BYU Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2019 season

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 14: Tanner Mangum #12 of the Brigham Young Cougars hands the ball to Ula Tolutau #5 during the first half of a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) /

Trips to the Glass Bowl in Toledo are tough for every visitor. That is as true for Power Five opponents as it is for Toledo’s MAC rivals and any other program that might wander into the unfriendly environs.

For the first time in school history, BYU is finally going to make that trip east to Ohio to face the Rockets on their home turf. As the last game before the Cougars get a much-needed bye week, this showdown will help position them for the next stretch of the campaign.

This year’s Toledo squad looks to rebound from a 7-6 backslide in 2018. But the Rockets have a lot to rethink on both sides of the ball as they bring back one of the most inexperienced rosters top to bottom in the entire FBS. That makes Jason Candle’s job that much more difficult as he looks to return the Rockets to MAC contention.

Defense is going to be a critical factor in this contest. Both teams return an equivalent amount of talent on that side of the ball, which means it will fall to the offenses to exploit the inefficiencies that are inevitable for young defenses. Because they return far more experience on offense, the Cougars are likely going to pull away late in this contest.

Prediction: BYU 41, Toledo 30 (3-2)

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