Top 10 teams don’t come to Provo very often, but that is what will happen this week as Wisconsin travels to play BYU. Here are some important numbers to watch for during the game.
PROVO — BYU’s string of tough opponents to start the 2017 season continues this weekend in game four, as the Big Ten’s Wisconsin will visit Provo for the first time ever. The Cougars are 1-1 all-time against the Badgers, with the win coming in Madison in 1980. The most recent meeting between the two schools came in 2013, when the Cougars lost 27-17. Kalani Sitake’s team is hoping to get a big win on Saturday (1: 30 p.m. MDT, ABC) .
Head coach Paul Chryst’s team should expect a little more of a test than their previous two games this season. Here are six important numbers to watch for this weekend:
This season is the first time since 2012 that BYU has played two teams ranked in the AP Top 15 at the time of the game. That year, BYU played No. 10 Oregon State and No. 5 Notre Dame in back-to-back weeks, losing both games. Facing multiple top-ranked teams in a season has been rare for the Cougars in the past. In fact, it has only happened three times in the last 25 years. The Cougars faced Texas A&M (No. 12) and Kansas State (No. 14) in 1996, Oklahoma (No. 3) and TCU (No. 8) in 2009, and the two teams mentioned above during that time frame.
BYU’s overall record in those games is .500 (3-3) , while Sitake will look for his first head coaching win against a Top 15 opponent. His record currently stands at 0-2, with a loss on the road last year against Boise and the LSU game earlier this season.
BYU’s special teams — led by assistant head coach Ed Lamb — has been very good so far this season. The Cougars are currently ranked seventh nationally in kickoff return defense, allowing 81 total return yards on six return attempts. That works out to a 13.5-yard-per-return average.
The kicking game has usually held BYU’s opponents’ return game inside the 25-yard line and has only registered two touchbacks. This can help the defense in the field position battle, and may be an important aspect if BYU is to pull off an upset against the Badgers.
Another bright spot for BYU this season has been its defense. Even though the Cougars have given up more yards than most fans would like, they have done well with the amount of points allowed. Through three games, Sitake’s defense has allowed 52 points (17.3 per game, ranked No. 39 in the country) .
An important aspect of the defensive performance has been within the red zone. Cougar opponents have passed the 20-yard line 15 times this season, and the defense has held those teams to a combined six field goals made, with only five touchdowns allowed. Wisconsin’s offense has been in the red zone nine times with seven scores (five touchdowns, two field goals) .
Last season, the Cougar defense finished ranked 39th in third-down conversion percentage defense, with 37.3 percent of third-down attempts converted. So far this season, the Cougars are allowing 34.9 percent of third downs to be converted. The Badger defense is even better, allowing seven conversions (23.3 percent) through two games, which ranks them No. 21 in the country in that stat.
The offenses are almost polar opposites when it comes to converting on third downs and keeping possession. Wisconsin has converted almost 54 percent of its third downs (14/26, ranked No. 15) while BYU has completed only 12 conversions (12/38 for 32 percent) . The Cougar offense will need to extend drives if it hopes to beat a Badger defense that is only allowing 276 yards/game.
This game should be another example of strength versus strength. The Badgers like to run the ball behind a big offensive line and have rushed 99 times through two games (compared to only 53 pass attempts) . The running backs — led by freshman Jonathan Taylor — are averaging 5.97 yards per carry, which ranks them No. 13 in the country. Taylor is personally averaging 8.86 yards/carry and has accounted for four of the seven rushing touchdowns scored by Wisconsin this season.
BYU is giving up 166.0 rushing yards per game, but is only allowing 3.86 yards/carry. The Cougar defense has also only allowed four rushing touchdowns all season.
BYU punter Jonny Linehan has also been instrumental so far this year when it comes to helping the defense with field position. The senior from Auckland has punted the ball 18 times through three games for a total of 771 yards (42.8 yards/punt) . Only eight of those punts have been returned for a total of 42 yards (5.25 yards/return) .
Linehan and his BYU coaches would probably prefer he have fewer punts as the season progresses, but he has proven to be an effective weapon when combined with BYU’s punt return defense, and those two aspects have helped to pin opposing offenses back.
Landon Walters studied history and political science at Salt Lake Community College. He is an avid sports fan and loves writing. Email: mavericksoccer_22@hotmail.com
