Predicting BYU Football's MAJOR 2024 Upset: Downing Utah Utes or Kansas State? | BYU Cougars Podcast

J catch of lockon cougars joining lockon Big 12 today BYU is going to upset this school in 2024 and it may be Utah but before we get there Jake to your answer what I first need to know before we get to hey they they can upset this team I need to know the Moxy meter where the school is because I I've seen the old documentaries about the game between Michigan and Ohio State and you know any year that Michigan wins a national championship Ohio State puts a big banner of it on the floor in their locker room and that's what you have to walk over on the way to practice every day BYU lost its last five games 0 and five down the stretch last season how much of that is ingrained in this team to try to reverse it this season uh let's just put it this way they've heard it every single day all off season long there's a there's a video they put out from their strength staff not that long ago and it's just it's one microcosm but one of the strength coaches Drake they're doing these workouts in level Edwards Stadium running stairs and he says hey you guys want to go five and seven again next year do what you're doing right now and trust me they have heard that time and time again I had one of the coaches I was just talking to off of the side of practice the first day of training camp I said how much is that 0 and5 that you guys suffered down the stretch sticking with you he said we we literally think about it every single day and that that is a highly highly motivating factor this is a BYU program that aspires to be great Drake and I think they understand that there was going to be struggles making the transition to the Big 12 but they do not like the fact that everybody feels like they they are a crapp program and they are that 5- seven team that went two- seven down the stretch a season ago with that five game losing streak to lose out they consider themselves to be a middle tier Big 12 program at the very worst and right now they're near the bottom and I don't think that sits well with anybody in Provo the schedule this season I don't I don't it's not crazy to me that BYU beats Southern Illinois and I don't think for me it's that crazy SMU and Wyoming though those games are on the road however they're they're the ones you build in like Kansas State and Oklahoma State and Utah and Kansas that are really good football programs where does the big Marquee win the gamechanging season changing win come from BYU and again this is us talking about it on Wednesday August 7 now I know is I want it to be Utah I'll be frank you always want that rivalry win over the Utes but Drake I'm gonna go a little bit opposite I'm going to go with their big 12 opener Kansas State Avery Johnson coming to Provo Utah I'm not mistaken be his first true Road start as a starting quarterback uh for KSU I think BYU wants to make a a big like kind of message and just show the Big 12 what they're made of go and beat uh Kansas State at home and probably under the lights in late September there in Provo and really show the big toll hey maybe by is a little bit better than we considered now that would obviously be the first of what will be end up being nine Big 12 games you have to do it again the following week and obviously every week from there on out but I think it would go a long way to I think engendering a lot of confidence that BYU maybe isn't as bad as we all perceive they are if they can kick off Big 12 Play by going one and0 and knocking off the team that is literally just footsteps behind Utah in terms of the favorites in the Big 12 a lot of people have Kansas State beating everyone else in the conference to win the the championship and and those who don't have Kansas State very likely have Utah those seem to be the two popular picks is it atmosphere alone or is there so and again it's August happen we don't know how the depth charts exactly going to shake out is it atmosphere alone that you lean on here in this matchup or is there already something you think hey schematically x a nose this guy this hat versus this hat be why you can find an advantage I think the biggest thing for them if it's the Kansas State example or even if Cam Rising with Utah for the same thing you bottle up that quarterback I think that would give you a a really really good opportunity they're both quarterbacks that like to make plays with their legs now Avery Johnson has got Elite Speed we all know this this is a kid that is expected to really open up this Kansas State offense but Jay Hill and that defense and it's a it's a borrow uh from Utah he colani satake both learned this under the tutelage of University of Utah head coach Kyle Winningham it is a defense that is built to stop the run including quarterback run if you can bottle up Avery Johnson the Kansas State example or if you can slow down cam rising and make sure make it so it's a one-dimensional team where you're putting that game on the arm of either Avery Johnson or Cam Rising who both of which have yet to really prove that they can win a game it feels like truly with their arm that would go a long way to helping BYU win those games now it's a whole lot easier said than done because those are two of the best quarterbacks in this league but if BYU wants to have the hope of doing it yeah you got to make them onedimensional and tell those quarterbacks you're G to beat us with your arm if you can do that props to you but you will not beat us with your feet Avery Johnson and DJ gens were both on the roster last year for Kansas State um and and the here's where I give U the the window Kansas state was gosh I love this magazine it's so good Kansas state had the 67th best rushing offense in the country La best rushing defense in the country last season and their rushing offense is one their offense in general is one that doesn't return enough 47% of their of their offense returns that is 106th in the country so while they're the roughing offense was really good they bring two of their best guys back and the Edwards and their like they're going to be able to run the football they can't defend the run and guess what I know I know BYU doesn't have an Oly Gordon back there they don't have a they don't have a shadur Sanders calling the shots I've seen Gary bannan win a sugar bowl I've seen Gary bannan Run for the Roses like the dude has has got some speed and and maybe if it's not Gary boan I I knew Jake rof isn't the guy who's just going to stand there you you can't be in modern college football there are two things one the fact that Kansas State this is big was not very good defensively against the rush last year I think BYU could be better if the offensive line is better this year and number two if that Kansas State but here's the deal okay Jake sorry I'm on a tangent I'm helping you this what the magazine says Jake if I am a coach if I'm a coach a head coach I want my defense to be more inexperienced on the road you're like wait a second what buddy an inexperienced offense a quarterback who's starting for the first time and it's in LVL Edwards Stadium that's not good Kansas state is 106 in the country in return offensive production when the when the DB's hands are shaking all right we're GNA figure it out you know give him a couple plays it's not coming at him when the quarterback's hands are shaking when the left tackle hands are shake when the receiver those are the guys got we got it's going to you yeah BYU can expose that with a great atmosphere this is where Jake you take the floor for the next minute and tell everyone and their mother to show up to that game make it a night game do the fire thing oh yeah and just make it hostile it's G to be 63,000 plus I'll tell you right now Drake it is absolutely going to be jam-packed BYU fans are even with the Down Season a year ago cougar fans are still ecstatic to be in the Big 12 Conference and the crazy thing is their home schedule last year versus the home schedule this year are night and day different they've got a lot better home games this year so you can guarantee that there is going to be a fever pitch in Provo even if they kick it off mid-afternoon evening late night doesn't matter when it's going to happen Kansas State's walking into a beehive uh to use the example we're in Utah you know we can use the Beehive obviously out here but uh the biggest thing is that the cougar fans they're always behind their team even if their team's not that good this is a fan base that has been tried and true for years theyve gone all over the country in that independent era they showed up in places I know that you're down there in Savannah they went to Georgia Southern and outnumbered Georgia Southern fans not too far away from where you're at they've been to Middle Tennessee State using some G5 examples they've gone to Wisconsin and they've gone to Tennessee BYU's played in some of those bigger environments guess what Lees as we like to call it level Edwards Stadium is absolutely electric when the fans are into it and with the big 12 opener in Kansas State coming in you can guarantee it is absolutely going to be buzzing all night long I'm excited gosh D now I gotta it'll be a tax write off though I'll book my flights tonight at least it's a tax write off I yelled a lot um where can people who want more of you find more of you yeah check out lock on cougars wherever you get your podcast on YouTube like uh like like lock on Big 12 excuse me there uh if you want my thoughts on all things Sports I'm at Jacob C hatch on X or Twitter you also can follow the show locked on cougars it's also on Facebook Instagram and Twitter as well that's J catch I'm Drake tol this has been always will be locked on thanks for making it your first listen every single day cougars and do Grande