BYU quarterback Jaren Corridor will get in some reps throughout apply Aug. 15, 2022, in Provo. Corridor and the Cougars are busy prepping for his or her Sept. 3 opener at South Florida. Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photograph
BYU gamers hit the LaVell Edwards Stadium turf throughout 2022 fall camp. The Cougars enter the season amid excessive expectations and return a veteran crew that's ranked No. 25 within the AP preseason ballot. Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photograph
Predictions. Love ’em.
Breaking down BYU’s 2022 season, what are their probabilities, the general win-loss document, the place the losses will come, and simply what sort of a soccer crew does Kalani Sitake have?
Effectively, will probably be an attention-grabbing season.
The Cougars will play 4 groups ranked within the prime 15, together with preseason No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 10 Baylor. Oregon is No. 11 and Arkansas is nineteenth. Which means it is a season of alternative. Or, it could possibly be too huge of a problem and there may be heartbreak on the horizon.
BYU may have as a lot expertise on the sphere because it has had in a long time. The Cougars rank No. 1 in returning starters and among the many prime three in returning productiveness from a 10-win squad. This can be a crew that has COVID-19 seniors like linebacker Payton Wilgar, receiver Gunner Romney and operating again Lopini Katoa.
On offense, BYU needs to be greater than able to competing with a large, deep, skilled offensive line defending QB Jaren Corridor and myriad targets and weapons like Puka Nacua and tight ends Isaac Rex and Dallin Holker.
Defensively, this would be the quickest crew the Cougars have fielded in a while — particularly at nook. It should shock critics with its utility and functionality — as witnessed in two weeks of apply in opposition to veterans. True, it's going up in opposition to an offense and personnel that's acquainted and holding out some star gamers each apply, however this protection will make performs and can decide and select between 18 defensive linemen to maintain contemporary. The linebacking crew is strong.
So, what is going to occur?
Effectively, it is a higher crew than a yr in the past, one which I didn't foresee going 5-0 in opposition to the Pac-12. It's greater, stronger and has extra pace on either side of the road.
While you take a look at this schedule, you may have 4 video games in opposition to ranked groups that we will name a 40%-60% win-loss.
Then you may have seven video games that could possibly be labeled 60%-40% wins in South Florida, Wyoming, Utah State, Liberty, East Carolina and Utah Tech. Of these video games, three are what one might name entice video games — contests that an anticipated win might flip right into a dogfight and go both manner. The opener with USF is on this class, as is in-state USU and the journey to Liberty.
To get to 9 or 10 wins, the Cougars should win the video games they're favored in, the 60-40s, and stage an upset over no less than one of many 40-60s, the place they’ll be a determined underdog. There might be no entice sport slip-ups.
The Cougars will play 10 straight video games and not using a week off and a street sport to Boise State on the finish of that stretch is a sport that might do the Cougars in. It turns right into a 50-50 sport due to the circumstances, journey and potential accidents. Many native specialists imagine this might be a loss for BYU due to the place it sits within the schedule on the finish of a no-break stretch with no time to heal up and relaxation.
Operating again Jackson McChesney mentioned BYU’s teaching workers is working onerous at holding an edge to practices and the strategy this season — realizing the Cougars can not afford to interrupt down, get distracted or lose concentrate on the work at hand.
“I really feel we are attempting to maintain that edge,” mentioned McChesney. “We’ve had two good seasons in a row, however we’re making an attempt to not get comfy, not be comfy with being within the prime 25, however get to the highest 10. We play nice groups this yr, starting with an excellent crew in South Florida. We need to flip the change and never simply be good, however nice.”
McChesney mentioned the teaching workers is anticipating greatness each day.
“Like as we speak, if it’s not excellent, then they're pulling the right out of us and ensuring we've it by the subsequent apply,” he mentioned. “We aren’t having back-to-back unhealthy practices, however simply constructing good apply after good apply.”
One might say Sitake and his workers are striving to take the subsequent step in consistency and perspective heading into the season — realizing rather more might be wanted as soon as within the Huge 12. Nonetheless, this 2022 schedule with the 4 ranked groups is as difficult as some P5 groups have already got on faucet.
It's mentioned BYU performs to the extent of its competitors. In that case, there needs to be some attention-grabbing matchups and outcomes in 2022.
For comparability functions, listed below are some season predictions I collected from members of the media who cowl BYU soccer and are hip-deep in conversations and interviews and see parts of the practices which can be opened to reporters.
They have been requested to present a win-loss document and the place the losses would come.
Jay Drew, beat author, Deseret Information: 8-4 (losses to Baylor, Oregon, Arkansas and Boise State)
Jake Hatch, producer 1280 the Zone, Locked on Cougars Podcast: 9-3 (losses to Baylor, Notre Dame and Boise State)
Mitch Harper, KSLsports: 9-3 (losses to Oregon, Notre Dame, Boise State)
Ben Criddle, host ESPN 960 radio: 10-2, (losses to Notre Dame, Arkansas)
Sean Walker, KSL.com reporter: 8-4 (losses to Baylor, Oregon, Notre Dame, Boise State)
Hans Olsen, host 1280 the Zone, former BYU, NFL lineman: 10-2 (losses to Notre Dame and 1-1 in opposition to Baylor and Arkansas)
Dave McCann, Y’s Guys podcast, BYUtv sportscaster, Deseret Information contributor: 10-2 (losses at Oregon, Notre Dame)
Your humble correspondent: 9-3 (losses to Notre Dame, Oregon, Boise State)
BYU gamers hit the LaVell Edwards Stadium turf throughout 2022 fall camp. The Cougars enter the season amid excessive expectations and return a veteran crew that's ranked No. 25 within the AP preseason ballot.
Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photograph