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Cougar Brain Trust: 2014 Season Preview

Scoring/Record

Will BYU win all 5 of the following games: Virginia, Utah State, UNLV, Middle Tennessee, & Cal? BYU should be favored in all 5 of these games, but as 2013 losses against Virginia and Utah and close games against Houston and Nevada will attest, a slip-up is always a possibility. A majority of voters see BYU getting the job done against these five in 2014. 80% said Yes and 20% said No.

What will BYU’s record be in its four toughest games: Texas, UCF, Houston, Boise State? Yes, BYU has beaten all four of these teams in their most recent meetings. But three of those games were played in Provo. This year, BYU’s three toughest games are roadies and an improved Houston team in Provo will likewise prove no easy task. 53% said 2-2. 35% said 3-1. 7% said 4-0. 5% said 1-3.

What will be BYU’s highest scoring quarter in 2014? During the 2013 regular season, BYU scored 96 points in the 1st Quarter, 119 points in the 2nd Quarter, 94 points in the 3rd Quarter, and 67 points in the 4th Quarter. The Brain Trust expects more of the same in 2014. 72% answered the 2nd Quarter. 15% said the 3rd Quarter. 7% said the 1st Quarter. 3% said the 4th Quarter. And 3% said that there would be a tie between multiple quarters.

Aside from the Savannah State game, what will be BYU’s highest point total in a single game? The 2013 BYU squad’s 47 points against Houston was its best outing against an FBS opponent. With four projected bottom-third FBS teams on the 2014 schedule, the respondents see a good chance of getting 54 or more against an FBS team this season. 53% said 54 points or more. 47% said less than 54 points.

Aside from the Savannah State game, what will be BYU’s highest margin of victory in a single game? The Cougars’ highest margin of victory against an FBS opponent in 2013 was the 37-13 victory over Middle Tennessee, a margin of 24 points. Coach Mendenhall is not one to run up the score and the Cougar Brain Trust wisely took the under on this one. 73% said 41 points or fewer. 27% said 42 points or more.

How many points will BYU score/allow per game? In the 2013 regular season, BYU scored 31.33 points per game and allowed 21.58 points per game for an average margin of victory of 10 points. The voters expect a similar offensive output in 2014 and an improved defensive performance, leading to a slight increase in margin of victory. The composite averages across all 60 responses were 30.72 points scored and 19.72 points allowed. This would yield an average margin of victory of 11 points.

What will be BYU’s regular season win total? So, now comes the moment of truth: will another year of experience for QB Taysom Hill and the offense combined with a weaker schedule allow the Cougars to improve upon their 8-win mark in 2013? 100% of the voters expect BYU to finish with 9 or more wins during the 2014 regular season. 43% said BYU will finish the regular season with 10 wins. 34% answered 9 wins. The remaining 23% thought that BYU will win 11 or 12 games in the regular season.

 

What do you think about these predictions? Are there any categories where you believe the Cougar Brain Trust missed the mark completely? Join the discussion on CougarBoard at the following link:

Cougarboard Discussion Thread

And, be sure to check back later in the week as we ask the Brain Trust a few questions about this week’s match-up against the University of Connecticut Huskies!

 

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