Head coach Kalani Sitake took over the calls for the BYU defense well before the Cougars lost two defensive coaches (photo by BYUCougars.com).

The SMU Mustangs will cap off the first year of the Rhett Lashlee era when they face BYU Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl. In the final installment of his three-part series, Salt Lake Tribune beat writer Kevin Reynolds gives PonyFans.com readers a deeper inside look at the BYU defense.

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PonyFans.com: The BYU defense allowed 30.0 points and 409.7 yards per game, and allowed 40 or more points three times. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the defense?

Kevin Reynolds: There are quite a few weaknesses on this defense. It struggles to stop the run, doesn’t put pressure on the quarterback and allows 10 yards on almost every pass. There have been more than a few blown coverages too that give up chunk plays in the passing game.

BYU also struggles to tackle and most quarterbacks have their best day against the Cougars.

As for the strengths, there aren’t many I can think of. The unit struggles to generate turnovers and hasn’t consistently been able to do anything well this year.

PonyFans.com: What have the players said, if anything, about navigating the bowl game without former assistant coaches defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki and Associate Head coach/safeties coach Ed Lamb?

Reynolds: They haven’t said anything to date about it. We will know more on that later in the week. However, I don’t think it will matter much. (BYU head coach) Kalani Sitake has been calling plays on this defense for the last two months.

Plus, Tuiaki and Lamb were reassigned in the middle of the year and were less involved in the defense. Lamb worked mostly with special teams. Tuiaki was on the defensive line with several other coaches who are still there.

PonyFans.com: The last version of BYU game notes included a depth chart with … 15 defensive positions. What is the Cougars’ base defense, and how often do they mix up the looks they offer opposing offenses?

Reynolds: BYU is known for these depth charts with far more positions than necessary. Most of them really are the same position, just called different things. Also, there is a lot of crossover for each position, so it is overkill and confusing to list them separately.

That said, BYU changes its look on defense from week to week, depending on the opponent. None has really worked outside of the Baylor game.

That will be something most people want to see changed next year with the new defensive coordinator.

PonyFans.com: MIKE linebacker Keenan Pili leads the BYU defense with 62 tackles and is tied for second on the team with four tackles for loss. Is he the leader/heart of the defense?

Reynolds: He is one of them. But he will not play as he is entering the transfer portal. Some speculated he would be an NFL draft pick this year, but he regressed quite a bit as he dealt with injuries.

The real heart of this defense was Max Tooley, another linebacker. He is also hurt though and likely won’t play in this game either.

PonyFans.com: BYU’s defense has 13 sacks this season (for comparison, SMU’s defense has 26). Just three players have more than one sack: defensive tackle Lorenzo Fauatea has 2-1/2, and defensive ends Tyler Batty and John Nelson have two each. Is the pass rush kind of anemic, or are those numbers a result of opposing getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hands exceptionally quickly?

Reynolds: No, the pass rush for BYU is anemic. It is almost nonexistent. BYU hasn’t had a 10-sack player since 2015. Sitake and Tuiaki were known for getting sacks at Utah, when they both coached there, but it hasn’t translated.

One of the criticisms is BYU traditionally has better linebackers than defensive linemen. Most of BYU’s best players on defense tend to be linebackers. Yet the linebackers in this scheme are mostly used in coverage rather than rushing the passer.

PonyFans.com: The Cougars have five interceptions this season (SMU has nine); three are by linebacker Max Tooley. Is that simply a matter of him being at the right place at the right time? Or is he one of those hybrid linebacker/safety types who can run and cover all kinds of receivers all over the field?

Reynolds: He is hurt, so it is mostly a moot point. But Tooley was BYU’s best defensive player and had a knack for the ball. He covers space and was a hard hitter.

Outside of Tooley, as you can tell, there isn’t much else by way of getting interceptions. BYU doesn’t get them and also doesn’t generate many chances. At the start of the season, some said this would be BYU’s best secondary since the 90s. It hasn't materialized.

PonyFans.com: When the BYU defense is at its most effective, what do you see from the Cougars?

Reynolds: It is really hard to say since it hasn’t shown up much this year. I think the main hallmark is stopping the run and then everything falls into place from there. It just hasn’t happened.

BYU doesn’t put much pressure on the quarterback either, straining the already poor secondary. Tanner Mordecai will likely play very well against this team.

PonyFans.com: College football fans who are not in Utah or BYU fans think of BYU football and the names that come to mind are from the traditionally potent passing game — often quarterbacks: Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, etc. Are there defensive players from BYU’s past who enjoy anything close to that level of admiration and respect, and if so, who?

Reynolds: I think there are some defensive players who get respect, but not to that level. I think of Fred Warner, an All-Pro linebacker for the 49ers. Kyle Van Noy, Sione Takitaki and Khyiris Tonga also come to mind.

Some deeper cuts would be Harvey Langi, Kai Nacua and Brady Poppinga. A lot of these guys still have family in the program. BYU just hired Kelly Poppinga as its special teams coordinator and assistant defensive coach.

The Cougars will face SMU without injured linebacker Max Tooley, who had 3 of the 5 BYU interceptions in 2022 (photo by BYUCougars.com).