Boise State vs Brigham Young University

#14 Boise State University (-6.5) vs Brigham Young University

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2019 

Time: 8:15MT 

Stadium: LaVell Edwards Stadium (63,725)

TV: ESPN 2

Know Thy Enemy

Everyone loves a rivalry, whether it's Tupac vs. Biggie, Taylor Swift vs. Kanye, Mamma Boucher vs. Vicki Vallencourt, The Habit vs. In-n-Out, or Boise State vs. Brigham Young University. Now, some may argue that BSU vs BYU is not a rivalry, but according to Art Markman and his article “The psychology of a sports rivalry,”  similarity, frequency and parity are the three key ingredients to any great rivalry. So let’s see if the Broncos vs Cougars check those three boxes. 

Similarity: Are these two teams evenly matched? Boise State and BYU have been fighting for western notoriety and supremacy for a long time. Both go about it a different way, but nonetheless they want to be one of if not the best team in all of the west. They fight over recruits. Most recently, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson was photographed just ten days before signing day and had been verbally committed to Boise State all of his senior season, but BYU came calling a week before signing day and Wilson decommitted from Boise State and ultimately signed with the Cougars. 

Frequency: There’s no doubt that Boise State and BYU are a frequent matchup. The two schools have clashed on the gridiron 9 times in school history, but are in the midst of a twelve-year home and home series that started in 2012 and goes through 2023. The two schools just signed a series extension that will run from 2025-2034. 

Parity: This box is also not very hard to check. In the series the tension is always high, the players always heated, and the scores often are close. Four of the nine matches have been decided by 10 points or less. In the last three years During the Sitake/Harsin era, each game has been decided by less than a touchdown. No matter the overall record of either team, both teams come to play and that will be the case this Saturday in Provo. 

BYU (2-4) is part of the group in FBS football that is independent of any conference affiliation. Others in the group are Notre Dame, Army, Liberty University, New Mexico State, and UMass. Coming into the season, BYU was staring into a gauntlet of a schedule. The Cougars first four games were against three Pac-12 schools and an SEC team. Most hoped that they would go 2-2 against those teams, but wouldn’t be surprised if they wound up going 0-4. The Cougars did go 2-2 in those four games, beating Tennessee and USC. However, since the USC win they have been on a bit of a slide, losing their next three games to Washington, Toledo, and USF. If losing to Toledo and USF wasn’t bad enough, BYU has lost their starting quarterback Zach Wilson to a hand injury that will keep him out another 6 weeks. To pile on, their backup quarterback Jaren Hall was taken out of the game against USF with a concussion and is still questionable for this week's game. 

The Cougar’s season has been rocky so far and many fans are pointing fingers at head coach Kalani Sitake. After winning 9 games in his first season as head coach, the Cougars only won 4 games in 2017, seven games in 2018 and have only won 2 games so far in 2019. As much as fans have started to turn on Sitake, the team has not. Defensive lineman Braken El-Bakri said, “I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else. I want to play for him. If I were to ever hear anything or anybody say anything [negative] about Kalini, it makes me really angry, because I feel a great loyalty to him.”  Running back Lopini Katoa and linebacker Chaz Ah You had similar things to say about their coach. Sitake’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2020 and he has yet to be approached about an extension. 

BYU’s offense will feature some up-tempo and likes to involve their quarterback in both their passing game and run game. Whether Jaren Hall or Baylor Romney is taking the snaps on Saturday, the Cougars encourage their quarterbacks to make plays with their legs as well as their arms. When the Cougars want to throw they love to get the ball to their big Tight End Matt Bushman, who is second on the team in receptions. 

BYU’s defense is long and athletic. Their front seven are all over six foot, with most of them between 6’2” and 6’4”. The Cougar defensive backs are also all around 6’ or 6’1”. They love to get after the quarterback with pressure from all levels, with six different players having a sack this season. 

Boise State and Brigham Young University have met 9 times in school history. Boise State leads the all-time series 7-2 and have one three straight. Boise State is 2-2 in games played in Provo. 

What Happened Last Year

Zach Wilson made his debut on the Blue but not in a Boise State uniform. The 6-2 Broncos played host to the 4-4 Cougars in an early November match up. After forcing a punt, the Boise State offense went to work, moving the ball down the field with ease. Alexander Mattison wound up pushing his way into the end zone on 4th and goal to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead. Boise State would extend their first quarter lead to 14-0 after an 11-play drive where Rypien completed 6 of 7 passes, ending with a seven yard pass to Richardson for a touchdown. BYU would add two field goals of their own in the second quarter and head into halftime trailing 14-6. Boise State and Brigham Young would trade touchdowns in the third quarter, with both teams scoring on the ground, which brought the score to 21-13 Boise State. In the fourth quarter, after forcing a turnover on downs, BYU would take over inside Boise State territory at the 31 yard line. The Cougars would not be able to take full advantage of the situation and were forced to settle for a field goal, which would cut the lead to 21-16 with a little under six and a half minutes left. 

The Broncos and the Cougars would trade punts until the Cougars took possession with just over two minutes left in the game. Starting at their own 17, Wilson would find running back Matt Hadley on a screen pass that would go for 59 yards down to the Broncos 21 yard line. After four more plays the Cougars found themselves with a first and goal from the 2 yard line with just 12 seconds to play. Boise State would force an incomplete pass on first down. On second down with seven seconds to play, Wilson took the snap, looked for an open receiver, was then flushed out of the pocket and would be sacked by Scale Ieghion and Tyson Maeva as the clock hit triple zero! The Broncos would escape with a 21-16 despite committing two turnovers and not scoring in the fourth quarter.  

Players to Watch 

BYU

SO., Chaz Ah You, LB #3

Ah You is a sophomore out of Saratoga Springs, UT but the name Ah You might be familiar to Bronco fans because Chaz’s uncle C.J. Ah You was the starting defensive end for Oklahoma during the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Chaz Ah You was asked this week the importance of the series against Boise State and he said, “Me personally I have a lot of hard feelings towards Boise State ever since they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on the little trick plays...its a deep game for us and its a game that we haven't been able to win consistently.” Ah You came into the 2019 season expected to be the next breakout star for the Cougars. This season Ah You has 17 tackles, one sack, and one interception. 

Rs.JR.,Bracken El-Bakri, DL #93

Checking in at 6’3” and 290 lbs, El-Bakri is a mountain of a man. El-Bakri is a former walk-on that has emerged as a leader on the defensive line. When asked about the state of the defense, especially the run game he said that they were “frustrated” and they need to win individual battles in order to succeed as a team. Bracken is a high motor guy who always seems to be around the football. He doesn't always make the tackle, but he certainly forces the opposing offense to redirect where they want to go. 

JR., Matt Bushman, TE #89

Bushman has emerged as one of the top targets for BYU quarterbacks this season. Standing at 6’5”, he gives the quarterback a big target and is easy to find on the field. Bushman has 23 receptions for 297 yards this season, which is good for second on the team. In the last two weeks, Bushman has made 9 catches for close to 100 yards. He was the leading receiver a week ago vs USF with 5 receptions. Bushman seems to be the security blanket for these young BYU quarterbacks. Look for Boise State to try and neutralize the big man this week. 

Boise State 

SR., John Hightower, WR #16

Hightower has become quite the player this year for the Broncos. Coming into his senior season, Hightower had shown glimpses of being a #1 target but hadn’t quite made the jump. Through six games this season, Hightower not only is the leading receiver in yards, but also leads the team in touchdown grabs (5). Hightower has the speed and hands to be that homerun threat the Broncos need down the stretch. Look for Hightower to continue his success this week against the Cougars. 

SR., Sontane Lui, NT #98

Lui, a Sandy, UT native has said that he has a lot of friends that go to BYU. A former Walk-on, Lui had no scholarship offers coming out of high school, so he went on his two-year LDS mission instead. While on his mission he heard that former Defensive Coordinator Andy Avalos wanted Lui to walk-on at BSU and as they say, the rest is history. Lui came to campus as a walk-on but now is the starting nose tackle for the Broncos. Lui has been putting together a nice season, with 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Last year against BYU Lui was a key part to that final goal line stand in the fourth quarter. Keep an eye out for big #98 in the middle of that Boise State defensive line this week against BYU. 

Rs.JR., Curtis Weaver, STUD #99

Curtis Weaver is a player to watch each and every week. He’s the most dominate pass rusher that Boise State has seen since the days of Demarcus Lawrence. Weaver was unable to add to his sack total a week ago, but could very well make up for that this week against BYU. The Cougars are missing some key pieces to their offensive line that has already shown that they have a hard time protecting the quarterback, giving up 18 sacks on the season. More than that, they will start an inexperienced quarterback no matter if its Hall or Romney.  Weaver will be hungry to get back on track this week and BYU quarterback is on the menu. 

Focus Position Group: Offensive Line

The offensive line has been one of the more puzzling units of the 2019 season. Coming into the year, they were projected to be the biggest bright spot on the offensive side of the ball. Due to injuries, some of the O-line was shuffled around, which can lead to some inconsistency. However, the band has gotten back together and the original starting five have started the last two games. The group has seemed to fix some of their protection issues, only giving up 1 sack in each of the last three games. The run blocking has been a concern as of late, with the run game only have two games of over 200 yards on the ground this season. Offensive linemen take it personally when the team can’t run the football. Look for the O-line to get after it this week with quality run blocking to open some major holes this week against the BYU defense.  

Rev's Route to a Bronco Win

1. Dominant Defense

The Bronco defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Shmedding has been just what you want from a defense; fast, physical, and consistent. Through six games the Broncos defense is only allowing 19.5 points per game, and is also only giving up an average of 7.5 points in the second half. Boise State is allowing their opponents to convert on third down only 26% of the time, which is 4th best in the nation.These numbers only tell half the story; each position group is relentless, regularly tackling the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage and sacking the quarterback. The Bronco defense is averaging 7.3 TFL per game and 3.1 sacks per game. The Broncos will be facing an offensive line that is missing key players as well as two quarterbacks that have seven games of experience between them. Look for the Broncos defense to set the tone and send a message on Saturday

2. Dominant Run Game

The Boise State run game hasn’t had a physically and psychologically dominating run game since the opener against Florida State. However, they have an opportunity this week against an opponent whose run defense looks more like swiss cheese than football players. The BYU run defense is ranked 123 out of 130 FBS schools. They are giving up almost 225 yards on the ground per game and giving up an average of 4.79 yards per carry. Boise State is trying to rotate three different running backs every game. Last game, George Holani stepped up in a big way and had a huge game. If Robert Mahone doesn’t start producing early in this game, maybe look for the Broncos to start leaning on Holani, or “Baby Saquon” as David Moa calls him, and getting him the lionshare of the carries. 

3. 88 and Out the Gate

There is much speculation as to where the term “88 and out the gate” originates, but what's important is the meaning: a very rapid departure. Boise State had BYU on the ropes early in the first half last year. Boise State was up 14-0 and had just recovered a fumble on the kickoff. It looked as if they were going to march right down and score again, but that's when things turned. A combination of penalties, sacks, turnovers, and missed field goals let the Cougars hang around until the very end of the game. The Broncos were lucky to be playing at home last year. This year they won’t have that luxury. The Broncos will need to seize every opportunity to put the game away early. Boise State will need to make sure that the Cougars are as the kids say, 88 and out the gate. 

Editorial Note: 

Whether you call it a rivalry or just a “series” there are a lot of emotional ties between the two programs. With the large LDS population in the Treasure Valley, many homes will be divided this week. Regardless as to what the latest research says, I think BSU vs. BYU is a rivalry and players, coaches, and fans are a little more “juiced” during this week of the year. 

On the field it seems like Boise State is just starting to hit their stride and starting to really punish opponents. If the Broncos can keep their emotions in check and not get stupid presnap or personal foul penalties, I think this one could get ugly in a hurry. 

Defense eats the Cougars alive and the O-line opens holes even I could run through. Boise State wins, covers, and ties their best start since 2016. 

Broncos 42, Cougars 17