The BYU Cougars welcome in the Houston Cougars in college football action Thursday night. The game is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have BYU favored at home by a comfortable margin in this one.
BYU has been very impressive this season. They opened their first two games on the road, but came away with two wins over Connecticut and Texas by a combined 59 points. The Cougs have given up just 17 points all season, but will be tested in this game tonight as Houston brings in an offense that scored 47 points against Grambling State last week.
This isn't the same Houston team that scored at will in year's past, which is why they are a near-three touchdown underdog on the road in Provo. LeVell Edwards Stadium is a tough place to play as BYU has won 16 of the last 20 home games there dating back to the 2011 season, including wins over power conference schools.
Taysom Hill is one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in college football. Through two games this season he's combined for 685 yards of total offense and accounted for eight touchdowns. Houston is going to have a problem keeping him grounded in this game as the Cougars will be moving the football frequently.
This year's BYU team is looking to exceed expectations. During Bronco Mendenhall's tenure at Provo the Cougars have always had good defense teams, but sometimes weren't the best offensively. This year they seem to have the complete package and although it's only two games into the season, BYU certainly looks very good.
These schools met up last season with BYU picking up a 47-46 win over the Cougars. That game had eight different lead changes and a couple of ties as neither team was able to build a double digit lead. BYU actually trailed late in that contest as Houston scored deep in the fourth quarter, forcing BYU to have to march down the field and score a late touchdown in order to get a win.
Houston is having to travel on a short week as both schools played on Saturday, but they're heading into the Provo air, where it could be a problem.
BYU will be better equipped to play at that altitude, at night, and have the better overall team. The point spread is a big one, but the Cougars from Provo should have no problem winning this game.
Free Pick: BYU 40, Houston 28
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