BYU had a pretty good showing last year as an independent. They got off to slow 1-2 start but rattled off nine victories in their last ten games, including a 24-21 victory over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl, to finish the year with a 10-3 record. They have now put together a run of 10 win seasons in five of the past six years.
BYU really benefited from a weak schedule last season, something they won't have in 2012..
Offense
The Cougars put up strong numbers last year of 31.1 points/game and 405.7 yards of total offense/game. If the Cougars are going to improve on those numbers in 2012, they are going to need an even better season out of senior quarterback Riley Nelson. He completed 57.4% of his passes for 1,717 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year.
Offensive coordinator Brandon Doman wants to give his quarterback a chance to run the traditional West Coast offense, which calls for pin-point accuracy and quick decision-making, however Nelson's forte is scrambling on offense.
Cody Hoffman is BYU's top target. He caught 61 passes for 943 yards and 10 scores last year and will once again be given the opportunity to eclipse on those already solid numbers.
The running game is in good hands with Michael Alisa, who rushed for 455 yards and three touchdowns after emerging as the top back.
Matt Reynolds, who was a four year starting tackle before being drafted in the NFL in the offseason, will definitely be missed. But they have three starters coming back up front, including senior anchors Braden Brown and Braden Hansen.
Defense
Early in the season the Cougars had to rely heavily on their defense, as the offense took some time to come around. They finished 13th in the country in total defense with 313.4 yards allowed per game and 22nd in scoring defense with 20.4 points allowed per game.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall believes that the stop unit will be just as good, if not better than they were in 2011.
The linebacker corps should be their bread and butter on defense as Kyle Van Noy is coming back after posting exceptional numbers last year. He finished with seven sacks and shined in the bowl game with five tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions that he returned for 79 yards.
Another solid contributor is Brandon Ogletree, who had 76 stops a year ago.
They only have one starter returning up front and that is nose tackle Romney Fuga.
Cornerback Preston Hadley and safety Daniel Sorensen are the two returning starters in the secondary. Sorenson, and fellow safety Joe Sampson, were the most consistent play-makers during the spring.
Head over to College Football Free Picks this season. Find the best odds on every game, plus see who our experts like against the spread.
Season Prediction
BYU should field a better all-around team in 2012 but they'll have a tougher of time of reaching double-digit victories once again.
The Cougars have winnable home games to start the season against Washington State and Weber State but then face Utah and Boise State on the road. They must also face powerhouse teams in Notre Dame and Georgia Tech on the road as well. Those four road contests are difficult to say the least.
Other than those four extremely tough road games, all the rest of their games are winnable and they should be happy if they are able to scratch out an eight-win regular season in 2012.
BYU really benefited from a weak schedule last season, something they won't have in 2012..
Offense
The Cougars put up strong numbers last year of 31.1 points/game and 405.7 yards of total offense/game. If the Cougars are going to improve on those numbers in 2012, they are going to need an even better season out of senior quarterback Riley Nelson. He completed 57.4% of his passes for 1,717 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year.
Offensive coordinator Brandon Doman wants to give his quarterback a chance to run the traditional West Coast offense, which calls for pin-point accuracy and quick decision-making, however Nelson's forte is scrambling on offense.
Cody Hoffman is BYU's top target. He caught 61 passes for 943 yards and 10 scores last year and will once again be given the opportunity to eclipse on those already solid numbers.
The running game is in good hands with Michael Alisa, who rushed for 455 yards and three touchdowns after emerging as the top back.
Matt Reynolds, who was a four year starting tackle before being drafted in the NFL in the offseason, will definitely be missed. But they have three starters coming back up front, including senior anchors Braden Brown and Braden Hansen.
Defense
Early in the season the Cougars had to rely heavily on their defense, as the offense took some time to come around. They finished 13th in the country in total defense with 313.4 yards allowed per game and 22nd in scoring defense with 20.4 points allowed per game.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall believes that the stop unit will be just as good, if not better than they were in 2011.
The linebacker corps should be their bread and butter on defense as Kyle Van Noy is coming back after posting exceptional numbers last year. He finished with seven sacks and shined in the bowl game with five tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions that he returned for 79 yards.
Another solid contributor is Brandon Ogletree, who had 76 stops a year ago.
They only have one starter returning up front and that is nose tackle Romney Fuga.
Cornerback Preston Hadley and safety Daniel Sorensen are the two returning starters in the secondary. Sorenson, and fellow safety Joe Sampson, were the most consistent play-makers during the spring.
Head over to College Football Free Picks this season. Find the best odds on every game, plus see who our experts like against the spread.
Season Prediction
BYU should field a better all-around team in 2012 but they'll have a tougher of time of reaching double-digit victories once again.
The Cougars have winnable home games to start the season against Washington State and Weber State but then face Utah and Boise State on the road. They must also face powerhouse teams in Notre Dame and Georgia Tech on the road as well. Those four road contests are difficult to say the least.
Other than those four extremely tough road games, all the rest of their games are winnable and they should be happy if they are able to scratch out an eight-win regular season in 2012.
About the Author:
Jack Jones will provide his expert NCAA football picks at Betfirms all season long. Be sure to visit our website today for a more in-depth look at BYU football.
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