BYU sports experts Jared Lloyd and Darnell Dickson tackle five of the big questions facing the Cougars this week:

1. What kind of reception do you expect Bronco Mendenhall to get when Virginia runs onto the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium?

DICKSON: There’s been a lot of discussion about that on social media this week. Some fans think it’s OK to cheer Mendenhall when he appears, others see him as the enemy since he left for Virginia. The fact is Mendenhall did a terrific job coaching the Cougars during his tenure and I would expect a polite amount of applause to greet him on Saturday. But I also know Cougar fans really, really want to beat him.

LLOYD: I think this question has more to do with how you approach things as an individual. I think there will be more Cougar fans who believe kindness and good will is more important than disappointment for what may have been perceived as a slight. I expect the majority of BYU supporters to welcome Mendenhall back and recognize the memory of his accomplishments when he was coaching BYU. In addition, most of his staff are former Cougar players and coaches who should be honored as the alumni they are. But after the initial pleasantries, I think everything goes back to being the same as any other football game. BYU fans will be boisterous in their encouragement for the current Cougar players and coaches, not ones from the past.

2. What has to happen on Saturday for BYU to get the win vs. the Cavaliers?

LLOYD: I think the most intriguing element will be how many offensive plays both teams get. Most teams in recent weeks have attempted to shorten the game and keep the ball away from BYU by grinding out long drives, but that’s not really what the “go fast, go hard” offensive concept is all about. That said, I think it will be key for the Cougars to take advantage of their opportunities to seize control. BYU generally did that really well in their six wins (although a costly drop on a third down at Washington State made things more dicey than they should have been) but didn’t do that in their two losses. Virginia is talented enough to make the Cougars pay for mistakes, so BYU has to do the same thing.

DICKSON: I think the defense has to hold Virginia to less than 30 points. Robert Anae’s offense is pretty explosive but I don’t think the Cougars can keep up in a shootout that produces more than 30 points. I see BYU causing a couple of turnovers, which will be needed to keep pace with Brennan Armstrong and the Virginia offense.

3. Who is going to have the biggest game on offense for BYU on Saturday?

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

DICKSON: Virginia has been suspect in its run defense, so I would expect Tyler Allgeier to have yet another big game. When BYU gets the 220-pounder running East-West, he’s such a load to bring down as Washington State found out last week. Allgeier having success also sets up the Cougars to utilize play action and should work well to keep the Virginia offense on the sideline.

LLOYD: If you are the Cavaliers, you have to attempt to follow the model of what Boise State and Baylor did to beat the Cougars: Stop the run and put BYU in long yardage situations. This is a game where Jaren Hall needs to be excellent, both in his reads and his decision-making. If he is on time and accurate while protecting the ball, it’s going to force Virginia to respect the passing attack. That in turn will give Tyler Allgeier and Lopini Katoa more openings to gash the Cavalier defense on the ground. I’d like to see the Cougars use the pass early to set up the run.

4.How does BYU finish the final four games of the season? (Virginia, Idaho State, Georgia Southern, USC).

LLOYD: I have said before that I don’t expect BYU to lose in November and I’m going to stick to that. Idaho State will give everything it has but be overmatched, Georgia Southern fired its head coach a month ago and hasn’t improved and USC — for all its “talent” — has been a disaster this year. That means I fully expect the Cougars to have at least nine wins with a 10-win regular season depending on what happens on Saturday night in Provo. I like BYU’s chances against Virginia because I’m not sold that the Cavaliers have played that many good teams. Still, it’s going to be a dogfight, which could go either way.

DICKSON: If the Cougars finish those four games 3-1, that’s a 9-3 regular season record with a bowl game an opportunity to finish with ten wins. Pretty good considering how much talent BYU lost from the 2020 team. Yeah, expectations were raised with the Cougars starting 5-0 but we’ve seen through the last three games there is still a lot of work to do for the program to be consistent enough to compete in the Big 12 in 2023. A 10-win season, considering there are just three seniors on this year’s roster, would be a nice bit of work

BYU Courtesy Photo

5. The BYU men’s basketball team begins the season out of the Top 25. Do you expect the Cougars to get there at some point in 2021-22?

DICKSON: I do expect Mark Pope to get his team into the Top 25 this season, but when is a good question and not easily answered. While there are plenty of experienced players returning I still think it may take some time to integrate additions Te’Jon Lucas and Seneca Knight. If the Cougars pick up wins at home against San Diego State, at Utah, at Missouri State and in a neutral site game against Creighton, they would definitely hit the Top 25 before the WCC season starts.

LLOYD: If the chaos that we have seen in college football this year and that we saw in college basketball last year continues, then I definitely expect BYU to be ranked at some point. There are tests against good teams in the preseason, especially the matchup against San Diego State that Darnell mentioned. While I expect the Cougars to be good, there will be some adversity along the way. I’m still going to say that BYU will be in the Top 25 before it begins play in the West Coast Conference because it will get some statement victories and rack up wins.

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