PROVO, Utah - BYU vs West Virginia is one of the first games on the week six college football slate, as the two Big 12 foes square off in a Friday night matchup.
Friday night games are a tradition for BYU football on weekends in early October when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds its Semiannual General Conference sessions. That's the case this weekend.
BYU will look to improve on its strong 4-0 start to the season with another victory in Big 12 play. The Cougars are 1-0 in conference action, following a 24-21 win over Colorado in Boulder a week ago.
Meanwhile, West Virginia is struggling. The Mountaineers are 2-3 overall and are 0-2 in Big 12 action. Maybe more concerning than the losses is the fact that West Virginia is getting blown out in league games.
The Mountaineers have been outscored in their first two Big 12 games (against Kansas and Utah), 99-24.
West Virginia leads the all-time series 2-0, with both of the previous meetings occurring during the Kalani Sitake era. BYU lost to WVU in Landover, Maryland, in 2016, then were hammered in 2023, the first meeting as Big 12 foes in Morgantown, 37-7.
1. BYU is back at LES after a long break between home games
The Cougars are back at home for the first time since September 6, when they defeated Stanford. BYU swept a pair of road games at East Carolina and Colorado the past two weekends. Now, they return home for a Big 12 home opener.
BYU is 2-0 in Big 12 home openers since joining the league in 2023.
Like the Stanford game nearly a month ago, BYU is a considerable favorite in tonight's game. It's the third time in the last four home games where BYU finds itself as a double-digit favorite over a Power Four opponent.
2. BYU has the personnel to wear down West Virginia over the course of the game
For an underdog like West Virginia, it would be preferred to eat up the clock and run the ball as much as possible. However, WVU doesn't have the size in the trenches to overwhelm BYU. The Mountaineers have two offensive linemen under 300 pounds on this week's depth chart.
So WVU will probably need to cause headaches for BYU with its tempo and speed. But do they have enough of that to overwhelm BYU? Probably not in year one for Rich Rodriguez.
BYU is 130th nationally in seconds per play, snapping the ball every 30.7 seconds. They have the size and physicality to wear down West Virginia, which has only one guy above 300 pounds on the defensive front.
This could be a strong performance for running back LJ Martin tonight.
3. Let's see some more shots down the field with Bear Bachmeier
Through four games this season, true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has attempted 11 passes that have sailed at least 20 yards down the field. He's completed four of those attempts.
BYU's offensive staff, led by offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, has been very effective in utilizing Bachmeier in games. Last week, in the win at Colorado, being a great example, the Buffs locked in on LJ Martin; BYU had no problem turning to Bachmeier to run the ball.
However, the great BYU offenses have the ability to stretch the field through the air. Bachmeier has given some glimpses of those moments; let's see more tonight against a Mountaineers defense that ranks 91st nationally in team pass efficiency defense.
1. What direction does West Virginia go at quarterback?
Reports emerged on Thursday from West Virginia beat writers that Khalil Wilkins is expected to get the start at quarterback for the Mountaineers against BYU. Wilkins provided a small spark off the bench for WVU in the loss against Utah.
Still, this is a West Virginia team that has played four different quarterbacks this season, so anything is on the table.
Wilkins has good speed. BYU had struggles slowing down Kaidon Salter on the ground early in Boulder last week. We will see what type of impact Wilkins has against BYU's defense, which remains No. 8 nationally in stopping the run, allowing only 76.3 yards per game.
2. Will BYU start strong in this game?
BYU's offense didn't score any touchdowns in the first half against East Carolina. Last week against Colorado, it wasn't until late in the second quarter that they reached the end zone. Don't give an underdog any hope of hanging around. Put the hammer down early and put the game out of reach. If BYU can pull away early, it would allow for some extra rest before the weekend, when it heads out on the road next week against Arizona.
BYU gets the win over West Virginia. The Mountaineers are banged up offensively. They could be getting Tye Edwards back, who is listed as probable. Edwards hasn't played since the Mountaineers' win over Pitt.
Still, there's no need to overthink this one. BYU jumps out to a strong start, and LJ Martin breaks the century mark once again as the Cougars roll to a 5-0 start.
Score Prediction: BYU 38, West Virginia 16
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch's coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.