Can BYU’s defense slow down Kansas State QB Avery Johnson?

Sean Walker, KSL.com

PROVO — (KSL.com) Three weeks into nan 2024 assemblage shot season, BYU is undefeated and boasts 1 of nan apical defenses successful nan Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Cougars (3-0) are No. 14th nationally successful full defense aft wins complete FCS Southern Illinois, SMU and Wyoming — nan second 2 connected nan roadworthy — and rank 36th successful scoring defense averaging 14 points per game.

But if there’s been a glaring eyesore connected protect coordinator Jay Hill’s movie reappraisal each week, it’s been nan backmost tally game.

SIU awesome caller DJ Williams was held to 98 passing yards, but ran for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns successful a 41-13 nonaccomplishment to nan Cougars. Kevin Jennings ran 9 times for 38 yards successful alleviation of SMU’s 19-15 nonaccomplishment successful northbound Texas.

Most recently, nan Cougars were occasionally gashed by Wyoming’s Evan Svoboda — a 42% passer — for 32 yards connected 10 carries, including a brace of touchdown runs successful nan Cowboys’ loss.

That would beryllium Avery Johnson, nan starting backmost astatine No. 13 Kansas State who will lead nan likewise unbeaten Wildcats (3-0) into LaVell Edwards Stadium looking to look 1-0 successful Big 12 play.

The sophomore awesome caller has thrown for 490 yards pinch six touchdowns and conscionable 1 interception successful 3 games this year, and unleashed his dual-threat quality pinch 156 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and 110 yards rushing successful a 31-7 triumph complete Arizona (that was not played arsenic a convention game).

“They’ve sewage our afloat attraction and focus, obviously,” said Hill, who instantly noted Johnson’s dual-threat athleticism aft Tuesday’s practice. “He reminds maine a batch of nan SMU backmost we conscionable faced; a bully thrower, but a really bully athleticism and could tally nan ball. I thought we did a bully occupation of containing him — but we sewage nan aforesaid occupation this week.

“Avery Johnson tin tally it, tin propulsion it, and he’s sewage bully weapons astir him — and he’s sewage a really bully violative line. There are challenges, but we for illustration our mentation correct now and we for illustration wherever nan players are astatine mentally.”

Of course, corralling Johnson and nan Cougars will besides person to woody pinch Dylan Edwards. The Wildcats’ sophomore moving backmost totaled much than 600 yards of discourtesy a twelvemonth agone pinch 5 touchdowns, and is connected his measurement pinch 138 yards and 2 scores done 3 games of his sophomore campaign.

“We cognize that they’re a very disciplined team,” BYU linebacker Harrison Taggart said. “Avery Johnson is simply a baller; it’s conscionable astir staying disciplined to our keys, doing what nan coaches person taught us, and staying existent to us.”

The Cougars person been led by a bevy of pack tacklers, pinch Taggart starring 4 double-digit tacklers and 17 players pinch astatine slightest 5 stops to commencement nan season.

It’ll return a group effort to slow down Johnson, Edwards and Co. connected Saturday nighttime — but that’s been BYU’s M.O. done nan first month.

“I emotion it erstwhile nan full defense gets to eat,” Taggart said. “It’s nosy celebrating pinch your brothers, erstwhile each 11 guys are rallying together. There’s thing for illustration it. I’m happy it’s dispersed out; it intends everyone is fitting their assignments they’re expected to be.”

Plenty of assemblage shot teams person defended moving quarterbacks for illustration Johnson pinch a “spy,” and that subordinate could beryllium a linebacker for illustration Taggart, Isaiah Glasker aliases Jack Kelly. The Cougars person plentifulness of different options, from protect extremity Isaiah Bagnah and back, for that role.

There’s moreover a bully chance a different subordinate rotates nan duty — aliases nan duty gets rotated, pinch much players bringing unit to “keep him connected his toes” instead, Hill says.

“Avery Johnson is simply a really awesome quarterback, and they person a batch of heavy threats connected offense,” Kelly said. “The O-line is ace beingness and they person a awesome group of backs, truthful I deliberation it will beryllium a large trial for us. I deliberation if we do our occupation and we each do our one-11th, we’re going to person a bully outcome.

“I deliberation our coaches will do a awesome occupation installing everything we request to person fresh for him,” he added, “and I deliberation arsenic agelong arsenic we each do our jobs, nan strategy that nan coaches person fresh for america is going to beryllium what determines nan result of this game.”

Whatever nan strategy calls, it’ll astir apt return a Herculean effort to limit Johnson’s damage, some pinch his legs arsenic good arsenic his arm.

“You can’t time off him unaccounted for,” BYU protect extremity Tyler Batty said. “He tin propulsion nan shot well. He tin tally really well. I deliberation he’s a bully quarterback, and I deliberation it’s a bully situation for our protect unit.”