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BYU players to watch

QB Jake Heaps • He played well in last year's close loss to Utah, but has generally struggled against teams from BCS conferences, including this year at Ole Miss and Texas.

RB J.J. Di Luigi • The senior is again shouldering much of the offensive load, both running with the ball and catching it, and will certainly be a focus of the Utah defense.

LB Brandon Ogletree • The junior missed Saturday's loss at Texas with a concussion, and it showed late when the Longhorns began wearing down the Cougars tired linebackers. If the Utes can run the ball, BYU's in trouble.

S Daniel Sorensen • He had an interception against Texas and generally played well, but will be tested immensely by the Utes' quick slants and bubble screens in the middle of the field.

Utah players to watch

QB Jordan Wynn • Wynn doesn't have the same arm strength he had before surgery in December but does have experience in big-time atmospheres. He said he knows how to "play the game within the game of football," and pick his points of attack wisely.

RB John White • The junior college transfer must have a good game to help Wynn carry the offense. If he gets stuffed early, it's going to be a long day for the Utes.

LB Brian Blechen • The linebacker is Utah's proven big play maker on the defensive side. He had two picks against Montana State and forced a fumble against USC.

K Coleman Petersen • Even though the walk-on's kick was blocked against USC, Utah is sticking with him as the place kicker. Perhaps he'll get the setup every kicker dreams about and get a chance to redeem himself with a game winning kick against BYU.

When BYU has the ball

The Cougars will try to establish the running game, something they failed to do last week against the Longhorns. Receivers Ross Apo, McKay Jacobson and Cody Hoffman should be targeted more than they were the first two weeks, as offensive coordinator Brandon Doman reacts to criticism of conservative play-calling.

Running back Josh Quezada has shown glimpses of being the Cougars' best back, but he's been out-of-sync this month, perhaps due to missing much of training camp with a bum ankle. Look for Quezada to have a big role early as coaches work to get him involved and take some pressure off J.J. Di Luigi.

Another priority for BYU will be keeping Utah off-balance on first down, after looking predictable against Texas. Utah's defense is opportunistic, and flourishes when it has opponents in a hole.

When Utah has the ball

Don't look for Jordan Wynn to throw the ball deep, but to try to beat the Cougars with a lot of short passes and slants.

DeVonte Christopher is the Utes' top receiver with 13 catches for 147 yards, but watch for freshman Dres Anderson to have a big game, too. He played well in the pressure atmosphere at USC so he should be able to handle the big-game atmosphere of BYU.

The Utes must get a run game going to help Wynn. The main rushing duties fall to John White, but watch for Reggie Dunn to get more touches too. He had a 51-yard rush against USC and is one of the team's fastest players with a 4.32 in the 40.

BYU's intangibles

Winning tight games has been a Cougar specialty under coach Bronco Mendenhall, but last year's 17-16 loss at Utah snapped a streak of 12 straight wins in games decided by seven points or fewer. Regaining that close-game confidence could be critical, because BYU hasn't defeated Utah by more than a touchdown since 1996.

Utah's intangibles

Even though the Utes have lost their past two games in Provo, Utah has a tradition of playing well on the Cougars' field. That history, plus having an experienced offensive coordinator such as Norm Chow should help the Utes. Utah's defense also has some confidence after facing two good quarterbacks in the past two games.

How BYU got here

Sept. 3: BYU 14, Mississippi 13 • Offense sputters and gives up a 97-yard interception return, but defense bails out the Cougars when Kyle Van Noy strips Ole Miss QB, returns fumble for a TD.

Sept. 10: Texas 17, BYU 16 • Cougars blow a 13-3 halftime lead with a dismal second-half performance on offense, generating just 67 yards in the Texas heat after the break.

How Utah got here

Sept. 1: Utah 27, Montana State 10 • Wynn passed for just 101 yards, prompting coach Kyle Whittingham to call the passing offense "abysmal."

Sept. 10: USC 23, Utah 14 • Utah had a chance to tie the game but Coleman Petersen's 41-yard attempt was blocked.