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BYU vs Iowa State: Keys to Victory

Originally posted on The Forkball | By Tyla Wright | Last updated 11/11/23

BYU vs Iowa State will be a good one under the lights in the blackout uniforms. The Cougars need this win to be bowl-eligible. BYU needs some major adjustments to win this game and not lose out the rest of the 2023 season.

BYU

Offense

BYU’s offense struggled to get going last week but with a new quarterback that was to be expected. This week Retzlaff has to get them the ball and also use a lighter touch when throwing the ball. He also will need to be a part of the run game if the Cougars want the win. The Cougar run game will see some major improvements with Retzlaff and Martin getting the reps. Finally, the offensive line needs to block for Retzlaff so he is not always running the ball.

Defense

The Cougar’s defense had a bad game last week but it’s fixable. They need to step up their game when it comes to stopping the run. This falls on the line to keep those holes closed and not allow them to get past the line. The defensive backs need to not get beat off the line by the wide receivers and keep tight coverage. Finally, the defensive line needs to go back to what they were doing at the beginning of the season and not what they did last week if BYU wants this win.

Special Teams

The Special teams gave up some points last week and that isn’t great when the rest of the team is also struggling. They need to get points on the board when the offense can’t. Also, they need to go back to whatever coverage they were doing at the beginning of the season because they stopped more punt returns.

Iowa State

Iowa State is from Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones play in Jake Trice Stadium. BYU and Iowa State have met on the Gridiron before but not since 1976 so this matchup will be fun and renewed under the Big 12 conference.

Offense

The Cyclones offense has a strong offensive line but they struggle to keep the defensive line out of the tackle box. They are a big passing team so BYU will need to be ready to fight for the ball in the air. Finally, they don’t have much of a run game, and when they do use it it’s in short-down situations.

Defense

This defense struggles to get to the quarterback and stop the passing game. They do have a great defense when it comes to running the ball so the Cougars should stick to the passing game.

This article first appeared on The Forkball and was syndicated with permission.

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