1 <?xml version=
"1.0" encoding=
"UTF-8" standalone=
"no"?>
2 <!DOCTYPE message PUBLIC
"-//TSN//DTD Preview 1.0/EN" "NCAA_FB_Preview_XML.dtd">
4 <XML_File_ID>16455950</XML_File_ID>
5 <heading>AFV!PREVIEW-WASHSTATE-BYU
</heading>
6 <game_id>35592</game_id>
7 <schedule_id>35592</schedule_id>
8 <category>Previews
</category>
10 <Game_Date>08/
30/
2012</Game_Date>
11 <Game_Time>10:
15 PM
</Game_Time>
12 <vteam id=
"628">Washington St
</vteam>
13 <hteam id=
"471">B-Y-U
</hteam>
14 <title>Washington State (
0-
0) at BYU (
0-
0) (ET)
</title>
15 <date_time> Thursday, August
30th,
10:
15 p.m. (et)
</date_time>
18 FACTS
& STATS: Site: LaVell Edwards Stadium (
63,
470) -- Provo, Utah.
19 Television: ESPN. Home Record: Washington State
0-
0, BYU
0-
0 Away Record:
20 Washington State
0-
0, BYU
0-
0. Neutral Record: Washington State
0-
0, BYU
0-
0.
21 Conference Record: Washington State
0-
0, BYU
0-
0. Series Record: BYU leads
26 GAME NOTES: Mike Leach finally returns to the sidelines as a head coach when he
27 leads his Washington State Cougars against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards
28 Stadium on Thursday Night.
32 Leach brings his radical offensive strategy and oddly unique personality and
33 coaching style to a Washington State program that has grown stale over the last
34 decade. The Cougars have had only one
.500 or better record in the last eight
35 seasons, including a
4-
8 mark last year. The Cougars fared well in non-
36 conference play going
3-
1 tom start the season but a
1-
7 finish derailed any
41 BYU was markedly better last season, finishing
10-
3 for its fifth
10-win season
42 in the last six years. Last season the Cougars played as an Independent after
43 12 seasons in the Mountain West Conference. BYU capped off its season with a
44 24-
21 win over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl.
48 These teams have not met since
1990 when Ty Detmer threw for
448 yards to lead
49 BYU to a
50-
36 shootout win. BYU holds a
2-
1 edge in the three all-time
54 The 'Air' Raid' offensive scheme was brought to prominence during Leach's time
55 with Texas Tech, and the former Red Raider head coach will be bringing that
56 same scheme to Washington State. Leach's offense shouldn't change drastically
57 from a team that ranked ninth in the nation in passing (
322.3 ypg) last season.
61 Jeff Tuel returns for his senior season with an array of weapons and the right
62 offensive scheme to excel. Tuel is coming off a
2011 campaign which was racked
63 with injuries. In
2010, when he was last the starter, Tuel completed
59.8
64 percent of his passes for
2,
780 yards and
18 touchdowns along with
12
69 The real star of this offense is wide receiver Marquess Wilson. The
6-foot-
4
70 junior is coming of a stellar
2011 in which he caught
82 passes, for
1,
388
71 yards and
12 scores. Wilson is on the short list for the Biletnikoff Award
72 coming into the season and is among the best receivers in the Pac-
12, which is
73 filled with talented pass-catchers. Big things are also expected of freshmen
74 Gabriel Marks and Dominique Williams.
78 The Cougars also benefit from the return of leading rusher Rickey Galvin, who
79 ran for
602 yards and five scores last season. The sophomore will need to be
80 able to make plays in the passing game, something he seemed perfectly capable
81 of last season, when he caught
28 passes for
242 yards.
85 Center Matt Goetz is returning from injury as is left guard Wade Jacobson on an
86 offensive line that returns three starters.
90 The offense seems well on its way, but the defense is less of a certainty. Mike
91 Breske was brought in from Montana to improve a unit that allowed
31.8 points
92 per game last season. Breske will instill a
3-
4 defensive scheme with the
97 Depth at linebacker is absent though, especially after Leach dismissed former
98 starters C.J. Mizell and Sekopi Kaufsi during spring drills. Travis Long (
42
99 total tackles,
12.0 TFL) is the only returning starter at the position.
103 Long will also be needed to help a regrouping defensive line create pressure.
104 Defensive tackles Anthony Laurenzi and Lenard Williams both saw plenty of game
105 action last season but will need to excel in a brand new scheme in which they
106 will be asked to shift to defensive end at times.
110 While the Cougars retool on the front seven, the secondary should be a
111 strength. Both starting cornerbacks and safeties return from last season, led
112 by safety Deone Bucannon, who was third on the team with
60 total tackles.
113 Damante Horton also put in a stellar campaign with a team-leading four
118 For BYU, the offense should look largely the same as the one that ended the
119 season. After inserting Riley Nelson at quarterback, the Cougars went
7-
1 down
120 the stretch last year.
124 Nelson threw for
1,
717 yards while completing
57.4 percent of his passes. He
125 also tossed
19 touchdowns after replacing Jake Heaps who began the year as the
126 starter. Nelson will have the advantage of having his favorite receiver
127 returning in Cody Hoffman. The junior had team-highs in receptions (
61), yards
128 (
943) and touchdowns (
10) last season. Ross Apo will be the other starter after
129 a breakout freshmen season when he set a freshmen record with nine touchdown
134 The rest of the personnel at the skill positions is largely new including
135 Michael Alisa at running back. Right tackle Braden Brown is the only returning
136 starter on the offensive line.
140 While the offense started slow and came on strong last season, BYU's defense
141 was at top form from start to finish. The Cougars ranked
13th in total defense
142 last season and allowed only
20.4 points per game.
146 Seven starters return from that unit including Romney Fiuga and Eathyn
147 Manumaleuna on the defensive line. Manumaleuna has started
34 games at left
148 end and was the leading tackler among defensive linemen last season (
34).
152 Brandon Ogletree is the real anchor of the defense. The senior inside
153 linebacker had a team-high
76 tackles last season. He will be leading a deep
154 linebacking unit that includes returning starters Kyle Van Noy and USC transfer
159 Senior Preston Hadley is a talented cornerback who ranked ninth in the nation
160 in pass breakups (
14) last season. He is paired with talented sophomore Jordan
161 Johnson, who had two interceptions in
2011. Safety Daniel Sorensen returns to
166 All eyes will be on the Washington State sideline and the offense in this
167 matchup. Leach will get an excellent barometer of how far the offense has
168 come over the summer, as BYU will test it defensively.
172 Hadley versus Wilson should prove to be a very intriguing one-on-one matchup
173 and could tip the scales for either side. If the BYU defense slows Washington
174 State, the host Cougars have the offensive punch to capitalize. In the end that
175 balance, and the benefit of playing at home, will be enough for BYU.
179 Sports Network Predicted Outcome: BYU
30, Washington State
24
184 <time_stamp> August
29,
2012, at
10:
40 AM ET
</time_stamp>