PROVO, Utah – BYU football heads to Boise State as a sizable underdog. The reeling Cougars are a touchdown underdog against a Boise squad that has won four consecutive games in the Mountain West Conference.
BYU has always had a crack for exceeding expectations when they are a considerable underdog against the Broncos. Case in point, the 2019 season, where BYU was 2-4 and Boise State rolled into Provo as an undefeated team. Third-string quarterback Baylor Romney guided BYU to an upset win with some trick plays that gave Boise a dose of their own medicine along the way.
Can BYU do it again?
Ten straight weeks without a bye
It’s challenging because this is week 10, and it’s BYU’s tenth straight game. So that means they haven’t had a bye to date this season. Next week is when that much-needed bye will finally arrive.
“College football is tough,” said walk-on BYU linebacker and Idaho Falls, Idaho native Morgan Pyper. “Playing every single week for 10 weeks straight does a lot to the body, but, you know, you only get to play college football once in your life. It’s not that hard to get [ready] as long as your body is feeling good. Let’s go out and play some ball. I think a lot of us feel we have a lot to prove.”
BYU football looks to empty the tank
BYU coach Kalani Sitake typically calls these spots before a bye “emptying the tank” opportunities. After going so long without a bye, is there anything left in the tank for this 4-5 BYU team?
#BYU coach Kalani Sitake has typically called games before a bye week “emptying the tank” opportunities.
Heading into their 10th consecutive game, BYU LB, Idaho native Morgan Pyper still believes this team has something left in them heading to Boise State.#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/1eRbMmFi8F
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 2, 2022
“We absolutely have something left in the tank,” Pyper said. “I think more so now than ever because we feel like we have so much to prove. We want to show the fans how much we love them by the product we put out on the field. And how much we as players love our coaches for all of the work that they put in every single day for us.”
BYU has only defeated Boise State once on the blue turf. That was in 2020, with Zach Wilson and Tyler Allgeier in the same backfield, and it was a game with only 1,100 fans in the stands. Plus, BYU was in game eight, while the Broncos completed game three. It was the definition of how strange the 2020 COVID year was in college football.
Outside of the COVID season, BYU has come up short every other time on “the Blue” against BSU. The Broncos lead the all-time series against BYU, 8-4, which includes an upset win over No. 10 BYU last year in Provo.
Bragging rights are on the line
These two teams aren’t scheduled to meet anytime in the near future, with BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference. So if BYU wants to get one last crack at bragging rights over one of their top three rivals, it has to come on Saturday night.
“What a cool opportunity to go to Boise State, where I know they’ll be excited for the game and the fans will be excited,” said Pyper. “We’re excited to go to the smurf turf and put on a show.”
BYU at Boise State
Date: November 5, 2022
Kick off: 5 p.m
TV: FS2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM – Extended pregame begins at Noon)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch and his BYU/Boise State coverage from Idaho on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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