BYU had an entire offseason to prepare for the only game on their schedule that matters to them.
NIU played Illinois State in week 1 and I guarantee they spent 2 months preparing for the Utes and 2 hours preparing for the Redbirds.
USC was ALWAYS going to be a tough matchup for us and they were essentially playing for Helton’s job. The fact that we refused to adjust our coverage is the only head-scratcher moment for me all season.
UCLA and Washington both had bye weeks to prepare and ran a very scripted offense that was designed specifically for our tendencies. We adapted well in each game.
The thing that I think is ironic is that we are perceived as slow starters due to our overwhelming success. Even the commentators during the UCLA game talked about how we allow less than 70 yards rushing in a game on average and the Bruins were almost there midway through the first quarter. In the end, we gave up 50 yards rushing total.