Although some might be quick to point out caveats, the fact remains that both the 16th-ranked Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars football teams are in the top 10 in the country in several statistical categories.
Starting on offense, the Cougars are second in the country in rushing yards per game at 312.5, behind only the Navy Midshipmen. LJ Martin leads the way with 241 of BYU’s 625 rushing yards on the young season, while 13 of his teammates have at least two rushing yards.
The Utes, meanwhile are fourth in the country in total rushing yards with 870, behind only the Midshipmen, Indiana Hoosiers and Missouri Tigers. Devon Dampier leads the way with 198 rushing yards, but Wayshawn Parker is just behind him with 192, and NaQuari Rogers and Hunter Andrews have also eclipsed the 100-yard mark, and five others have gained at least four rushing yards.
Back to the Cougars, they are ninth in points per game with an average of 48, and they have scored them in a variety of ways on offense as well as on defense and special teams.
Defensively, both Utah and BYU are in the top 10 in the country in fewest points given up and fewest points given up per game. The Cougars are first in both statistics, having given up just three points for an average of 1.5 per contest, while the Utes are eighth in points given up per game and 10th in total points given up.
BYU is also in the top 10 in all the main statistics regarding yards given up — total yards, total yards per game, passing yards, passing yards per game, rushing yards and rushing yards per game.
Now, the caveats. It has been well-chronicled that both the Utes and Cougars have played lesser competition so far this season. Both have played a bad FCS team and a bad Power Four team, while Utah has played an extra game against a bad Group of Five team.
Regarding that extra game, that’s important to note when observing statistical outputs so far. Utah has played three games so its total numbers are higher than BYU because the Cougars have only played twice, but BYU’s averages are better because it has played one fewer game than most teams.