Brigham Young @ Florida State preview
Doak Campbell Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2009 ) Florida State 54, Brigham Young 28
It’s back to the drawing board for Florida State following last week’s 30-point thumping at the hands of Oklahoma.
The Seminoles host Brigham Young on Saturday, a week after being rudely exposed by the more talented and seasoned Sooners 47-17.
The overmatched ’Noles had no chance at the signature victory they sought to herald their re-emergence as a national power, but can still take another smaller step closer toward that ultimate goal with a win over the Cougars (1-1).
But they’ll have to prove they can play defense first.
An FSU defense that has been suspect at best in recent years was torched without mercy last week for 47 points and 487 yards of total offense. Oklahoma registered five first-half touchdown drives of at least 49 yards, three of which covered 80. Too many blown coverages in the secondary and missed tackles were the primary culprits in the lopsided loss.
The Seminoles’ offense also struggled as quarterback Christian Ponder endured a sub-par game while trying to connect with his inexperienced receiver corps. Ponder will have to rebound and rediscover his groove so that Florida State keeps the chains moving and puts a lot of points on the board to alleviate pressure on a soft defense.
Electrifying return man Greg Reid figures to get a challenge from a BYU kickoff coverage unit that ranks first in the nation. The Cougars allowed just 20 return yards on three punts in a 23-17 win over Washington and 12 yards on one punt at Air Force for an average of eight yards per game.
The Cougars, who are playing their final season in the Mountain West Conference before becoming an independent next year, are coming off a disappointing 35-14 loss at Air Force last week. Like most previous BYU teams, the Cougars are a big, physical bunch up front that will look to pave the way for tailback J.J. Di Luigi.
The junior rushed for a career-high 103 yards on just seven carries against the Falcons last week as BYU totaled 221 yards on 34 carries as a team.
The Cougars’ defense has proven itself very effective collectively at running to the ball. Twenty-two different defenders have registered at least one tackle after two games, with four already in double-digit stops and four more with nine apiece.
The Seminoles are 3-0 all-time against BYU, including last year’s 54-28 upset in Provo of the then-seventh-ranked Cougars.
BYU has never won a game in the state of Florida in four previous tries.