BYU Football 2015 Spring Recap  

BYU OFFENSE

Overall the BYU offense should be better as they have quarterback Taysom Hill, a potential Heisman trophy candidate, returning from a broken leg that only let him play four complete games last year. Also returning is the Cougars top running back, Jamaal Williams who was injured most of the year and only played in seven games. A healthy Hill and Williams will give the Cougars a chance in every game as the running game will be just as potent as the passing game can be.

When it comes to the receiving group, the Cougars are happy to bring back leading receiver Mitch Mathews who had 73 catches for 922 yards and nine touchdowns. Jordan Leslie will be a loss but Nick Kurtz is coming back from an injury and will look to fill the void left by Leslie. Devon Blackmon will also look to fill the gap as he finds more time on the field.

Another player that will make the offense better is Terenn Houk. He fits well in the Cougars offense as a receiver/tight end and will get looks at both spots. And don’t forget the running backs that can catch the ball and run. The offense loves to use Williams out of the back field as more than a safety valve.

BYU DEFENSE

The defense is hard to tab this year but it would be difficult to call them worse than last year. The Cougars lost some seniors but with the reorganization of the coaching staff the defensive play calling has reverted back to Bronco Mendenhall.

Last year it appeared that a combination of injuries and players that didn’t buy into the Nick Howell system caused the defense to appear worse than the talent that was on the team.

With a more rejuvenated defense and players that are sold on the system, the Cougars defense should rebound and show better than they did in 2014.

BUYING OR SELLING?

Even with the improvements on both sides of the ball, the Cougars are going to have a tough time reaching the goal of double digit wins.

The Cougars once again have amped up their schedule for the year as they will come out of the gate facing Nebraska, UCLA, and Michigan on the road. Their only home game in September will be against Boise State. With the tougher schedule that also includes East Carolina, Cincinnati, Utah State and Missouri the Cougars will have to fight to win eight or nine games.

The Cougars will have a chance to win each game on the schedule, but collectively it will be a daunting task. That being said, optimism still abounds and the improvements are putting me still on the buying end of this team and I would anticipate another eight win season, even against this schedule.

Kevin Kennedy from Vanquish The Foe provided the information for our BYU football 2015 spring recap.  For more BYU football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Kevin on Twitter @Kevin4byu.