Is Utahs defense overated?

[BoylenOver]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I cannot predict how the game will turn out, given the propensity for injuries, but if both teams play similarly in November as they do at the edge of October, Utah has several things going against it, its interior defense, its propensity for turnovers, and inconsistent offense.

BYU if it stays turnover free, is still vulnerable to Utah's speed on the outside, but overall, I see Utah as too inconsistent to win the game, though it is the game I most fear.

Utah has enough balance on offense to threaten BYU, but it goes through periods of complete offensive ineptitude. My biased guess is, BYU may be the better team, at the margins. But Whit has shown the ability to prepare his team for that game, so all bets are off.

The Utes will get Kenape Eliapo and his 290 pounds back in November, making our interior D a little bigger.

If the Utes can exploit BYU's secondary, force BYU into obvious passing downs, and win special teams, I like our chances, but the game is too far away.