Week 12 scouting report: BYU

After a two-game skid that cost them a chance at a College Football Playoff berth, Oklahoma got back to its winning ways on Saturday with a 59-20 beatdown of West Virginia last week.

With the victory, the Sooners improved to 8-2 (5-2 Big 12) and kept their hopes for a Big 12 Championship alive, although they will need some help to get to Arlington. However, none of that matters if they don't win each of their next two games.

This week, Oklahoma will head to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU (5-5, 2-5), who is looking to break a skid in their own right, losing each of their last three contests by a combined score of 117-26.

Here's a deeper look at the Cougars and what kind of challenges they'll present to Oklahoma on Saturday morning.

Kickoff: 11:00 p.m. CT, Saturday, November 18

TV: ESPN

Radio: 107.7 FM

Record: 5-5 (2-5)

Last Week: Iowa State 45, BYU 13

Head coach: Kalani Sitake (8th season)

Offensive coordinator: Aaron Roderick (3rd Season)

Defensive coordinator: Jay Hill (1st Season)

Key Players

• Offense: QB Kedon Slovis, RB Aidan Robbins, WR Chase Roberts

• Defense: DL Tyler Batty, LB Max Tooley, DB Jakob Robinson

OFFENSE

• Experience at quarterback: Assuming that Kedon Slovis is able to go on Saturday, BYU will have one of the most experienced quarterbacks that Oklahoma has faced this season. Slovis has attempted 1,534 pass attempts and throw for 11,689 yards and 80 touchdowns over five years. While nothing has come close to his first season with USC, Slovis has seen a lot of football, and that is always valuable.

• Size at the skill positions: The majority of BYU's best skill players are sizable individuals, with the exception of WR Kody Epps (5'11", 187 lbs). WR Chase Roberts is 6'4", 210 lbs. WR Darius Lassiter is 6'3", 205. TE Issac Rex is 6'6", 255 pounds. Size at wideout has given OU issues in the past, so it is something worth noting.

Proven running back: While he hasn't gotten going this season, RB Aidan Robbins was a 1,000-yard rusher at UNLV last season and has the tools to be a good back for the Cougars. When he's had space to work with this season, it's easy to see why he was such a big addition for them this offseason.

DEFENSE

• Tyler Batty: The lone player that jumps out on tape in BYU's front seven is DL Tyler Batty. He seems to be a leader for the group and has amassed 4.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss on the season.

• Jakob Robinson: A 2023 Thorpe Award semifinalist, Jakob Robinson is the best defender in the Cougars' secondary. A junior, and transfer from Utah State, Robinson is tied for eighth nationally with four interceptions on the year, one of which went for a touchdown. BYU ranks third in the Big 12 in interceptions, with 12 on the year, so the pass defense is a relative strength of theirs.

OFFENSE

• Running game: The most glaring weakness BYU has offensively has to be their inability to run the football. On the year, the Cougars are averaging 90.5 rushing yards per game, good for 124th nationally and dead last in the Big 12. Unfortunately, without any threat of a running game...

• Passing game: There's not been much success through the air either. With 209.5 yards passing per game, BYU ranks 13th in the Big 12 and 85th nationally in passing offense. Overall, the Cougars average exactly 300.0 yards per game in 2023, which ranks last in the Big 12 and 123rd nationally. Overall this unit is just not very good, putting up just 21.9 points per game (104th nationally).

DEFENSE

• Rushing Defense: BYU has allowed just north of 180 yards per game on the ground this season, ranking 13th in the Big 12 and 115th nationally. What's worse is, they are also giving up 5.0 yards per carry, which ranks last in the Big 12 as well. The

• Eliminate the crowd early: Oklahoma has struggled mightily on the road this season, particularly with slow starts. The Sooners have allowed their opponent to score the first points in four games this season. Three of those were on the road against Cincy, Kansas, and OSU. Those are easily their three worst offensive performances of the season and all of them were in hostile environments. This week in Provo, they'll face another hostile crowd, and this is a chance to knock a trend.

• Leave Provo healthy: There are no two ways about it, this game is one that Oklahoma should win handily. Coming into the season, it appeared that a trip to Provo might be the toughest road test on the Sooners' 2023 schedule. Now, it's clear that isn't the case as BYU just hasn't been good down the stretch. Getting out of Provo with a win and the team intact is paramount for Oklahoma, with a halfway decent shot at making the Big 12 Championship.

• Keep Gavin Sawchuk rolling: With the emergence of Gavin Sawchuk over the last two weeks, Oklahoma's running game has suddenly found life. Once a struggle for this team, the offensive line and redshirt freshman have seemingly found symmetry in the timing of their running scheme and its resulted in back-to-back games over 100 yards. Keeping him rolling this week is key, as controlling the clock on the road will be big for the Sooners.