BYU Game Predictions

I think it will be somewhat of a low score on both sides due to us. 17-13 Michigan

Harbaugh shocks everybody by starting Morris/Speight in the second half. We play long ball and pull out a thrilling 34-31 victory.

Mormons congregate at the line of LS, leaving man coverage on Darboh and Chesson, and leaving an LB to cover Jake's Butt --- a mismatch. O-line will give the other Jake a chance to find first Jake's hands, not his Butt. Dink and dunk down the field. Mormons will recongregate to take Butt away from the other Jake's checkdowns, giving M's stable of thoroughbreds a little running room. No picks, D forces a couple TOs, and M comes away with a 28-14 victory.  

Look for Isaac (and Johnson) to get more touches given that all those Mormons near the LOS will negate Smith's bull-rush, straight ahead rushes.

Turnovers will definitely decide this game. You can get away with 2 turnovers a game against Oregon State and UNLV but not BYU. If we win the turnover battle, we win 26-21. If not, we lose 21-17.

Since 24-14 and 23-13 are taken, I'll go with a nonsense score of BYU 25 - Michigan 15.

Michigan will either score 7 on a defensive TD or get set up with a very short field by the D. Other than that, the run game will sputter against 8-9 in the box and Rudock will continue to misfire.

Michigan's D will keep it close for a half but then will feel the effects on being on the field too long.

It's seriously a case of "why can't we have nice things?"....Wisconsin got 5th year Russell Wilson and Michigan got a supposed take-care-of-the-ball, accurate "game manager" who neither takes care of the ball nor is accurate.

And before you get "that idea", I want to be dead wrong on this. I really, really do.

BYU 31  UM 17

BYU by 10-14 points.  

UCLA is a solid top ten to fifteen team, and yet they had to play lights out in the fourth quarter to pull out a victory at home.  And, few people would dispute the argument that UCLA has better quality, better developed athletes than we do.  Why?  Because UCLA has pulled in excellent recruiting classes consisting of a good chunk of CA's best players (and some excellent out of state pick ups, too) for the last four years and done a great job coaching up their players. Miles Jack is Peppers on steroids.  And we don't have anyone like Hollins at LB.  Jordan Payton is better than any of our receivers.  And the list goes on and on. 

Yet BYU controlled that game until the fourth quarter.  Mangum is a better QB than Rudock. BYU's big o-line consistently got a good push on UCLA's front (3-4), and did not hesitate to go for it on fourth and short on multiple occasions.  And it seemed like BYU averaged close to five yards a carry on first down rushes, consistently setting them up for short second and third down plays. BYU's receivers are big and athletic, so our secondary will be tested all game long, assuming our front seven can hold their own and minimize the run.  

No, sorry, but if our offense plays like it did yesterday against UNLV, we are in for a long day against BYU.  But If we can establish the run and Rudock can hit some receivers, then it will be close, but I still think we lose. BYU is a very disciplined, well coached team, like ours, but I see them at a level of development and execution we won't get to until next year.

If Rudock has a decent to good game: Michigan 27 - BYU 23

If Rudock under performs once again: BYU 26 - Michigan 17.

16-13 Michigan...

Prediction?  The percentage of Mormons making up the crowd in attendance on Saturday will be the highest of the year for Michigan Stadium.  That's about as much as I'm prepared to speculate.

21-17 Michigan.

We'll run it down their throats and this will be the game that Rudock connects on a deep pass for a big play!