may have covered up some poor play in other areas. The defense is really fast and gets to the ball, but they are having a hard time wrapping up. They won't play another player on the level of Robert Turbin. Van Noy knocked down a pass that he could have intercepted that would have changed the game. Kaveinga delivered huge hits and continues to be the heart of the defense. They aren't the only talented players on the team, but they are the ones making the majority of plays.

Special teams are still playing well. They weren't as glamorous compared to UCF, but they were really good. Justin Sorenson shanked one make-able field goal attempt, but he was good from two others. Riley Stephenson did enough. The return game was good as Cody Hoffman has taken control of the kickoff return duties. They weren't perfect or great, but they aren't the problem which is an upgrade from some previous seasons.

What lingering questions do we still have?

Who is the quarterback? There was almost a collective sigh of relief when Nelson went down last year to end the quarterback carousel and give Heaps the starting job. Now BYU is right back to where they were last year. Nelson clearly played better in limited time, but Heaps is still considered the future. Will they use a split-time system (which rarely makes anyone happy and is rarely effective) or are they going to make a choice and live with the consequences. Bronco Mendenhall talked about not making a decision early enough last season. This decision could affect the next two seasons of BYU football. This isn't something that should be taken lightly, but a decision needs to be made quickly. The coaches obviously need to decide what's best for the team now and for the future and then they need to stand behind it. The direction Mendenhall and company are going will be clear come Saturday night.

Is something wrong with Terrence Brown? No one mentions offensive linemen unless they make a mistake. Brown's shotgun snaps have wobbled and been really slow to get to the quarterback. He has blocked reasonably well, but his off-rhythm snapping could be affecting the quarterbacks and maybe this is a reason why Heaps is struggling. He shouldn't be made a scapegoat, but he is someone that needs to pick up his game.

Can BYU stop fumbling? They have six fumbles on the season and thrown five interceptions. The interceptions have been bad, but the fumbles always seem to occur during momentum-shifting drives. J.J. Di Luigi's fumble could and probably should have been the nail in the coffin. Both of his fumbles have hurt more than they should have. They only lost one last game, but they need to start holding onto the ball or they will get upset in the coming weeks.

Can the "magic" last? BYU was extremely fortunate to get a win over the Aggies. There were a few magic plays in the game that favored the Cougars. The first magic play was the toss to Jacobsen. Nelson scrambled and just hurled the ball and prayed. If that was against another team with any faster players it's knocked down or intercepted. The other big piece of magic was the touchdown tip to Matthews. Di Luigi got a call regardless, but that is another play that was really close to disaster. The real problem would have been the time. There was only 11 seconds left and BYU seemed to have no desire to control the clock. If they work the clock like that without "magic" or "miracles" or whatever else Cougar fans want to throw out they lose that game. They will need to rely on good play to be a great team and not these buzz words.

What can BYU expect from San Jose State?

A team like BYU with less talent. They will lead with the run game and look to keep their quarterback safe and mistake-free. Brandon Rutley is their leading rusher and primary ball carrier. Where BYU has three backs that rotate the Spartans have Rutley. He has 71 carries more than the next rusher. He averages 5.7 yards per carry and has six touchdowns on the season. He is banged up coming into this game and will be a game-time decision. They use a quarterback system that is similar to what Texas used earlier this year. Matt Faulkner is the passing quarterback, used as a game manager, and Dasmen Stewart is their option quarterback who will come in every few plays to run the option.

A bad defense with a few good players. The Spartans return most of their defense from last year, but they are just not very good. Their passing defense is adequate, holding teams to 222 yards through the air. The rushing defense is pretty bad. They have given up 186 yards per game on the ground. Their two stars are Keith Smith, a sophomore linebacker, and Duke Ihenacho, a senior safety that will probably be in the NFL next season. They have added depth and they have the talent to be good on defense, but for now they give up 31.2 points per game. They gave up 57 to Stanford, and other than that they would be closer to 25 points per game. Don't be surprised if they hold the Cougars in the 20's.

They'll have swagger. This team hasn't had much to celebrate over the past few years, but back-to-back wins and their first road win since 2008 will have this team confident. They are looking to make a statement and lots of teams look at BYU as a great program regardless of a bit of a slump. They want to become a great team and show that they are team on the upswing. They might end up a little intimidated, but they will come out swinging.

What can we expect from BYU against San Jose State?

Another run-heavy performance. Regardless of the quarterback situation they will look to put points up on the board on the ground. BYU will want to get whoever their signal caller is comfortable and they will do that by running early and often. They should be able to get over 200 yards rushing by the end of the game.

Big plays on both sides of the ball. San Jose State has 13 giveaways this season. BYU has nine takeaways. They should be able to make a big play on defense. With the amount of rushing there should be two-to-three play-action deep balls that should result in touchdowns. There should also be a big play on special teams. This may sound lofty, with only one kick return since 1998, but look for a touchdown on special teams.

A stat building defensive game. With an unhealthy leading rusher San Jose State will struggle to get an offense going. The one player that will be able to threaten the Cougars will be their option quarterback Stewart. BYU has struggles against running quarterbacks, so if Stewart can get going they could have a hard time getting them off the field. They should be able to get to the quarterbacks and force turnovers.

Notes and Stats:

• This is the first game between the two since 1998.
• San Jose State leads the series 9-5, but BYU has won five of the last six.
• The last San Jose State victory over BYU was in 1968.
• San Jose State won their first road game last week since 1998.
• The Spartans had their first back-to-back win since 1998 when they won three in a row.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, who is behind center and how the coaches handle the QB situation are top of mind for BYU fans, but hopefully a comfortable win will be enough to relax CougarNation a little. San Jose State won't be able to run as well as they want to and BYU will be able to run over the defense. Don't expect a blowout, but BYU should be able to win this game convincingly by controlling the tempo and having the ball for the majority of the game. Don't be surprised if this is the week that they run the Nelson fourth down package with a fake punt or just catches the Spartans off guard. The defense will be stout and the game will be in hand by the end.

Prediciton: BYU 31 SJSU 10

Related topics