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The BYU Cougars, ranked # 10, aren’t buying it, at least not publicly.
Boise State, who visits LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday for a rare October afternoon contest in Provo, will not be a breeze for the second consecutive rivalry game, BYU players and coaches said the week.
Kick-off is at 1:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally by ABC. The 5-0 Cougars believe the Broncos may be the best 2-3 team in the country right now.
“I see a team that is much better than their record, I know that,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. “So they have all our respect, all our attention. I don’t see a big difference between them from the past until now. They are the same guys, the same good team. I just think they’ve had a few bad breaks this season.
BYU (5-0) will look to beat the Broncos for the third consecutive time in the relatively new series, which BSU leads 7-4. Boise State is ready for revenge, still in turmoil after last year’s 51-17 loss, with BYU players taking a team photo on the blue turf of empty Albertsons Stadium.
The Broncos were extremely shorthanded last year – starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier was out and his replacement, Jack Sears, suffered a concussion in the first quarter that put him on the sidelines for the rest of the way – and some said the outcome would have been different if they had been healthier. and they had their usual crowd of over 36,000 instead for BYU.
Bachmeier will start this time around, while BYU are the team with quarterback problems. The Cougars could be forced to go with rookie Jacob Conover, third rope player, if first rope player Jaren Hall is not ready after missing the last two games with bruised ribs.
Cougars linebacker Max Tooley said Boise State and others saying the Cougars’ big wins last year were random in nature due to COVID-19 issues weakening their schedules motivated them this year.
“Especially Boise State, they’re a close rival to us,” Tooley said. “It will always be a big game when we play them. We want to pursue them as we did last year. We just want to make the point that we are legitimate and that it was no fluke last year.
Tooley said the Cougars would be wary of upset, like the one they shot then-No. 14 Boise State in 2019 when they were 2-4 and BSU was undefeated.
“With them coming in as underdogs, if you don’t think they’re coming in the same way we did two years ago, you’re a little dumb, in a way,” Tooley said. “They come into this game hoping to win as much as we were two years ago. … To come out with a victory in college football in any way is impressive.
Like Roderick, BYU coach Kalani Sitake said Boise State is underrated and quite capable of ruining the Cougars’ perfect season.
“Bachmeier is a very good quarterback,” Sitake said. “He’s efficient and he knows how to distribute the ball and he has good targets. He can also run. He is athletic. … And then I think they have one of the most dynamic receivers in college football. I think (Khalil) Shakir is a very good player. And it’s a well-trained team.
Shakir has 162 career receptions for 2,279 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Broncos’ problem has been line play and the health of the running backs – they get hit on both sides of the line and at RB unless former BYU rookie George Holani can play.
“They’ve had to deal with injuries and some bumped guys but they’re a really tough opponent,” Sitake said. “I know we’re going to get their best shot. … They have active linebackers and DBs so it will be a good game.
Roderick said Boise State could easily go 4-1 if a few breaks came in.
“They had some tough losses in there,” he said. “They’re the same guys from Boise. They are tough guys. They are doing everything right. … The Oklahoma State game (a 21-20 loss), there were a few (questionable) calls against them where you could argue they should have won it.
Boise State coach Andy Avalos said not knowing which quarterback will start for BYU has caused the Broncos to prepare or adopt several different styles. He said the game would take place in the trenches and who would win the battle there.
“They are a physical program,” he said. “It will be a physical game on the line of scrimmage. Who establishes (control) on the line of scrimmage, who is able to take better care of football and make explosive plays (is going to have the advantage). And the last thing I would say is that the game always changes in special teams. “
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