BYU Football: Cougars look to shock the nation in 2019
By Zach Bigalke
Defensive youth movement will pay major dividends
Even in their six 2018 defeats, BYU wasn’t far off from their opponents. In four of those six losses, the Cougars kept their opponent within one score by the end. On all but one of those occasions the offense failed to score even 20 points. The fourth time, the Cougars sacrificed a lead in the Holy War and dropped another to rival Utah.
The youth movement of 2018, especially in the front seven, looks ready to pay even greater dividends after BYU finished in the top 25 nationally in both points and yards allowed. Losing Corbin Kaufusi should be mitigated by the depth that has experience. No one player will likely replicate Kaufusi’s impact, but a committee approach should prevent major drop-off.
BYU’s secondary is far more experienced, with all four starters from last season back for another go with the Cougars. Senior safeties Austin Lee and Troy Warner are joined in their final year of eligibility by cornerbacks Chris Wilcox and Dayan Ghanwoloku. The quartet ranked 22nd in the FBS in pass efficiency defense last year, and should be at least as good this season.
Focusing on the linebackers
Where BYU has the most issues in its defensive structure is at linebacker. A half-dozen players departed from Provo after last season, their eligibility complete, leaving some major rebuilding to be done by defensive coordinator Ilaisi Tuiaki and linebackers coach Ed Lamb.
Sione Takitaki is the biggest loss of the bunch, after he finished his senior campaign with 119 total tackles, four sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Takitaki will be among the toughest departing seniors to replace at any position throughout the roster.
Zayne Anderson is back for a final year after an injury forced him to take a redshirt in 2018, and Isaiah Kaufusi got significant playing time last season in a reserve role. Both will be critical cogs if BYU is to remain among the top defenses in the nation.