Here’s what’s so different about this year’s BYU-Kansas matchup

Is No. 6 BYU going to get rolled at home?
BYU can relate to Iowa State, a team that got boat raced by a fast-improving Kansas offense last week. The No. 6 Cougars will host those Jayhawks in LaVell Edwards Stadium late Saturday night.
Why?
A year ago, BYU lost five straight games to end the season for many of the same reasons Iowa State failed last week against Kansas: injuries to the defense. Playing third- and fourth-stringers. Putting young players on the field who struggle to hold position integrity.
Kansas beat BYU last year 38-27 and physically just beat them.
Kansas whipped Iowa State last week 45-36 with Jalon Daniels throwing for 295 yards and two TDs, Devin Neal rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, and receiver Quentin Skinner gaining 135 yards and a TD on just four catches. It was a beatdown.
If there’s one glaring difference between the BYU-Kansas game this year compared to last year, it is that BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill has almost all his defensive players healthy, oriented, experienced and playing at a high level, thus a nine-game win streak.
Kansas will be a real handful for the Cougars’ defense. No question Daniels’ ability to pass and run will be a challenge for Hill and Company since they have struggled all season with mobile QBs. Covering Neal and having gap control and edge integrity is imperative and keeping the ball away from Skinner is its own battle.
A key for BYU is to do what it did on offense at UCF — keep Kansas’ offense on the sidelines by having Aaron Roderick’s offense maintain possession with long drives and scores.
“They are really well-coached,” Roderick told reports this past week. “They are really good at what they do. A year ago they got after us really good. Their secondary is real good. They execute their stuff. They seem to have a new wrinkle every week for somebody you aren’t ready for. We’re going to see something on Saturday we haven’t seen this year.”
Kansas coach Lance Leipold said every year the Big 12 has a team that comes seemingly out of nowhere and BYU is that team. “It’s like TCU did, Baylor, we had our moments and Iowa State and Colorado have too, but this year BYU is that story.”
Leipold said after his team beat BYU last year, BYU’s staff obviously examined what they needed to do to get better in the Big 12 and they addressed that with more physicality. He said it is evident BYU is far more physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Saturday’s game will be decided by defense — whichever one can make stops and gain turnovers. Kansas gets more sacks, BYU leads the league in interceptions and special team play.
In Boulder, Colorado, look for Utah to field a defense that will give Deion Sanders some problems and you’d expect the Utes to hold down the Buffs playmaking with the short passes. But with an ailing offense and a mountain of injuries to the quarterback corps, Utah will be hard-pressed to put up enough points to win this game.
Utah coach Kyle Whttingham has had a draining week dating back to the emotional one-point loss at home to BYU and loss of QB Brandon Rose and tight end Brant Kuithe.
“That’s tough and that’s a challenge for us, without a doubt,” Whittingham said. “We poured everything we had into that game, obviously as we do every week. But that game takes a little more of an emotional toll. We need to come back just like we do every Monday — win or lose — you come back and get ready for the next guys. You have to move on and put things behind you — win or lose.
“That’s our challenge right now is to regroup as a coaching staff, regroup as a football team, and be prepared to play these last three games. It’s just the nature of the game.”
Last week 12-6; overall 141-50 (.738)