Three Keys to a BYU Win Over Baylor

Casey Lundquist | Sep 28, 2024

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff drops back against Kansas State / BYU Photo

On Saturday morning, BYU will look to win its first ever road game in Big 12 play. The Cougars, who went 0-5 in conference road games in 2023, head into this matchup against Baylor with a perfect 4-0 record. Here are three keys to BYU beating Baylor and improving to 5-0 ahead of the bye week.

1. Take Care of the Stinkin' Ball

If Baylor is forced to consistently go the full length of the field against the BYU defense, the outcome will likely favor the Cougars.

In the words of Kalani Sitake, BYU's offense needs to "take care of the stinkin' ball."

Turnovers have plagued Jake Retzlaff during various moments during his college career. Against Kansas State, however, Retzlaff played a clean game and it helped BYU pull away despite tallying only 241 yards of total offense.

If BYU plays a clean game against Baylor, they will likely return to Provo with a 5-0 record.

2. Limit Baylor's Return Game

Just like the BYU offense needs to limit turnovers and force Baylor to drive the full length of the field for their points, the BYU special teams units needs to limit the Baylor return game.

Baylor's returners were terrific against Colorado. Jamaal Bell had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Punt returner Josh Cameron had punt returns of 54, 20, and 17 yards.

Kickoffs should go through the endzone, and punts need to be covered very well. The Baylor returners will make BYU pay if they are given enough opportunities to return kicks.

3. Take Advantage of Scoring Opportunities

We're expecting a low-scoring game in this one. 24 points should be enough to win this game. If BYU is going to score 24 points or more, they need to take advantage of scoring opportunities and finish redzone drives with touchdowns.

BYU's defense has been very good in the redzone. BYU's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in two games against Power Four teams.

While the offensive production didn't make any headlines against Kansas State, the BYU offense was very opportunistic. That's a trend that, should it continue, will win the game against Baylor.

BYU doesn't need to do anything out of the ordinary to beat Baylor - a clean and opportunistic game will be enough to leave Waco with a win.