ASU to meet their virtual mirror image on the road at BYU
Oregon and UCLA have been grabbing all the conference headlines in this young 2021 season, and no. 19 ASU has a chance to direct the spotlight more in their direction, taking to the road to face no. 23 BYU. Let’s examine how the Sun Devils and Cougars match up with each other.
BYU Offense
Without a doubt, some of the most massive shoes to fill across the college football nation from 2020 to 2021 were in Provo at quarterback following the departure of eventual number two NFL Draft pick Zach Wilson.
Taking the baton as a starter for the 2021 season was Jaren Hall, and through two games, he has proven to be an efficient, versatile signal-caller with the ability to make big plays through the air or on the ground.
Though he has yet to reach 200 passing yards in a game, Hall has still operated at a high level as he completed 18-of-28 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona in week one and then completed 18-of-30 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns last week against Utah. Most importantly, BYU is 2-0 and ranked in the top-25, plus Hall has not fumbled and has a perfect touchdown-to-interception ratio of 5-to-0.
On the ground, Hall has been a dynamic threat not dissimilar to ASU’s Jayden Daniels as he netted 36 yards on five carries in week one and 92 yards on eight carries last week.
Perhaps the top returning player on the entire team from last season’s 11-win squad is running back Tyler Allgeier (5-11, 220), who has totaled 191 yards on 44 carries with a touchdown while notching three receptions for 17 yards this season.
In 2020, Allgeier rushed 150 times for 1,130 yards (7.5 avg.) with 13 touchdowns, adding 14 receptions for 174 yards. He had six 100-yard games on the year, including a season-best in BYU’s bowl game when he totaled 173 rushing yards on 19 carries. A significant play threat, on six occasions last year, Allgeier averaged more than 8.0 yards per carry.
Allgeier has come close to the 100-yard mark in each of BYU’s first two games as he rushed 17 times for 94 yards against Arizona and 27 times for 97 yards against Utah.
Behind Allgeier, BYU has a much more than steady backup in Lopini Katoa (6-1, 215), who has 66 yards on 17 carries through two games this year.
Last season, Katoa showed his versatility with 444 rushing yards on 84 carries (5.3 avg.) with five touchdowns while also catching 23 passes for 293 yards with another three scores.
At wide receiver, Neil Pau’u is the clear standout of the first two games for BYU with 11 catches for 145 yards with three touchdowns. No other player on the roster has more than four receptions or 55 receiving yards, and he has all, but two of BYU’s total touchdown catches thus far. Last season, Pau’u had 45 catches for 603 yards and four touchdowns.
Elsewhere at wide receiver, Keanu Hill, Arizona product Gunner Romney, and the Nacuas – Puka, and Samson – are likely to see the most action along with Pau’u.
Hill currently ranks second on the team with four catches for 55 yards in two games, while Puka Nacua has played one game but has four receptions for 37 yards. Romney has 13 yards on three catches with a touchdown.
Last year, Romney was one of the better deep threats in the nation as he averaged 19.7 yards on 39 receptions in 10 games. Puka Nacua (Washington) and Samson (Utah) came to BYU this offseason via the transfer portal.
At tight end, starter Isaac Rex has two catches for nine yards, while backup Dallin Holker has one reception for 17 yards. Though Rex is off to a slow start in 2021, he was one of the nation’s most productive tight ends last season as he had 37 catches for 429 yards with an impressive 12 touchdown grabs for the Cougars.
The Cougar offensive line figures to have a left-to-right alignment of tackle Blake Freeland, guard Clark Barrington, center James Empey, either Connor Pay or Joe Tukuafu at guard, and Harris LaChance at tackle. So far, the starting line for both games this year has been composed of Freeland, Barrington, Empey, Pay, and LaChance.
Altogether, the Cougar line has held up well as the team has only allowed one sack through two games, and the team averages 190.5 rushing yards per game at a rate of 4.8 yards per carry.
BYU Offense Summary
An athlete from a similar mold to Jayden Daniels, Jaren Hall, can make significant strides on offense when running lanes emerge, so ASU must keep a steady eye on him at all times. However, the Sun Devils cannot obsess on simply stopping Hall’s versatility, as offensive weapons like Allgeier, Pau’u, and Rex, among others, have plenty of experience and ability to make defenses pay.
Ultimately, ASU needs to push the fate of the Cougar offense onto the arm of Hall and neither his legs nor those of Allgeier. However, even in doing that, the Sun Devils must get in Hall’s face and not allow him clear passing lanes to his talented receiving targets.
BYU Defense
From the outside looking in, it appears BYU plans to use A LOT of different defensive looks – unless they plan to just flat-out cheat with too many players on the field – as their depth chart for this game has 15 different positions listed on defense.
Interior linemen Atunaisa Mahe and Earl Tuioti-Mariner are listed as first-string players, as well as defensive linemen Lorenzo Fauatea, Tyler Batty, and Uriah Leiataua.
Batty has seven tackles, including a sack; Tuioti-Mariner has only played one of the two games but totaled a solid seven tackles in his one appearance thus far. Leiataua has five tackles, including 1.5 sacks, Mahe has four tackles, including two for loss, while Fauatea has two tackles in two games.
Last season, Batty tied for the team lead with 4.0 sacks on the year.
Pepe Tanuvasa is the first-string “Jack” with Payton Wilgar at “Flash” and Keenan Pili at “Mike.”
Through two games, Pili has a team-high 24 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while Wilgar ranks third on the team with 13 tackles but has a team-best 3.5 tackles-for-loss and is tied for the team lead with 1.5 sacks. Tanuvasa has two tackles on the year so far.
Pili’s productivity is nothing new, as he ranked second on the team last year with 72 tackles, while Wilgar finished third on the team with 57 tackles.
At “Rover,” Max Tooley or Ben Bywater could be the first stringer, with Morgan Pyper as the first-team “Cinco.” Bywater ranks second on the team so far with 14 tackles in two games, and Tooley has four tackles in one game played.
In the secondary, cornerbacks D’Angelo Mandell and Isaiah Herron are likely to be joined by free safety Malik Moore and strong safety Chaz Ah You.
Ah You leads all Cougar defensive backs with ten tackles and has an interception, while Mandell has seven tackles. Herron and Moore each have four tackles, while Herron has a team-high three pass breakups so far.
Either Jakob Robinson or Caleb Christensen figures to fill the top spot at nickel defensive back. Robinson has five tackles so far in 2021.
BYU Defense Summary
Led by a fierce group of linebackers, BYU will attack from several angles with a multitude of looks, so ASU’s blocking schemes will no doubt be tested all four quarters on Saturday.
The Cougars excel in the red zone and perhaps most importantly, will be jacked up to capacity with adrenaline with their aim of taking down a top-20 team from the Pac-12 Conference.
Oddly, however, BYU has been outgained on average through two weeks as opponents average 382.5 yards of total offense per game while BYU averages 368.5. Aiding BYU’s defensive – and overall team – effectiveness is its +3 turnover edge, as the Cougars have not turned the ball over but have claimed two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Simplicity might be the best option for the Sun Devils on Saturday as using the talents of Rachaad White, Deamonte Trayanum, and Daniyel Ngata, especially to set the tone early.
BYU Special Teams
Two placekickers have seen time for BYU, but both have been perfect so far, as Jacob Oldroyd is 2-for-2 (21, 37) and Justen Smith is 1-for-1 (40).
Punter Ryan Rehkow is off to an astounding start as he averages 50.6 yards on ten punts, with four placed inside the 20-yard line.
On returns, Hobbs Nyberg has one four-yard punt return, but no Cougars have registered a kickoff return thus far in 2021.
Overall Summary
A series that has extensive roots in the 1960s and ‘70s when the two programs resided in the Western Athletic Conference, ASU and BYU have not met on the gridiron since 1998.
As can be expected of a matchup between two top-25 teams, this game carries significant weight for both programs. Though the outcome, of course, will not impact ASU’s Pac-12 standing, a victory can go a very long way in terms of momentum that can be used to help fuel a run in the south division. For BYU, the Sun Devils could represent the most formidable challenge on the remainder of the Cougars’ schedule, so an undefeated season is within the realm of possibility if BYU can open the year with a 3-0 record.
For ASU, focus and execution will be two of the most essential components of Saturday’s game. Last week’s rivalry clash between BYU and Utah featured a sellout crowd of more than 60,000 fans at Lavell Edwards Stadium, and it is a logical prediction that the house will again be at or near capacity with rabid fans full of alcohol-free fury.
ASU’s starts two its first two games have had some sluggishness, as the Sun Devils have outscored Southern Utah and UNLV by a mere 13-10 margin across the first quarters of weeks one and two. By contrast, BYU has a 3-0 edge as it held both Arizona and Utah scoreless in the opening stanza.
On offense, ASU should trust its strengths and run the ball – last week, Utah rushed for nearly 200 yards against BYU – and when Jayden Daniels passes, the offensive line must buy enough time for him to avoid a quick tuck-and-run after his first read.
Defensively, ASU needs to continue to improve its focus and discipline, as a penalty flag frenzy like week one would create potentially insurmountable disadvantages for the road team. The Devils also need to keep Hall in check and not allow him free range to scramble.
In all, this game is a much greater test than most would have thought at the beginning of the season based on the myriad key departures from BYU’s 2020 roster. With the massive uncertainty in the Pac-12 Conference after the first two full weeks, it truly is anyone’s division to win in the south, but the Sun Devils can ill-afford to open conference play next week on the heels of a road loss to BYU.
Familiar Faces
BYU QB Jacob Conover (Chandler HS), DB Micah Harper (Chandler Basha HS), OL Donovan Hanna (Queen Creek American Leadership Academy), DB Dean Jones (Queen Creek American Leadership Academy), TE Lane Lunt (Pima HS), K Cash Peterman (Chandler HS), WR Gunner Romney (Chandler HS) and TE Carter Wheat (Mesa Red Mountain HS) are all Arizona natives.
