Monday Evening Open Thread: BYU Invades Annapolis

This was the evening you were planning to be watching your Georgia Bulldogs take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.

That’s why this is now the evening when you’ll be watching the BYU Cougars travel to Annapolis to take on the Navy Midshipmen at 8:00 eastern on ESPN.

It’s an intriguing matchup in its own right. Navy is looking to replace starting quarterback Malcolm Perry, who cruised to 2017 rushing yards last year in Ken Niumatalolo’s triple option offense. The Midshipmen are looking to replace not only Perry but several defensive standouts who helped them to an 11-2 record and Liberty Bowl win over Kansas State in 2019.

BYU on the other hand is looking to bounce back from a 7-6 season behind junior QB Zach Wilson. Wilson’‘s 2019 was uneven, with over 2300 passing yards but 9 interceptions balanced against only 11 touchdown passes.

The triple option isn’t the offense I’d want to face in a game that wasn’t even on the schedule two months ago. I expect the Cougars to struggle as a result. Score prediction: Navy 31, BYU 27.