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BYU Football: 3 reasons Cougars will pull off upset of USC in Week 3

By Dante Pryor

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 15: Head coach Kalani Sitake of the BYU Cougars celebrates with Sione Takitaki #16 after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. BYU won 24-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 15: Head coach Kalani Sitake of the BYU Cougars celebrates with Sione Takitaki #16 after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. BYU won 24-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 07: Quarterback Kedon Slovis #9 of the USC Trojans scrambles out of the reach of linebacker Andrew Pryts #25 of the Stanford Cardinal in the first half of the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 07: Quarterback Kedon Slovis #9 of the USC Trojans scrambles out of the reach of linebacker Andrew Pryts #25 of the Stanford Cardinal in the first half of the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

2. Kedon Slovis will play like a freshman on the road

There are three huge differences between former USC quarterback Sam Darnold and current starting quarterback Kedon Slovis. First, when Darnold came in, he wasn’t a true freshman but rather a redshirt freshman. He had a year in the program to learn the system.

Second, Sam Darnold did not replace Max Browne because of injury, he supplanted the former starter. He and Darnold were in a long battle for the starting job the entire spring and summer of 2016. Browne was named the starter because he was a senior. Slovis came into the Fresno State game after JT Daniels hurt his knee, and would be out for the year.

Finally, Darnold was the heir apparent, Slovis wasn’t. Darnold was a much more sought after prospect and was groomed to start; Slovis was just supposed to be a backup. Simply put, Darnold was inevitable, Slovis is a pleasant — possibly job-saving — surprise for Clay Helton and Graham Harrell.

With that said, Slovis should come back down to earth, right? BYU is one of the best home environments in all of college football. Why can’t BYU force Slovis into some freshman mistakes?

Here’s the benefit of the air raid offense, it’s simple to pick up because it relies on repetition and finding the open man. Here’s the drawback to the air raid offense, it’s simple because the playbook isn’t complex. If BYU can get pressure up the middle on Slovis and force him to get rid of the ball before he wants, that could mean turnovers for BYU.

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