Baylor Week 2 Preview: BYU Cougars
An early season, top-25 matchup between the BYU Cougars and Baylor Bears has the potential to be a game of the year contender.
These two teams met last season as well, with the Bears handing the Cougars a 38-24 loss in Waco. Now, the Bears will travel to Provo, looking to make it two straight wins against the Cougars.
Doing so, though, will be easier said than done as winning on the road in a hostile environment is a tall task, regardless of who you are. Both teams are coming off of blowout victories to open their seasons in Week 1, meaning this game will be the first true litmus test for where they stand this season.
In Week 1 the Cougars took on the South Florida Bulls, cruising to a 50-21 blowout victory. Meanwhile, the Bears dismantled the Albany Great Danes to the tune of 69-10 blowout.
This week we will be offering an in-depth preview of the Cougars roster, starting with a look at their projected starters ahead of their matchup with Baylor.
Be sure to stick with InsidetheBears.com as we preview every aspect of the matchup with the Cougars throughout the week
BYU Cougars
2021 Record: 10-3
Head coach: Kalani Sitake
Sitake is 48-29 in six seasons as the Cougars' head coach
Offensive set: Wide zone
Defensive set: 4-3
Returning starters on offense: 8
The Cougars got whatever they wanted offensively against the Bulls in their Week 1 matchup, putting up 575 yards of total offense. They dominated on the ground especially, racking up 314 rushing yards to go with 261 yards passing in the blowout victory.
Projected offensive starters:
QB Jaren Hall
RB Chris Brooks
WR Gunner Romney
WR Keanu Hill
WR Puka Nacua
TE Isaac Rex
LT Blake Freeland
LG Clark Barrington
C Connor Pay
RG Campbell Barrington
RT Kingsley Suamataia
Returning starters on defense: 9
Defensively, the Cougars were arguably just as dominant as they were on the offensive side of the ball. They held the Bulls to under 300 yards of total offense, only allowing 293, with 172 coming through the air and 121 coming on the ground.
Projected defensive starters:
DL Tyler Batty
DL Gabe Summers
DL Atunaisa Mahe
DL Earl Tuioti-Mariner
LB Payton Wilgar
LB Keenan Pili
LB Max Tooley
CB Kaleb Hayes
S Malik Moore
S Ammon Hannemann
CB D'Angelo Mandell
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
Want the latest in breaking and insider news for the Baylor Bears? Click Here
Follow Inside the Bears on Twitter and Facebook
Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @LockedOnBaylor today! Click here To Listen.
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.