Week 6 is handing the Big 12 another sharp-edged slate, and the questions are getting bigger by the hour. With only one nonconference game on the board, the focus stays squarely on league play, where Iowa State’s trip to Provo and Kansas State’s date with Texas Tech could say plenty about the conference race.
For BYU, the first order of business is simple: get the offense moving again. The Cougars left Fort Worth with a win, and that’s what matters most, but the way they got there was still a surprise.
Before last weekend, BYU had been moving the ball well, though the weather clearly factored into the offensive issues. The defense has already established itself as one of the Big 12’s best, and when the offense is rolling, BYU turns into a very difficult team to beat.
Even without LJ Martin, the run game has to get going again. Iowa State has had trouble tackling this season, and BYU wants to lean on the ground game.
That matchup gives the Cougars a chance to get back on schedule.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, looks ready to score in bunches again - the real question is how big the number gets against UCF. Drew Mestemaker has been excellent as a passer, and Caleb Hawkins keeps the offense balanced on the ground.
The Cowboys have shown they can put points on almost anyone. UCF’s defense is a different sort of challenge than the one Oklahoma State saw against West Virginia a few weeks ago, though, and the Knights will try to use different looks to slow things down.
Whether that actually works is the key issue.
West Virginia’s defense is under the microscope for a different reason entirely. The Mountaineers’ rushing attack has been impressive, but the problems on defense are hard to miss.
They sit near the bottom of the conference in rushing defense, pass defense and total defense, and by the numbers they’ve been one of the worst defensive teams in the Big 12 and in the country. That’s a jarring place for a Rich Rodriguez-coached team to be, especially with the discipline and execution issues showing up so clearly.
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley said changes were coming and that the scheme would be simplified. Now comes a tough test against Noah Fifita and Arizona, which should reveal whether any progress is real.
The matchup between Kansas State and Texas Tech feels like a title-race checkpoint, even if it doesn’t look quite like the game many expected a few weeks ago. At one point, it seemed possible both teams would still be unbeaten by the time they met.
Kansas State’s loss to Cincinnati changed that, and Texas Tech’s setback against Houston did too. Now both arrive with an early conference loss and almost no margin left.
Connor Weigman and Avery Johnson give this one plenty of star power at quarterback, and both defenses have shown they can make plays. The stakes are straightforward: the winner stays firmly in the hunt, while the loser has a much steeper climb ahead.
Then there’s Kansas, which walks into a difficult spot against Utah. The Utes are the better team from top to bottom, and there’s a reason they’re more than a two-touchdown favorite at home.
The real question isn’t whether Utah wins. It’s whether Kansas can keep this from turning into a runaway.
The Jayhawks’ defense has been a problem all season, and even the offense has been inconsistent outside of games against overmatched teams. Utah has the edge in talent, depth and physicality.
For Kansas to stay in range, it has to avoid early mistakes and still be in the fight entering the fourth quarter. If not, this one could get away fast.
In Other News...
BYU Suddenly Has A Cannon DeVries Problem Before Iowa State
BYU heads into its matchup with Iowa State with a special-teams wrinkle that could force some shuffling on the back end of the defense. Cannon DeVries, the Cougars defensive back and starting punt returner, has been downgraded to doubtful after not making the expected progress in his recovery, leaving his status in serious doubt for Saturday.
If DeVries cannot go, BYU will have to piece together a different defensive look and likely turn punt-return duties back over to Tiger Bachmeier, even though that job has not come easily for him. The Cougars would obviously prefer to have DeVries available, but the broader target is getting him back healthy for Notre Dame, which gives this week an extra layer of urgency without offering much room for optimism. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Knows Exactly How Iowa State Will Try To Drag This Out
Iowa State heads into Week 6 with a clear idea of the kind of game it wants to play against the eighth-ranked Cougars in Provo. The Cyclones have stayed above water so far this season and are still trying to position themselves for a bowl run even as the transfer portal has thinned parts of the roster, so the path forward has to be practical as much as flashy. Against a BYU team that has made itself a tough out, that means leaning on the run game and trying to keep the ball away from one of the Big 12s more imposing teams.
Aiden Flora is expected to be a central part of that plan, giving Iowa State a chance to shorten the game and limit possessions if the ground attack can stay on schedule. For BYU, the challenge is as familiar as it is annoying: force an opponent out of its comfort zone, get the defense off the field, and make sure a road team built on patience does not turn the afternoon into a slog. The Cougars know whats coming, which only makes the chess match more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Football Just Landed A Boost Fans Will Want To Size Up
Brigham Young University is giving its football program a notable jolt through a new partnership with Utah-based PV3 Enterprises, a deal that brings a significant investment to the programs facilities and extends beyond the locker room. Along with the backing for football infrastructure, the arrangement also creates NIL opportunities for more than 40 current BYU student-athletes, tying the program more closely to a growing off-field marketplace that has become part of modern college football.
The most visible change will be at LaVell Edwards Stadium, where the playing surface will now be known as PV3 Field. Beyond the naming rights, athletes are set to gain access to mentoring, business partnerships and endorsement opportunities through PV3s portfolio, with principals Mark Hancock and Jason Murray framing the agreement as a long-term commitment to BYU football and its future. [Read more 🡒]