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PROVO -- BYU will welcome Idaho State into LaVell Edwards Stadium this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. after a victory over Oregon State at their house. There were some struggles and the game was in doubt well into the fourth quarter, but the Cougars pulled out the victory.
This week should be a bit easier against an FCS opponent. There are some things that the Cougars will need to do in order to keep improving and there will be some interesting stories that could come out of this game.
BYU should have this game out of reach by the third quarter. They are a superior team and they will need to put up some points to give confidence to the offense and let some second string players have some playing time.
Here is a look at some storylines for BYU to look at this week.
1. Turnovers and Penalties: BYU committed 10 penalties for 76 yards last week. They have turned the ball over at least once every game this season. These are the two big problems BYU is facing. BYU should have an easy game, but if they continue to give the ball away and get touchdowns called back on penalties this game could be closer than people want.
2. Heaps watch: This is the first game that BYU should really put up a lot of points. Idaho State isn't great and their defense has given up lots of points. If the game is out of hand does Heaps get a chance to play, and if so is he in with the first-team offense or will he just hand the ball to back-ups. Will BYU coaches limit him to keep Nelson's confidence up or do they let him loose and see what he has learned or what he has left. This seems small but these games could decide Heaps' future with BYU.
3. Catches for Rumble: Bengal junior receiver Rodrick Rumble has 75 catches for 996 yards and eight touchdowns. He has more catches than the top three BYU receivers combined. If Idaho State is willing to take some underneath passes he could be in the teens in catches. BYU will need to pay attention to him or they will get burned for some long gains.
4. Let's play "Wheel of Linebackers": Every week another linebacker steps up. One will step up again this week, but which one will it be. Kyle Van Noy has the highest odds on the wheel. He just makes plays week in and week out. Brandon Ogletree was last week's winner forcing three turnovers and a slew of other ticks in the stat sheet. Uona Kaveinga and Jordan Pendleton were hurt last week, but both should play this week. With the amount of passing the Bengals are accustomed to either Van Noy or Pendleton should get some sacks in the 40 to 50 pass plays. 5. BYU's rushing offense vs. Idaho State's rushing defense: The title may be changed to Idaho State's lack of rushing defense. Saying they have been like a sponge may be an insult to a sponge's surface area. They have given up over 300 yards per game in their losses. BYU has a great chance to put up a big game on the ground and get at least one player over 100 yards in a game for the first time this season.
Oh, and Idaho State doesn't have much of a running game either. The Bengals averages under three yards a run and, with a strong passing game, isn't afraid to abandon it if they aren't getting much on the ground.
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