No. 9 Baylor (1-0) will look to win their second-straight game over No. 21 BYU (1-0) on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). This is the first time that Baylor is playing in Provo, Utah since the 1984 season. However, the Bears defeated the Cougars 38-24 in Waco, Texas last season.
In last year's matchup, Abram Smith and Trestan Ebner, who are both in the NFL, crushed the Cougars' defense on the ground with 283 yards and three touchdowns. Baylor dominated BYU in the trenches, holding Tyler Allgeier to only 33 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. However, Jaren Hall completed 71 percent of his passes for 342 yards and a touchdown. He also added 25 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 14-point loss.
The Cougars are hoping for a better performance from their defense and for Hall to lead them to a huge non-conference win. Last week, BYU opened up the regular season with a 29-point road win over USF. Hall completed 25-of-32 passes for 261 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Meanwhile, BYU had 312 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.
MORE WEEK 2 CFB BETTING: Top 25 picks ATS | Best props
As for the Bears, sophomore Blake Shapen takes over under center. The former four-star recruit is replacing Gerry Bohanon, who entered the transfer portal in the spring and joined USF. Shapen played in five games and started in two games, including the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State, for the Bears last season.
In last week's regular-season opener against Albany, Shapen completed 17-of-20 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Bears head coach Dave Aranda will be looking for his young quarterback to make plays against a BYU defense that is looking to make amends for last year's defeat.
Below, we break down what you need to know before you bet on this Week 2 matchup between the Bears and Cougars.
Baylor vs. BYU odds
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
- Spread: BYU -3
- Over/under: 53.5
- Moneyline: Baylor +130; BYU -155
Three trends to know
— The Cougars are an impressive 14-1 straight up in their past 15 home games, giving them a true home-field advantage over their competition.
— BYU is 5-22-1 against top-10 teams in program history, with its last win over a ranked team happening in 2018 (Wisconsin).
— The Bears are 5-1 straight up as an underdog over the past two seasons, according to BetQL's Bryan Zarpentine.
Take advantage of BetQL’s 3-day free trial and see all of our best bets across all sports, including college football, NFL and MLB!
Three things to watch
— Jaren Hall vs. Baylor's defense: Hall did not play badly in last season's matchup against the Bears, but it was not enough to pull off the win. If the Cougars want to win 15 out of their past 16 games at home, they need a masterful performance from the veteran quarterback. Hall can beat you from the pocket and does not make a ton of mistakes. Last season, Hall's TD-to-INT ratio was 4:1. If Hall takes care of the ball and the Cougars get some production from their running game, they should be in good shape.
— Blake Shapen faces true road test: The sophomore quarterback looks like the real deal after what he was able to do against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. The young signal-caller carved up OSU to the tune of 23-of-28 passing, 180 yards, and three touchdowns. He'll now face a BYU defense that returns all 11 starters. Last season, the Cougars' defense allowed 231.9 passing yards per game (70th in the country) and averaged 1.5 turnovers per game (44th). It should be a fun chess match between Shapen and BYU's defense.
— Will BYU's running game step up?: The Cougars need their running game to show up and show out against Baylor on Saturday night. Last season, the Bears' defense had their way with Allgeier, who is now in the NFL with the Falcons. However, senior running back Christopher Brooks has a chance to slow down that Bears' pass rush and keep scoring drives going for BYU. Last week, the 6-1, 230-pound running back had 135 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. The Cougars don't necessarily need 135 yards on Saturday night from Brooks, but if he can get the near century mark, it will help the offense tremendously.
UPDATE: BYU WRs Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney are OUT.
Baylor vs. BYU prediction
The Cougars still remember the beatdown Baylor gave them in Waco last season. They will try and deliver the knockout blow to the Bears, who have a young quarterback under center. There will be a lot of points scored between the two offenses, as both quarterbacks can throw it around. However, BYU will use its home-field advantage and walk away with a six-point win.
Final score: BYU 30, Baylor 24; BYU (-3) covers the spread at home, while the total goes OVER.
