BYU and Colorado face off in this year’s Alamo Bowl. It could be decided by who takes better care of the football.
BYU Football is a good team. They can pass, kick, run, and most importantly, take the ball away. BYU lead the country in interceptions this season and more often than not, those takeaways turned into points. BYU is 5-1 this year when they win the turnover battle and they have the defensive weapons to make it happen.
Colorado has a dynamic two-way player named Travis Hunter who excels on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he averages 12.5 yards per reception. Hunter has scored 14 touchdowns throughout the season and averages 96 yards per game.
Defensively, Travis Hunter has four interceptions and a forced fumble. BYU will have to be careful when throwing the ball his way. Also, BYU will have to work heavily on ball security as Travis Hunter will be looking to strip the ball away. Hunter is a dual threat player and BYU would do well if they turn the tables and take the ball away from him.
How will turnovers affect the game?
Both teams know how to take the ball away. At the same time, both teams are turnover-prone. BYU turned the ball over in most of their games and it came back to bite them against Kansas and Arizona State. Colorado has turned the ball over 13 times, compared to BYU’s 18.
Turnovers turn into points and lost scoring opportunities. The more a team turns the ball over, the more points they lose, and the more their opponent can score. Additionally, the later you get into a game, the less and less time you have to catch up.
When BYU played Kansas State and Arizona, they forced turnovers in quick succession that led to points, giving BYU a big lead in both games. Those turnovers sometimes gave BYU short fields and as a result, gave the Cougars easy points. This is also true for Colorado. The Buffaloes forced turnovers deep in opposing territory and scored off of them.
In the end, the team that wins the turnover battle will most likely win the game. BYU and Colorado both have weapons that can take the ball away and it is going to be a spectacular showdown in San Antonio.
