With Sean Mannion getting hurt, it's tough to imagine Coach Riley will put too much on the shoulders of new QB Cody Vaz. However, Oregon State has not had success running the football. BYU's front 7 isn't the top of front where the Beavers can hope to get that going. I think there will be a lot of screens and quick passes, mixed in with a couple of deep shots. They have to get the ball out of his hand quickly to slow down the BYU pass rush. But if the DBs creep up as well b/c of the short passes, that can render the strategy ineffective. If Vaz can successfully work in a couple of deep shots, that gives the DBs some pause about moving up. That would be my gameplan with a young QB against this BYU defense.
The BYU D doesn't have to change a thing. The front 7 needs to continue to control the 5 yards on each side of the line of scrimmage. The DBs have done well for the most part. They struggle where most secondaries struggle: the intermediate routes. I don't foresee Oregon State attacking those areas consistently. It takes more time and protection. They won't risk Cody Vaz.
This matchup is good for BYU. I suspect BYU can hold Oregon State to around 300 yards. The success of BYU's scoring D will depend more on BYU's O than it will on Oregon State's O...I would be shocked if Oregon State had more than 2 scoring DRIVES. So it's up to BYU's O and special teams to not give Oregon State field position. The D will take care of its business.
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