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After a 15-point loss at the hands of Washington last bowl season and a disappointing stretch in the middle of this year, BYU gets its chance at redemption and a quality win against Memphis. The Cougars are rolling as of late, scoring their last victory in dramatic fashion over Cal and entering the postseason with the offense firing on all cylinders. However, Memphis has one of the best defenses in the nation and could give Christian Stewart and company some serious trouble. The Tigers allow the fifth fewest points per game in the country and rank 22nd best in yards allowed. Will BYU's offense get going early for a win? Or will Memphis stymie the Cougars for a win of their own? Here's a position-by-position look at this week's matchup and which team will have the edge heading into Monday's bowl game:
Quarterback
Christian Stewart saved his best performance of the season for last against Cal's beleaguered defense, tossing five touchdowns and amassing 433 yards. Memphis will be a much tougher test as the Tigers have allowed only 11 touchdowns through the air all season and hold opposing quarterbacks to only 218 yards passing per game. Stewart will have to coax a few big plays out of his receivers, but also make smart decisions and take care of the ball. If he can toss at least three scores, the Cougars will be in good shape to win this one.
The Tigers' quarterback Paxton Lynch is one of the biggest passers in college football at 6-7, 230 pounds. He hasn't racked up tremendous stats, throwing only 18 touchdowns to six interceptions this season along with 2,725 yards, but he finished the season strong. After throwing three picks in a loss to Houston in early October, Lynch led the Tigers to six straight wins with a 9:0 touchdown to interception ratio, closing the season with a four-touchdown performance against Connecticut. He's also a strong rusher, scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground this season. However, he won't be able to keep up if this game turns into a shootout, giving Stewart the advantage.
Edge: BYU
Running Back
Paul Lasike feasted on Cal's defense as well, turning 12 carries into 63 yards and a touchdown. Algie Brown added 11 carries of his own for 38 yards, but Lasike will likely be the bell cow in this game. Memphis' run defense isn't quite as stingy as the pass defense, but the Tigers still allow only 3.6 yards per carry and have allowed only 14 touchdowns all season on the ground. BYU will need a few rushers to step up to grind some clock and punish the Tigers' front seven to win this game.
For the Tigers, senior Brandon Hayes is the player to watch. Hayes has exactly 900 yards rushing this season with five touchdowns and averages about 82 yards per game on the ground. He had two games this season with over 180 yards rushing against both Tulsa and South Florida, but also hasn't scored a rushing touchdown since the Tulsa game on Halloween. Lynch leads the team in rushing touchdowns with 10 and will be a threat BYU will hope to minimize. Overall, Memphis gets the nod here.
Edge: Memphis
Wide Receivers
After a series of quiet performances, Jordan Leslie exploded against Cal for 155 yards and two touchdowns on only five catches. Leslie is by far the best receiver for the Cougars and they'll need him to break a few big plays open against the Tigers. Mitch Juergens had his best game of the season with two touchdowns of his own while Mitch Mathews and Devon Blackmon will have chances to make a big impact. BYU will need to spread Memphis out and try to exploit matchups to win this game.
Memphis' game plan will be to spread the ball around the field and test BYU's depth in the secondary. Lynch has a bevy of receiving options, with nine different receivers catching at least 12 passes this season and four different receivers with at least 300 yards. The two players to watch are Keiwone Malone and Mose Frazier, who each have over 470 yards receiving this season. Malone has the hot hand after catching seven passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns against Connecticut in the Tigers' season finale.
Edge: BYU
Offensive Line
The Cougars' offensive front struggled against Cal, allowing three sacks. That's not a good sign heading into this game with a defense like Memphis'. The Tigers have 28 sacks this season and one of the nation's best pass rushers in Tank Jakes, who has 83 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and six sacks this season. Overall, Memphis has 81 tackles for loss and is probably the best defensive front the Cougars have faced this season.
The Tigers have been exemplary at protecting Lynch this season, allowing only 15 sacks. His size and mobility also help Memphis in pass protection, while the Cougars have struggled finding any kind of pass rushing consistency this season. Bronson Kaufusi will reportedly play both outside linebacker and defensive end depending on matchups in this game. The Cougars need him to wreak some havoc to have a chance in this game.
Edge: Memphis
Defensive Line and Linebackers
BYU sacked Cal quarterback Jared Goff twice and will need to generate pressure on Lynch to keep him uncomfortable. Again, Kaufusi will play a large role in the success of the Cougars' defense. After a position switch yielded underwhelming results, it will be interesting to see just how he lines up for the majority of this game. Sione Takitaki, Zac Stout and Alani Fua will also need to be disruptive in this game to help the Cougars.
The aforementioned Jakes is a game changer and will need to be slowed down as much as possible. He's quick, strong and seems to always be around the ball causing trouble for opposing offenses. However, he's only the tip of the iceberg as the Memphis front seven is stacked with talented players. Freshman linebacker Genard Avery has six tackles for loss and five sacks in 2014, while junior defensive lineman Ricky Hunter has 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks of his own. There's a reason Memphis' defense has been so good this season and it starts up front with these guys.
Edge: Memphis
Secondary
BYU will be without Craig Bills for this game, a huge blow not only in coverage, but in leadership. Memphis' receivers are spectacular, but Bills' instincts and toughness would have helped. The Cougars will have to be prepared to cover several receivers and their depth could be stretch by Lynch if he's spreading the ball around. The corners and safeties will also have to make plays in the box and make tackles in the open field if Lynch breaks away on a scramble.
Memphis regularly stifles opposing passers and has held quarterbacks to only 11 passing touchdowns this season, almost half of what Stewart threw against Cal alone. Making matters worse for Stewart is the depth in the secondary for Memphis, which has three different players with at least three interceptions this season in Andrew Gaines, Fritz Etienne and Bobby McCain. Stewart will have to be careful with the ball and pick his spots on when to take a shot.
Edge: Memphis
Prediction: After a win over Cal, the Cougars could beat Memphis and add another quality win to their schedule. BYU is capable of putting points on the board, but hasn't faced a defense like Memphis' all year long. The Tigers are in the middle of a long winning streak and are coming into this game with a terrific defense, a hot quarterback and momentum. Memphis will force a couple of mistakes from BYU's offense and will do enough in the running game to walk away with a 31-24 win.
Twitter: @BrennanJSmith