Matchup: Western Michigan vs. BYU
Date and Time: December, 21st. 4 PM EST.
Location: Albertsons, Stadium. Boise, Idaho.
Background Information:
After missing out on a bowl in 2017 for the first time in 13 years, BYU is back bowling again in the 3rd year under Kalani Sitake. In a season where BYU was up and down, BYU picked up their 6th win against New Mexico State and is coming off a close loss to bitter rival Utah. Overall, BYU is below average on offense and relies heavily on it’s defense to create stops. The Bronco Mendenhall days are long behind the Cougars and it’s good for them to be playing in December like they have for so long. Similar to BYU, Western Michigan also missed out on a bowl game in 2017, even though they were bowl eligible. After a tough 0-2 start against Syracuse and Michigan, Western Michigan would go on a roll, winning 6 in a row. That included wins over Georgia State and Eastern Michigan. After another skid where they lost 3 straight, they would cap off the season with a 7 point win over bowl-eligible Northern Illinois. WMU is the polar opposite in that they rank in the top 3rd in Total Offense, but in the bottom 3rd of the NCAA in Total Defense. BYU and Western Michigan both bring something to the table that should make this one of the better Non-Power 5 games during Bowl Season.
Players to Watch out For:
Western Michigan:
Levante Bellamy is the main running back that has 1,172 Yards. But Jamauri Bogan is the red zone, power running back that has 15 touchdowns on the season and is a valuable weapon for the Broncos to have. Defensively, The Broncos have 2 players with 10 TFL’s and both have eclipsed 80 tackles in 2018. LB Drake Spears is the one to watch as he’s done a little bit of everything with 2 sacks, a interception, forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Both teams are going to want to establish the run and the way Drake Spears can plug the holes.
BYU:
He’s number 2 on the team in rushing, but is more of a vertical and versatile threat in RB Lopini Katoa. Katoa has just 427 rushing yards, but 114 receiving yards and adding a touchdown through the air. BYU is lacking explosive plays on offense, but Katoa can open things up and can keep the WMU defense guessing. On defense, it’s LB Sione Takitaki. The Kaufusi brothers have been really good, but Sione nearly doubles the next closest tackler on the team (100) and leads the team in TFL’s. BYU’s LB Core as a whole is extremely stout and is the strength of this defense. It should be an interesting matchup to watch out for in BYU’s LB’s vs. Western Michigan’s RB’s.
Keys to a Win:
Western Michigan:
Something BYU doesn’t do well is 3rd down conversions. They are a well below average, 36% on 3rd downs which is 93rd in the FBS as well as 87th in rushing offense. Tanner Mangum is an experienced QB that will play well in this game, but if Western Michigan can force BYU to long 3rd downs, I like their chances of getting the Cougars off the field and give the WMU more chances at putting up more points.
BYU:
Special Teams has been a bright spot for the Broncos when it comes to Punt Returns. WR Jayden Reed and Tyron Arnett both have punt returns for Touchdowns. Although it’s not a stat that will blow people away, keeping WMU from being explosive anywhere outside of the offense will be big for the Cougars as I don’t expect BYU to be putting up an absurd amount of points in this contest.
Final Verdict:
With the Utah loss still in their mouth, BYU is going to be focused for the bowl game and play really good defense. Western Michigan will hold their own, but in the end BYU wins The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. BYU 38, Western Michigan 20.
Image Credit: https://www.famousidahopotatobowl.com/2018-famous-idaho-potato-bowl/
