Arlington, Texas » When BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae learned the Cougars would open the 2009 season against Oklahoma in Cowboys Stadium, his first thought wasn't about OU stars such as quarterback Sam Bradford, running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown or lineman Trent Williams.

Anae's mind quickly raced back to the days when he faced the Sooners as Texas Tech's offensive line coach from 2000-2004.

"The Oklahoma defense," Anae said. "Is second to none. It was like that then, and it is now. I view it as a great opportunity, and a great challenge, for any offense to start a season off against that defense."

Anae said the Sooners aren't just big, fast and physical -- they are as technically sound as any unit in the country. "I've never seen them misaligned," he said.

After months of preparation, analysis and film study from an offensive standpoint, it all comes down to whether the Cougars can protect quarterback Max Hall and give him time to throw the kinds of passes he wants to throw, Anae said.

"Blocking and ball security are the fundamentals against any team, but especially Oklahoma," he said.

Coach Bronco Mendenhall, who acknowledged Monday that he has watched so much film of Oklahoma he practically has the roster memorized, said speed is the first thing that comes to mind.

"And I am starting with the defensive line. Their front four are able to get pressure on the quarterback. And the teams we have struggled with in the past are the teams that could get pressure on our quarterback without having to use blitzes, and they are certainly capable of doing that."

On the other side of the ball, BYU defensive coordinator Jaime Hill has spent months designing a system he hopes will at least slow down the Sooners, who became the first team in college football history last year to score 60 or more points in five straight games. They scored a total of 716 points, the most ever in one season by a major college football program.

The No. 3-ranked Sooners' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Bradford, will be without one of his top weapons -- All-America TE Jermaine Gresham is out with a knee injury -- but Cougars safety Scott Johnson said there are plenty more talented ball-catchers where Gresham came from.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said folks in his part of the country aren't giving BYU much of a chance. But he thinks the Cougars have a puncher's chance because they've had more than just a week to prepare.

New Wyoming coach Dave Christensen, who was Missouri's offensive coordinator last year in a 62-21 loss to OU, isn't so sure.

"I know one thing," Christensen said. "We had a pretty good football team at Missouri a year ago, and we couldn't play on the same field as them."

Both Mendenhall and BYU quarterback Max Hall said Oklahoma will be the best team they have ever faced.

"At the same time, I like our team and like our chances," Hall said. "We aren't going to go down there and be afraid. We will put up a fight."

drew@sltrib.com