Premature Box Score: BYU-Utah

Great Scott! This week's "Premature Box Score" is brought to you by ... Scott and Daniel. Read below for a peak into the future.
BYU 27, Utah 13 

Passing
Heaps: 24-37 for 247 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing

Collage done by Salt Lake Tribune

DiLuigi: 12 rushes for 35 yards
Quezada: 7 rushes for 28 yards
Kariya: 7 rushes for 20 yards, TD

ReceivingApo: 6 catches for 77 yards, TD
Jacobson: 4 catches for 35 yards
Hoffman: 3 catches for 45 yards
Wilson: 2 catches for 31 yards, TD
Falslev: 1 catch for 12 yards
DiLuigi: 6 catches for 33 yards
Holt: 2 catches for 24 yards
Defense1 recovered fumble
2 INT
87 rushing yards allowed
180 passing yards allowed

OK.

I think this might be a mini-breakout game for Jake Heaps. His stats listed above aren't exactly setting the world on fire or anything, but they're solid and better than either of the first two games.

I'm a firm believer that Texas' defense is SIGNIFICANTLY better than Utah's. Last year it was ranked #6 for total yards allowed, despite having five of the top 20 offenses on its schedule. Utah was #19 with a schedule that included some of the worst offenses in the game: Wyoming (#116 out of 120), UNLV (#118), and New Mexico (#120).

But that was last year. Obviously, I'm not saying that Utah's defense is not good - certainly, it is. However, it is unproven. What do you take from beating Montana St.? What do you take from allowing USC 17 points, when USC only managed 19 points the week before against Minnesota (Minnesota, by the way, allowed 28 points against New Mexico State)?

I'm not convinced Utah's defense is any better than it was last year, but I think BYU's offense has grown since last year (really, I do), so I felt the stats would be not great, but an improvement over last year's game.

On the defensive side of the ball, I think we dominate. Jordan Wynn does not look very good at all. He looks worse than in years past, and always struggles against BYU's defense (career QB rating vs. BYU is 93.8, which is worse than Jake Heaps' was against Texas), and he's never seen BYU's defense as good as it is now.

If a group of duck hunters found a colony of wounded ducks, I think it is fair to say duck hunting would become significantly easier for those hunters. What's my point? Well, I guess I am saying I expect BYU's defense to see a lot of wounded ducks in the air tonight.

Go BYU! #BeatUtah