Tag: BYU

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Drew Pyne vs. Jaren Hall

Another lopsided QB matchup.

Once again, Notre Dame enters a game finding itself outmatched in the quarterback department. To [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag]’s credit, he slowly is starting to get more comfortable as the Irish’s main quarterback going forward this season. While he isn’t exactly turning heads, it would be shortsighted not to give him credit for the Irish winning the past two games. You can’t win without your quarterback, and Pyne is proving that he’s up to the challenge.

The Irish’s defense will face Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall. The Cougars have had a fine season to this point, and Hall’s numbers at this point in the season show why. Not only does he pick up plenty of yardage, but he backs that up with plenty of touchdown passes. The question is whether the Cougars’ defense will give him support, and that question has not been so easily answered so far, which gives many Cougars fans cause for concern.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame statistical leaders through four games

You know these guys, right?

Since we just had a week without Notre Dame football, you might have forgotten the team’s statistical leaders. That’s why we’re here to help you ahead of the Irish’s Shamrock Series game with BYU. Here are the players to watch:

BYU is a benefactor of terrible NCAA rule against Notre Dame

Not very fair

The Irish will be without linebacker [autotag]JD Bertrand[/autotag] for the first two quarters against BYU this weekend. The Cougars also had a player, defensive back [autotag]Gabe Jeudy-Lally[/autotag], get ejected during the second half of their last game against Utah State.

However, the decision by the NCAA for each player is much different. As for the Notre Dame starting linebacker, Bertrand’s appeal did not go well, and his appeal was denied. Jeudy-Lally had his appeal approved, and he will suit up for the entirety of the game against the Irish. The NCAA made a change to its targeting rule during the offseason, but its process is still very much judgmental.

Could it be the NCAA ruled against Bertrand due to his “repeat” offense? When you watch the hit, he keeps his head up, and he isn’t making “forcible contact that goes beyond making a legal tackle” according to the rule.

You be the judge. In your estimation was this hit by Bertrand outside the rules? This is undoubtedly a 15-yard penalty, but an ejection and half suspension? I think not.

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Marcus Freeman doing 8:30 bed check before game in Las Vegas

Think the players will listen to this?

It often seems like playing a game in Las Vegas is asking for trouble. Everyone knows about the activities the city is known for, and anyone who comes can get caught up in them. [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] doesn’t want to take that chance when Notre Dame heads to Sin City to face BYU in the annual Shamrock Series game. In fact, he personally will see to it that his players are in bed at a reasonable hour:

If this indeed is the plan, it will be very interesting to see how successful Freeman is at enforcing it. You gather a bunch of young men in one place in Las Vegas, and some of them are bound to find a way to get to the action no matter how far away they are staying from it. Freeman’s heart is in the right place, but he’s got one heck of a task ahead of him.

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

BYU unveils all black uniforms for Notre Dame game

Are you supposed to dress in black to your own funeral?

We’re only at Monday but the competition between Notre Dame and BYU has already gotten underway.  Sure, it’s a college football Cold War for now as it’s being done through uniforms and social media videos, but BYU got in on the fun Monday when it released its uniforms for Saturday’s Shamrock Series game.

As you remember, Notre Dame put together what was pretty much a short movie when it unveiled its special uniforms for the game during the summer. Now BYU has joined the fun by playing into the Las Vegas scene to show off its alternate uniforms to be used for the night.

Watch below as the Cougars used a bit of magic to unveil them.

I’m a fan of BYU’s royal blue look, moreso than I am the all black, but there is no denying the helmet looks outstanding.

Should be a fun one to come Saturday as we’ll have plenty of preview and information leading up to the game.

Related: 

ESPN FPI projects remainder of Notre Dame season (includes BYU game)

Changes to USA TODAY Coaches Poll following losses by 10 ranked teams

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ESPN FPI projects remainder of Notre Dame football season (updated)

8 games to go. What do you have Notre Dame’s final record being?

Notre Dame is just 2-2 despite dominating at North Carolina last weekend and are fresh off a bye as they prepare to take on BYU in Las Vegas this coming weekend.  With eight games to go the Irish have plenty to play for even if the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six are off the table.

Is Notre Dame certain to go bowling at all this year? How likely are the Irish to win eight or more games? Both seem a lot more likely following the 45-32 victory in Chapel Hill and obviously didn’t take a hit during the bye week.

I’m in a love-hate relationship with ESPN’s FPI.  I say it almost weekly but it’s true. It takes emotion out of the rankings and uses mathematical formulas to rank all Football Bowl Subdivision teams 1-131 weekly. However, it seems lacking when it comes to teams regularly find ways to lose or sneak out wins, something that is hard to quantify but is impossible to convince me isn’t real (see Auburn).

 

BYU fans tweet thoughts during team’s last game before Notre Dame

Cougars fans aren’t happy.

With BYU ranked and Notre Dame not, the Cougars should be the favorites for the Shamrock Series game in Las Vegas, right? Well, Cougars fans are starting to have doubts after their team had to battle to beat struggling Utah State, 38-26, at home Thursday night. Sure, they’ll take a 4-1 record as fans of any team would. However, more than a few are pessimistic about their team’s chances against the Irish if it plays like it did against the Aggies.

Though the Cougars never trailed after the second quarter, they didn’t hold a double-digit lead until the third. Unimpressive play was enough for fans to take to Twitter and say their team is in big trouble when it faces the Irish. Then again, the Irish haven’t exactly done a lot to convince people that they can just walk into any game and turn it into a romp. Nevertheless, Cougars fans are worried, and here are a few of them saying such:

BYU vs Utah State Prediction, Game Preview

BYU vs Utah State game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 5 game on Thursday, September 29

BYU vs Utah State prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 5, Thursday, September 29

BYU vs Utah State How To Watch

Date: Thursday, September 29
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: BYU (3-1), Utah State (1-3)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+

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BYU vs Utah State Game Preview

Why Utah State Will Win

This is one of those games.

It’s not necessarily a “throw out the records” type of game, but Utah State always tries to bring a little something extra when it gets to deal with the guys from Provo.

It’s been a wee bit of a rough run over the last few weeks – to be nice about it – but there’s enough of a passing game to at least press the Cougar secondary a bit.

The defensive front doesn’t generate a pass rush, but it gets behind the line, the takeaways were there with seven before not getting any in last week’s loss to UNLV, and …

– NFL Expert Picks, Week 4

Why BYU Will Win

Yeah, Utah State is having problems.

It starts with the turnovers. The offense has to press with all the problems it’s having getting anything going, and the mistakes follow from there.

The positive: there weren’t any turnovers against Alabama. The negative: there were 12 in the other three games including ten over the last two games.

BYU isn’t taking the ball away, but this is the game to start generating more big things.

The Cougar lines should take over right away, the defense should stuff everything the Aggies want to do on the ground, and …

– Schedules, Previews College | NFL

What’s Going To Happen

Utah State’s secondary is about to get hit hard.

It wasn’t totally awful against Alabama, and it hasn’t been a disaster, but QB Jaren Hall and the BYU passing game have been rolling no matter who’s out there are receiver.

The offense is averaging close to 300 yards per game through the air with ten scores. Utah State has yet to allow anyone to hit 70%. That’s about to change.

– CFN Expert Picks, Week 5

BYU vs Utah State Prediction, Line

BYU 44, Utah State 10
Line: BYU -24, o/u: 60
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
BYU vs Utah State Must See Rating (out of 5): 2

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Utah State vs. No. 19 BYU Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

Aggies look to course-correct on the road against ranked BYU This game is sure to be super fun and definitely not terrible Contact/Follow @Logantj & @MWCwire Utah State vs. No. 19 BYU Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction WEEK 5: Utah State …

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Aggies look to course-correct on the road against ranked BYU

This game is sure to be super fun and definitely not terrible

Contact/Follow @Logantj & @MWCwire

Utah State vs. No. 19 BYU Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

WEEK 5: Utah State (1-3, 0-1 MW) vs. No. 19 BYU (3-1)

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 at 6pm

WHERE: LaVell Edwards Stadium (63,725), Provo, UT

TV: ESPN

RADIO: KSL (1280 AM/97.5 FM), or online at kslsports.com/kslsportszone

SERIES RECORD: Utah State trails BYU in the all-time series 37-50-3, which includes an 18-28-1 road record.

LAST WEEK: Utah State dropped its homecoming game against UNLV 34-24. BYU won at home vs. Wyoming 38-24.

WEBSITES: UtahStateAggies.com | Byucougars.com

ODDS: Money line: Utah State +1250, BYU -2800. Spread: BYU -24. Over/under: 59.5 points

Preview

Well. This should be an interesting voyage down to Provo for the Aggies, who are still searching for themselves this season after a disappointing 1-3 start. On the road against a top-20 opponent isn’t generally where you see a team figure out its offense, but hey — any given Sunday, er…Thursday, right?

…right?

Key #1: Limit BYU QB Jaren Hall

Hall has the goods to captain a ranked Cougar squad through its decently challenging schedule this season, already tallying 103-of-144 passing for 1,164 yards (291.0 ypg), nine touchdowns and one solitary interception. This year’s Aggie defense has routinely been placed in awful situations thanks to an offense that turns the ball over more often than it crosses midfield, but in the right circumstances the front seven in particular have flashed some playmaking ability.

Get creative, get to Hall, force difficult passes and perhaps Utah State can keep things competitive early.

Key #2: For the Love of God, Please Take Care of the Ball

Masochists who watched the UNLV game in its entirety technically witnessed six Aggie turnovers, but if you add unsuccessful 4th down tries and accidentally downing a punt attempt at the wrong 5-yard-line to the mix USU effectively gifted UNLV the ball nine times.

NINE TIMES? Nine times.

Rumors abound regarding Aggie QB Logan Bonner’s status for this game and an alleged foot injury that may cost him the rest of his season, meaning backups Cooper Legas and/or Levi Williams may well see action tonight. Whoever winds up under center (and let’s be honest, it could change more than once given the history of QB injuries for both teams in this series), the Aggies just can’t afford turning the ball over. This matchup is already lopsided in terms of the available talent on the field — give the ranked Cougars free passes into plus territory and the game’s as good as over.

Key #3 Be Better at Offense. And Eliminate Penalties. And Call Better Plays. And…

Just…play better football. You can point to a significantly reduced WR corps failing to create separation, a softer OL than USU anticipated and stale play calling as pretty critical holes in this team’s armor, but nothing excuses 11 penalties for 93 yards last weekend. This may not be a very fun game for the Aggie faithful or the dudes on the field, but controlling the things you can control even when you appear outmatched goes a long way.

BYU may throw all over this secondary, or find the edge repeatedly in the ground game once they shift things into cruise control mid-third quarter, but staying competitive through disciplined football would give reason for optimism in the rest of USU’s season.

Prediction

It’s tough to picture the Aggies pulling off a stunner in Provo considering how stagnant their offense has looked through four games. However, there’s a lot of easy room for improvement in terms of cleaning up dumb penalties and even dumber turnovers, not to mention simply acting like they’ve played in big games before (because they have!) which might make this one worth the watch for a quarter or two.

Final Score: BYU 42, USU 10

 


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ESPN FPI projects remainder of Notre Dame football season

Eight games to go and the Irish are 2-2. How do they finish this fall?

Notre Dame is still just 2-2 on the 2022 season after their dominating performance at North Carolina this weekend but with eight games still to go there is plenty to play for even if the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six are off the table.

Is Notre Dame certain to go bowling at all this year?  How likely are they to win eight or more games?  Both seem a lot more likely following the 45-32 victory in Chapel Hill that can simply be described as better.

I’m in a love-hate relationship with ESPN’s FPI.  I say it almost weekly but it’s true.  It takes emotion out of it’s rankings and uses all mathematical formulas to rank all FBS teams 1-131 weekly.  However, it seems to lack when it comes to teams that manage to regularly find ways to lose or sneak out wins.