Utah dominated WVU in its second Big 12 home game. The Mountaineers now stand at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12, tying with Colorado for last place. They have another tough test this week, this time on the road against 23rd-ranked BYU. The Cougars are undefeated this season and won their Big 12 opener against Colorado, 24-21. Head coach Rich Rodriguez and WVU are double-digit underdogs again this week and must overcome a lot of adversity to pick up a much-needed victory on the road at BYU. Read more: Five Keys for WVU to Bounce Back Against BYU.
Five Keys for WVU to Bounce Back Against BYU
The effort level for WVU was not up to par with that of other Big 12 teams last week, and Rodriguez knows that. They struggled to tackle effectively in space, penalties negated two touchdowns, and the offense failed to score a point in the first half. The team had a lot of injuries coming into the week, and they lost some key players at important positions, but other players did not step up.
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Rodriguez provided an update on Marchiol at his show on Monday night, which offers valuable insight into how they plan to move forward.
“He called me yesterday,” Rodriguez said. “He’s out in Arizona, seeing some doctors out there. He told me they told him he has a foot problem that’ll keep him out a couple weeks. I told him we have great doctors and trainers, so I want ours to communicate with his doctors and get on the same page of what it is,” Rodriguez added. “He’s definitely out in the short term, and once their doctors talk to our doctors and trainers we can figure out how long it’s going to be I guess.”
Next Man Up Mentality
Last week was an example of not being prepared for the game. The defense looked shaky from the start, and the offense struggled to move the ball in the first half. They had 105 total yards in the first half, which resulted in three punts and two turnovers on downs. The injuries to the offensive line and skill positions put a lot of unproven players in the game, and they failed to capitalize on their opportunities. Rodriguez discussed the potential starting quarterback and provided some insight into their decision-making process.
“We don’t have a predetermined guy yet. We have an idea as a staff of how the rotation is going to work,” Rodriguez said. “There will be an opportunity for a lot of guys.”
Improve Third-Down Execution
Regardless of who is at quarterback, the offense must be more efficient on third downs. They are constantly playing behind the chains and setting themselves up in third-and-long situations. They have converted 27.14% of third downs this season (19 of 70). The offense struggles to sustain drives, keeping the defense on the field for more of the game than any team would like. They must generate offense on first and second downs to get into more manageable third-down situations.
Force Turnovers
BYU has a true freshman quarterback, Bear Bachmeier, under center this season. He has a 67.8% completion percentage, with 697 passing yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He has played well thus far this season, but he is still young and is prone to making mistakes. His receivers help him, especially senior wideout Chase Roberts and senior tight end Carsen Ryan. They have a lot of experience playing tough competition, which helps the young quarterback. WVU must force him to make quick decisions and inaccurate throws.
Stop the Run
This BYU team relies on running the football. They average 251.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks ninth in the nation. Junior running back LJ Martin leads the ground attack, with 400 yards on 55 carries this season. That is an average of 7.3 yards per carry. Bachmeier is the second-leading rusher on the team with 163 yards on 37 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and is not afraid to run inside the red zone. He leads the team with four rushing touchdowns. WVU must stop the run and force BYU to beat them through the air.
Rebound From Back-to-Back Blowouts
The most important key to the game for WVU is to move on from the past two weeks. There is nothing anyone can do to change the outcome of the past two games, so they must focus on the task at hand. BYU is a challenging opponent to beat, especially on the road, but showing fight and urgency from the first kickoff can go a long way for this football team.
