Washington State @ Brigham Young preview

Mike Leach makes his debut as Washington State coach Thursday in a tough environment when the Cougars open the season at Brigham Young, which has won 10 or more games in five of the past six seasons. The former Texas Tech coach hopes to revitalize a once-potent program that has fallen on tough times and hasn’t appeared in a bowl game since defeating Texas in the 2003 Holiday Bowl. Leach has been out of coaching the past two seasons after a highly publicized fallout involving his alleged treatment of receiver Adam James after the son of then-ESPN analyst Craig James suffered a concussion. Brigham Young also happens to be Leach’s alma mater. BYU, also known as the Cougars, is beginning its second year as an independent after bolting the Mountain West.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: BYU -13.5

ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG (2011: 10-3): Bronco Mendenhall’s team is talented and experienced and the eighth-year coach has hinted his squad has Top 10 potential. Senior quarterback Riley Nelson is an established leader after emerging as a star last season and throwing 19 touchdown passes against seven interceptions. Nelson has a stellar target in junior wideout Cody Hoffman, who caught 61 passes for 943 yards and 10 touchdowns. Junior running back Michael Alisa (455 yards) will receive the opportunity to be the main ball carrier. BYU’s defense held its final six opponents to less than 300 yards last season and the top performer is junior weak-side linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who had seven sacks and three interceptions. Senior inside linebacker Brandon Ogletree had a team-best 76 tackles last season.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2011: 4-8, 2-7 Pac-12): Senior quarterback Jeff Tuel has experienced an injury riddled career but could flourish under the wide-open methods of Leach. Tuel missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Junior receiver Marquess Wilson is a big-time talent who caught 82 passes for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns. Washington State is thin on the defensive side but has a solid pass rusher in senior Travis Long, who had four sacks last season. Junior safety Deone Bucannon (four interceptions) heads a veteran secondary.

EXTRA POINTS

1. BYU leads the series 2-1 and won the most recent meeting in 1990. The teams meet again next season in Pullman, Wash.

2. Washington State lost seven of its final eight games last season and went only 9-40 in four seasons under former coach Paul Wulff.

3. BYU didn’t have an individual 100-yard rushing performance last season.

PREDICTION: Brigham Young 37, Washington State 30