After an offseason full of trash talk and typical rivalry banter, it is finally game week for the Utah Utes. Thursday night, the Utes will kick off against the BYU Cougars as the Utes look to start the 2019 season off on the right note as well as extend their winning streak against their beloved rivals. Utah beat the Cougs in the last game of the regular season in 2018 after outscoring BYU 35-7 in the second half. Even though there is a talent gap between the two programs, the Holy War is known for its competitiveness and intensity. Coach Kyle Whittingham and Kilane Sitake are familiar with each other and each other’s schemes which means this game could turn into a chessmatch. To have a better look at this matchup, let’s look at the individual position battles:

Quarterback:

In this only game against BYU, Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley passed for 300 yards and also, led the Utes in rushing with 89 yards. Huntley is anxious to bounce back after an injury ended his 2018 season a few games short. The Utah offense will go as far as Huntley will take them. He has plenty of receivers as well as a deep group of running backs alongside him and Huntley should be able to take advantage of an unproven BYU secondary. On the other side of the ball, Sophomore Zach Wilson, opened many eyes with his strong performance in the second half of the 2018 season. This included a bowl win against Western Michigan in which Wilson completed all 18 of his passes. Wilson has a bright future and played well against the Utes last year, but still has not beaten a P-5 opponent.

Running Backs:

The biggest question in this position battle is the health of Utah’s Zack Moss. However, even if the Utes are without Zack Moss, Utah still has the advantage in this matchup. Devontae Henry-Cole is slotted to back up Moss, but, do not forget about the likes of Jordan Wilmore, who the coaches have been high on all fall camp, T.J. Green as well as Devin Brumfield. This group is deep and each back has his own specialty. For the Cougars, South Carolina transfer, Ty’Son Williams is listed to start. In 2018, he tallied 328 yards on 70 carries and accounted for four touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how Coach Jeff Grimes plans on using the graduate transfer.

Receivers:

The Utes return almost 100% of their receiving core from the 2018 season. This position group is highlighted by Provo native, Britain Covey who caught 60 balls for 632 yards last year. The player to watch for the Utes is Bryan Thompson who has had an inconsistent career due to injuries. Nevertheless, Coach Kyle Whittingham believes that Bryan Thompson is the best athlete for the Utes and could cause matchup problems for the Cougars. BYU returns their leading receiver from last year as well in Aleva Hifo. He accounted for 358 yards and 28 catches last year. BYU will rely heavily on their tight ends as well, which will take away from the production of their receivers. It is also worth mentioning senior Talon Shumway, who will start on the opposite side of Hifo. Shumway finished third in receiving for the Cougars in 2018.

Tight Ends:

Junior Tight End Matt Buschman played his best game of the year last year against the Utes after catching six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He created matchup problems for the Utah linebackers and safeties. He will be Zach Wilson’s first target and it is likely that BYU tries to test the inexperienced Utah linebackers. Buschman might be the best tight end on the field on Thursday, but, the depth of Utah is why this position battle ends up in a tie. Sophomores Cole Fotheringham and Brant Kuithe were a bright spot in the Utah offense last year. Andy Ludwig plans using more of a “smash mouth” attack which could include multiple tight ends. Also, the late addition of transfer Hunter Thedford will also help the Utah offense.

Offensive Line:

This game on Thursday will most likely be won in the trenches and both teams will need the help of their offensive line. The Cougars do not have one senior on their offensive line and they will be tested against one of the best defensive lines in the nation. The Cougs must protect Wilson (and his shoulder) for them to have a chance. For the Utes, this position group is arguably the biggest question mark. The size is there for the Utes, but it might take some time for this group to achieve the level of consistency that they like. Look for freshman Jonny Maea to make an immediate impact at the right guard spot.

Defensive Line:

There are not many teams in the nation that will win this battle against the Utes. The return of Leki Fotu and Bradlee Anae highlight this incredibly deep defensive line for Utah. This group is ten players deep and there will be fresh legs throughout the game. This depth was one of the difference makers in the 2018 matchup. Morgan Scalley will look to use many blitzes and stunts with this group to confuse the sophomore quarterback on the other side of the ball. Returning for the cougs is noseguard Khiyris Tonga as well as defensive end Devin Kaufusi. The Utah offensive line is inexperienced, but BYU has struggled to get to the quarterback as of late.

Linebackers:

This battle is a close but as both teams do not have much experience at this position. For BYU, Isaiah Kaufusi and Zayne Anderson will take most of the workload at linebacker. Kaufusi played well in the 2018 matchup but, they will need some help from their reserves to stop the Utah rushing attack. Utah wins this matchup due to the talent level at linebacker. Devin Lloyd and Francis Bernard will start in place of Cody Barton and Chase Hansen. Lloyd has the build to be the next great Utah linebacker but he will be tested on Thursday night. BYU will try to match him up on Buschman when they can to create a mismatch down the field.

Secondary:

The Utah defensive line is so aggressive and take the risks that they do because they know they have a stealth secondary behind them. Jaylon Johnson and Julian Blackmon lead this position group and are likely NFL Draft picks come April. But BYU will not have an easy job throwing against Tareke Lewis or Terrell Burgess as well. Both of these guys played key roles last year as well. Josh Nurse who is the first corner off the bench could also make an impact for the Utes. On the other side, the Cougs welcome back redshirt senior and former Ute, Austin Lee, who is the best player in the secondary for BYU. Also, cornerback, Dayan Ghanwoloku, finished fifth in tackles in 2018 for BYU. However, there is too big of a talent gap in this position group for this one to be very close.

Special Teams:

Everyone has heard about Utah’s desperate search of a kicker which could make a huge impact in Thursday’s game. Nevertheless, Britain Covey will be returning both punts and kickoffs for the Utes and he is one of the best in the nation. Punter Ben Lennon is Utah’s next Aussie phenomenon who will make his debut on Thursday as well. BYU also has freshman Jake Oldroyd taking care of both of the kicking and punting duties which could be trouble for the Cougs. Both teams have a lot to prove in this aspect of the game and it could even determine the outcome.