BYU Defensive Players to Watch vs. Baylor
Yesterday, we looked at the explosive BYU Cougars offense and that could give Baylor Bears trouble in their week two matchup. While the Cougars were one of the best offenses in college football in 2021, they also fielded a solid defense as well.
The Cougar defense held opponents to an average of 24.8 points per game, while only allowing 388.8 yards per game. However, when the Cougars faced Baylor last season, they allowed 38 points and 534 yards of total offense, including 303 rushing yards.
The Cougars return a ton of depth on defense though, with nine starters from that 2021 team on the roster for 2022. Baylor will look to repeat their success against this Cougar defense in week two, as they keep pace with the potent BYU offense.
Be sure to stick with InsidetheBears.com through our season preview series, where we will analyze every opponent on Baylor's schedule in 2022.
Now, on to the Cougars' defensive players the Bears should be studying:
Defensive Line Tyler Batty
Batty will lead an experienced defensive line group in 2022, as three of the projected four starters along the line are returning starters. Of the three, Batty showed potential to be the best of the group with an impressive 2021 season. He racked up 43 total tackles, with 23 being solo tackles. As well, he would at times wreak havoc in opposing offenses backfields, recording seven tackles for loss and three and a half sacks.
Linebacker Keenan Pili
When the Cougars got off to a start out of the gate in 2021, Pili was a main reason why on the defensive side of the ball. It was evident that the Cougar defense lost the heart of their defense when Pili went down with an injury.
In just three games played Pili totaled 31 tackles, including an impressive 17 solo tackles, averaging 10.3 tackles per game. He would also notch three and a half tackles for loss and one and a half sacks, fueling the Cougar defense in the limited time he was on the field prior to his injury.
Linebacker Payton Wilgar
Wilgar, much like Pili, was a key contributor to the Cougars start in 2021. When Pili went down for the season, Wilgar became the leader of the Cougar defense and helped steady the ship en route to their 6-0 start. However, also like Pili, Wilgar suffered an injury that played through before the coaching staff shut him down in November.
In the 10 games that Wilgar played, he would total 57 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and one and a half sacks. While his numbers may jump out at you from the stat sheet, it was clear that he was a vital piece to their defense and playing through his injury hampered him. Now, with he and Pili both entering 2022 fully healthy, they could cause serious issues for the Bears in week two.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.