Opponent Tracker: Week 6 Results for BYU's 2012 Opponents

While Brigham Young Cougar fans probably didn’t expect Oregon State or Notre Dame to still be undefeated at this point, they probably didn’t expect their opponents’ overall record to be so far under 0.500 either. Depending on the week, for the rest of the season the BYU opponents are either really good, or really bad.

Washington State (2-4): Lost 19-6 to No. 14 Oregon State. The Cougars failed to score a touchdown and threw four interceptions as they lost to a ranked opponent for the second straight week. It was closer than would be expected for a game played against a top 15 team. Next week things should be slightly easier for them as they face Cal in Pullman.

Next game: Cal, Oct. 13

Weber State (0-6): Lost 37-13 to FCS No. 20 ranked Cal Poly. Will Weber State win a game this year?

Next game: Sacramento State, Oct. 13

Utah (2-3): Lost 38-28 to No. 13 USC. The Utes started off hot but couldn’t hold the explosive USC offensive down, and were outscored 38-14 in the final 50 minutes. Utah is in jeopardy of not making a bowl game for the first time since 2002. That loss to Utah State earlier in the season may be more meaningful than anyone knew.

Next game: UCLA, Oct. 13

No. 24 Boise State (4-1): Defeated Southern Miss 40-14. Southern Miss is usually a solid team, but they have started this season 0-5. However, the win got the Broncos back into the top 25 and Boise State’s schedule is pretty soft the rest of the way. Their wins will probably help them climb the polls the rest of the season.

Next game: Fresno State, Oct. 13

Hawaii (1-4): Lost 52-14 to San Diego State. The Warriors have given up 168 points in the past three games. Norm Chow’s defense is struggling right now, but could catch a break next week as they face New Mexico.

Next game: New Mexico, Oct. 13

Utah State (4-2): Lost 6-3 to BYU. The Aggies are a good team. Much like the Cougars, they are a couple of field goals away from potentially being undefeated this season. They start WAC play next week in a pivotal game against San Jose State.

Next game: San Jose State, Oct. 13

No. 10 Oregon State (4-0): Won 19-6 over Washington State. Oregon State is undefeated as they head into Provo, something that was unforeseen before the season started. None of the Beavers’ games have been blowouts though. This win over WAZZU was their first of the season that was by more than a touchdown. The win, however, moved the Beavers up to No. 10 in the AP poll.

Next game: BYU, Oct. 13

No. 7 Notre Dame (5-0): Defeated Miami (FL) 41-3. After Miami had received some hype during the week leading up to the game, Notre Dame shut everyone up and blew the Hurricane away. The win moved them up to No. 7 in this week’s AP poll. The Irish defense looks very good right now. Could the Cougars see another game where both teams score under 10 points? The Irish face their third ranked opponent next week as Stanford comes to town.

Next game: No. 17 Stanford, Oct. 13

Georgia Tech (2-4): Lost 47-31 to No. 15 Clemson. The Yellow Jackets held a 31-30 lead early in the fourth quarter before giving up 17 straight points to Clemson to end the game. They have dropped down to 2-4, but still look like a dangerous team. Three of their losses have come to teams that will definitely play in bowl games, and they were competitive in all of those games. However, this three game skid can be demoralizing. Georgia Tech now has a week off before facing Boston College and then BYU.

Next game: Boston College, Oct. 20

Idaho (1-5): Defeated New Mexico State 26-18 to get their first win of the season. In the battle for potentially the worst team in the WAC, Idaho came out on top. Who knows, maybe Idaho can get another win before they face the Cougars in a month? The good news is, the Vandals' win will likely move them out of the No. 1 spot in ESPN's bottom-10 poll.

Next game:  Texas State, Oct. 13

San Jose State (4-1): Bye week, did not play. Next week the Spartans start WAC play, where they look to compete with Utah State and No. 23 Louisiana Tech for the conference title.

Next game: Utah State, Oct. 13

New Mexico State (1-5): Lost 26-18 to Idaho. Last week I said Idaho was the worst team in the WAC. I guess I was wrong, as Idaho beat New Mexico State. Either way, both teams are bad and don’t help the Cougars’ strength of schedule.

Next game: Utah State, Oct. 20

Opponents’ overall record: 30-34 


The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com

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