Three Storylines To Watch For During BYU/Idaho State Game

PROVO, Utah – Just three games left in the regular season as BYU enters their final stretch with a FCS matchup against Idaho State on Senior Day. The Cougars sit at 7-2 on the season and enter an odd three-week stretch. After Saturday’s game against the Bengals, BYU has its bye week before taking on Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern.

Idaho State enters the game 1-7, with their lone win coming against UC Davis. They average 15.6 points per game. BYU scored a season-high 66 points last week against Virginia. Here are three storylines to watch in BYU vs. Idaho State.

Three Storylines to Watch

1) Get Reps for Your Depth

BYU should roll in this game and a big lead should come early. With just three games left in the regular season, any and all players on the roster will be available to see some minutes. Ideally, the coaching staff won’t have to play the starters at all in the second half. That leaves the opportunity for BYU’s depth to get some major reps. 

When FCS week arrives for #BYU, I tend to look at the future for the Cougars.

These are 10 players who might not be well known right now, but have potential to contribute at a high level down the road.#BYUFootball @kslsports https://t.co/C0QDPlXhyn

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 3, 2021

BYU defeated Idaho State 42-10 in 2019. Sophomore quarterback Zach Wilson played just over three quarters in the game before Joe Critchlow took over. BYU has played three quarterbacks so far this season due to injury.

This game opens the opportunity for Baylor Romney, Jacob Conover and even Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters to see some playing time. Jaren Hall is QB1, no question of that. But as we’ve seen in years past and in 2021, you need to have depth all over the roster. This is a valuable opportunity to develop your depth.

Outside of the quarterback position, keep an eye on running back Jackson McChesney, linebacker Drew Jensen, and wide receiver Chris Jackson. McChesney got some reps late into last week’s win against Virginia as did Drew Jensen. Chris Jackson has seen playing time on special teams, but should see reps at wide receiver in this game.

2) Tyler Allgeier in the Record Books

Tyler Allgeier is coming off his biggest game of the season last week. Allgeier rushed for 266 yards and five touchdowns. He’s third in the country in rushing yards for the season and first in touchdowns. He’s on pace for a record-setting season.

Tyler Allgeier with over 200 yards rushing in a game for the second time this season. He’s the second #BYU RB to do that, Jamaal Williams had two 200-yard games in 2016. From my research, I can’t find another player who has accomplished that. #BYUFootball #GoCougs

— Dallen Graff (@lilthoint) October 31, 2021

With just three regular season games left and a bowl game, Allgeier has 197 carries for 1132 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He is 450 yards off the single-season rushing record, 55 carries from the single-season record and 8 rushing touchdowns off of THAT record. So yeah, Allgeier is having a pretty good season. 

It’s already been a special season for Allgeier, but this is an important game to stay on pace. Although we shouldn’t expect to see 30+ carries for Allgeier on Saturday, he’ll have plenty of opportunity to add to this stat line. Allgeier isn’t focused on any records other than his team’s record. But the more Allgeier, the better for BYU.

3) College Football Playoff Rankings

BYU made a surprising appearance at #15 in the first College Football Playoff Rankings. The Cougars are the third-highest ranked team with multiple losses, just behind the SEC’s Texas A&M and Auburn. There is no direct path for BYU to earn an automatic New Year’s Six bowl bid, they will have to earn an at-large bid.

#BYU still has an outside chance at a New Year’s Six bowl appearance.#BYUFootball #GoCougs #CFBPlayoff https://t.co/mSpD9bDght

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 2, 2021

Starting in the intial rankings at #15 is a win for BYU. Will they be able to move up into the Top 10 or 12? It’s hard to say. The Playoff committee weighs strength of schedule heavily in their decision making, something that helped BYU start so high. However, Idaho State and Georgia Southern will tank that.

Can BYU survive the next three weeks with two weak opponents and stay up in the rankings? A lot will depend on what happens with the teams ahead of them and directly behind them. BYU can only control how they play in their remaining three regular season games. You not only need to beat Idaho State, you need to beat them big.

BYU vs. Idaho State takes place in Provo, UT at LaVell Edwards Stadium on November 6th. Pre-game coverage begins at 10 a.m. (MDT) on KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. (MDT). Don’t miss Cougar Sports Saturday pregame with Mitch Harper and Matt Baiamonte from 10-11:30 a.m. (MDT).

Dallen Graff is a KSL Sports Contributor. He is the Producer of Cougar Sports Saturday (SUBSCRIBE) on KSL NewsRadio. Follow him on Twitter.