Texas @ BYU preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2011 ) Brigham Young 16, Texas 17

No. 16 Texas set a school mark for total offense in its opener and now faces a tough defensive squad when it visits Brigham Young on Saturday. The Longhorns rolled up 715 yards in a 56-7 rout of New Mexico State and had four scoring plays of 50 or more yards for the first time in program history. Brigham Young finished third in total defense last season and allowed 223 yards and forced 13 punts in a season-opening 19-16 loss to Virginia.

The Cougars hope to have senior receiver Cody Hoffman on the field after he missed the opener with a hamstring injury. Hoffman had eight 100-yard receiving games last season and ranks third in BYU history in receiving touchdowns (28), fourth in career receptions (203) and fifth in receiving yardage (2,718). Texas has won 13 consecutive non-conference road games and is attempting to get back into the national championship discussion this season after going 22-16 over the last three years.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Texas -7.

ABOUT TEXAS (1-0, 0-0 Big 12): Junior quarterback David Ash has experienced an up-and-down career with the Longhorns but racked up 434 yards of total offense (343 passing, 91 rushing) in the assault of overmatched New Mexico State. Ash was 20-of-28 passing with four touchdowns but also threw two interceptions to raise his career count to 18. The defense received a huge lift from senior defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat (seven tackles), who missed the final seven games last season with a pectoral injury and is vying to regain his 2011 form when he had eight sacks.

ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG (0-1): Sophomore running back Jamaal Williams was a workhorse in the opener with 144 yards on 33 carries for the fourth 100-yard outing of his career. Sophomore quarterback Taysom Hill struggled without Hoffman and was just 13-of-40 for 175 yards and an interception. Senior outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (22 career sacks) is the leader of the stingy defense that badly needs senior middle linebacker Uani ‘Unga (chest) to be healthy against Texas after the Oregon State transfer accumulated 10 tackles in his BYU debut.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Brigham Young leads the series 2-1 but Texas won the last meeting – 17-16 in Austin in 2011.

2. The Cougars are 15-19 against Big 12 programs and beat No. 3 Oklahoma 14-13 in 2009 in their most recent contest against a conference school.

3. Texas senior WR Mike Davis caught five passes in the opener to move into sixth place on the school’s all-time receptions list with 154. He passed B.J. Johnson (152 from 2000-03).

PREDICTION: Texas 20, BYU 14