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TCU Must Account For These BYU Defenders In Big 12 Showdown
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- TCU Must Account For These BYU Defenders In Big 12 Showdown
The TCU offense gets one of its toughest assignments of the young season Saturday when No. 10 BYU visits Fort Worth, and Jaden Craig will have several defenders to identify before almost every snap.
BYU enters the matchup allowing only 15.7 points and 271 yards per game, including just 76 rushing yards. That production hasn't come from one star.
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MORE: TCU Faces Major Test As No. 10 BYU Brings Power Run Game To Fort Worth
The Cougars have difference-makers at every level.
Cade Uluave | Linebacker
Cade Uluave may be the centerpiece.
The Cal transfer arrived in Provo after earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2025, when he recorded 100 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. He accumulated 237 tackles during three seasons at Cal and already has two tackles for loss through BYU's first three games.
At 6-1 and 230 pounds, Uluave can attack downhill without becoming a liability when TCU spreads the field.
Tausili Akana | Defensive End
If TCU's offensive line loses track of Tausili Akana, drives could end quickly.
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Akana leads BYU with four tackles for loss through three games, creating exactly the sort of backfield disruption TCU can't afford after struggling to establish its running game against UCF.
Jeremy Payne and the Frogs need to avoid consistently facing second-and-long and third-and-long situations where BYU can turn Akana loose.
Faletau Satuala | Safety
Faletau Satuala gives BYU a legitimate playmaker on the back end.
The 6-4 junior led the Cougars with 84 tackles in 2025, adding three interceptions and two forced fumbles while earning second-team All-America honors.
For Craig, that means throws over the middle can't be late or careless. Satuala has already demonstrated that he can turn mistakes into game-changing plays.
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Evan Johnson | Cornerback
TCU's deep receiving corps also has to deal with Evan Johnson, one of the Big 12's most accomplished cornerbacks.
Johnson intercepted five passes in 2025, tying for the conference lead, and entered 2026 as a preseason All-Big 12 selection.
That creates an intriguing matchup against Ed Small and Jordan Dwyer , particularly when TCU wants to push the ball vertically.
The Frogs have averaged more than 300 passing yards per game, so abandoning the air isn't the answer.
MORE: 'We're Disappointed...' TCU's Sonny Dykes on UCF, Look Ahead to BYU
But against this BYU defense, patience matters.
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If Craig protects the football, TCU can move it. If Uluave, Akana, Satuala and Johnson start creating negative plays and turnovers, the Cougars can quickly turn Saturday into the kind of game they want.
