Here’s how BYU’s defense plans to get better in 2024, and the players who could make it happen

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake puts his hand on defensive coordinator Jay Hill as BYU and Oklahoma play at LaVell Edwards stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. As the Cougars prepare for the 2024 season during spring drills in Provo this month, a point of emphasis has been improving on that side of the ball. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

For BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill and his staff, the honeymoon is over.

It’s time to put up or shut up.

The Cougars’ defense was given a grace period, of sorts, last year after Hill was hired to replace Ilaisa Tuiaki and restore the unit to its past glory.

“I think last year, a little bit, there was not enough trust in everything. I think this spring you see when all 11 guys are doing it together, good things will happen.”

BYU coach Kalani Sitake on the BYU defense

Immediate results were mixed. The Cougars jumped out to a 4-1 record, and the defense played reasonably well after shutting out a Sam Houston team in the opener that proved to be punchless on offense the entire season.

The only early loss was at Kansas, a 38-27 setback that was more on the offense, which allowed KU to get two defensive touchdowns. Then the bottom fell out, compounded by the loss of star linebacker and leading tackler Ben Bywater to a shoulder injury in the second half of the KU game.

The Cougars were riddled in the passing game by a third-string quarterback in the 44-11 loss at TCU, and would give up 31 points or more in each of their last five games when they desperately needed a win to get bowl eligible. The lowest point was back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Iowa State and coach Kalani Sitake questioning whether the defenders trusted Hill’s system.

As Sitake remarked last week, the defense seemed to have “figured it out” in the last two games, close losses to Oklahoma (31-24)…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/byu-defense-plans-better-2024-183702862.html

Author : Deseret News

Publish date : 2024-03-12 18:37:02

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