The Holy Score: Breaking down Week 1 victories by Utah and Brigham Young

Welcome to The Holy Score, a weekly assessment of Utah and Brigham Young football. We plan to compare every aspect of the teams with no punches pulled or apologies forthcoming. If one of them stinks, we’ll tell you they stink. Most Utah and BYU fans are entirely reasonable — sarcasm! — but those who can’t handle the truth should go read the message boards instead.

Week 1 results

Utah 49, Southern Utah 0
Site: Rice-Eccles Stadium
Line: Utah -37.5

Brigham Young 41, Southern Illinois 13
Site: LaVell Edwards Stadium
Line: BYU -16.5

Scouting report

The caliber of opponent must be accounted for in any comparison between the Utes and Cougars. In the case of their openers, we’re fortunate: Not only did they play FCS schools, they played FCS schools that are of similar quality. That is, Southern Utah and Southern Illinois are both mid-level programs — not as good as the Dakota schools, for example, but better than Utah Tech. As a result, we can create an apples-to-apples comparison.

Offense

Utah: Tough to find fault in any facet of the Utes’ performance, even with the higher standard for execution that comes with facing an FCS opponent … The Utes scored on their first five possessions, on drives of 90, 67, 48, 79 and 74 yards … In his first game since the Rose Bowl in Jan. 2023, quarterback Cam Rising was sharp with his passes and even showed off his post-injury mobility … The offensive line had limited breakdowns, which kept  penalties to a minimum … Tailback Dijon Stanley’s speed was evident on the 64-yard catch and run that reminded us of the touchdown Sione Vaki scored on a wheel route against USC last season … Tight end Brant Kuithe’s return from injury (three touchdowns) could not have been scripted any better. Grade: A

BYU: The first possession was filled with not-so-subtle messages about the broader strategy for 2024, from the physical running game to the creative play calling to the risk taking on fourth down … Watching Jake Retzlaff lead the 13-play touchdown drive, we couldn’t help but contrast his career arc to Rising’s: The former won a quarterback competition this summer; the latter is a three-year starter … All in all, Retzlaff threw the ball well — his touch on deep passes is impressive — although the errant throw on first down in SIU territory early in the second quarter delayed the inevitable. (Tight end Ethan Erickson was wide open on the goal line.) A completion would have given the Cougars a 21-0. Instead, the drive ended with a missed field goal, and they didn’t take full command until early in the second half. Against Big 12 competition, Retzlaff must complete that pass.  Grade: B+

Defense

Utah: Season openers usually feature a substantial number of missed assignments, unplugged holes and coverage breakdowns. But we spotted very few gaffes from the Utes … Southern Utah gained just 150 yards, rarely crossed midfield and failed to score … Van Fillinger was all over the field, as we would expect, as the Utes recorded five sacks … We’re hesitant to draw conclusions given Utah’s physical advantage at the line of scrimmage — an advantage that will be less pronounced in conference play … But there is no reason (none, zero, zip) to expect anything less than a first-rate defense this season in Salt Lake City. Grade: A

BYU: As they did offensively, the Cougars established control of the line early and rarely relented. They forced four three-and-outs and generated regular pressure on SIU quarterback DJ Williams … Two sacks doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a notable number for a pass rush that produced only 11 last season (tied for the lowest total in major college football) .. If the upturn in that department continues, the Cougars have a chance to combat and confuse all the first-rate quarterbacks on their schedule, including Rising … That said, SIU averaged 4.9 yards per rush. Not good. Grade: B-

Overall

Utah: A near-flawless debut for the Utes sent us searching for context, and we realized it’s limited: There is no reason to attempt year-over-year comparisons because Rising changes the calculation completely. The Utes were a completely different team without him in 2023 … We might need to lean into their 2022 performances to gain an accurate perspective on the Utes’ progress this season. Grade: A

BYU: Everything about the performance seemed designed to draw a contrast to last season, and for good reason — a repeat of 2023 might make coach Kalani Sitake’s seat uncomfortably warm … The difficult inaugural season in the Big 12 showed BYU what’s needed to compete this fall. Those ingredients were visible Saturday, albeit against an opponent that offered little resistance. Week 2 will offer greater clarity. Grade: B+

Advantage: Utah

Season score: Utah 1, BYU 0

Next up

Brigham Young: at SMU (Friday). The Cougars are 10.5-point underdogs against an opponent that has already played twice. (In our view, that’s a distinct competitive edge.) .. At home, the Mustangs are roughly comparable to mid-level teams in the Big 12, so we should have a decent feel for BYU’s outlook in conference play … If you’re curious: Retzlaff completed just 53 percent of his passes in two road games last year. He must be markedly better Friday night.

Utah: vs. Baylor. A non-conference game scheduled before the Utes joined the Big 12 will illuminate their  challenge once league play begins … Baylor was picked 12th in the Big 12 preseason media poll — the Utes should win this game handily (and are favored by two touchdowns). If they struggle, the path to a title could be more treacherous than many, including the Hotline, expect.

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