Old-time BYU football fans have plenty of memories of the long, sometimes ugly rivalry between the Cougars and their neighbors from the northeast, Wyoming.

From the wild games in Laramie to the tense battles in Provo, the two teams frequently met in big games with a lot on the line.

But you’ll have to forgive current Cougar players if they aren’t necessarily familiar with the storied history.

“Honestly, man, I know nothing about BYU vs. Wyoming,” Cougar freshman wide receiver Kody Epps said on Monday. “I haven’t looked back at it. Now I should and I might go look back at a couple games or some historical stuff about this rivalry but to answer the question, no, I don’t really know anything about it.”

It’s hard to blame Epps or other current BYU players. The youngest guys were just 10-years-old the last times the teams met (in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl) and just 4-years-old when the final meeting of Mountain West Conference foes took place in 2010.

There could be Cougar players who weren’t even born the last time BYU lost to the Cowboys, nearly 19 years ago in 2003.

So while history has featured some classic battles between the schools, like the 41-38 Cougar win in Provo in 1984 and the 28-25 BYU overtime victory in the inaugural WAC Championship game in Las Vegas in 1996, the lack of recent meetings has diminished the rivalry aspect.

There is, however, plenty on the table for the 2022 meeting.

Cowboy head coach Craig Bohl said in his weekly press conference earlier in the week that BYU “deserves to be in the Top 25” and that he understands it will be a “pretty electric atmosphere” at LaVell Edwards Stadium. His staff and players are “excited about playing.”

That means the Cougars need to be prepared to be tested, and the players and coaches said they know that.

“I’m looking forward to the matchup with Wyoming,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “I have tons of respect for Coach Bohl and how he does his job. They are 3-1 and we’ve seen on film that they are big, aggressive and tough. After what happened last weekend, it’s important for us to answer this challenge and be ready.”

He knows that the Cowboys like to run the football, with running back Titus Swen (62 carries, 316 yards, four touchdowns) being the workhorse.

“If you look at their game, they build a lot of stuff off of their run game and they are physical,” Sitake said. “They use a lot of multiple sets. I always like teams that have a fullback but they also have big, physical tight ends and a really strong offensive line. Their quarterback, we’ve seen him run. He’s fast, he’s got some athleticism and he is a threat to run. Then they have a really good skill positions. You’re looking at a team that can pretty much do whatever they want.”

Cougar defensive lineman John Nelson said it will be key for the defense to respect what quarterback Andrew Peasley can do.

“He’s a good athlete,” Nelson said. “He can throw the ball and run it too in certain situations. We’re going to have to play disciplined football. They’ll try to get us with a bunch of runs in a row, then try something tricky. They’ll have him roll out or something. We’ve got to stay disciplined and do our jobs.”

On the other side of the ball, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said the Cougars respect Wyoming’s run defense.

“There is always one more person in the box than you can block,” Roderick said. “They are very good at what they do. It will be a challenge. We want to run our offense the same every week, although there are times where the situation dictates doing things differently. We are also going against a good secondary who plays a lot of man coverage. They’ve got good players.”

BYU linebacker Keenan Pili (who was redshirting when the Cougars faced the Cowboys in 2016) remembered the intensity and said he’s looking forward to facing Wyoming one more time.

“It’s always been a great game against Wyoming,” Pili said. “They are a great team with great players. I’ve been around and always watched the game. I think it will be an amazing game this week.”

No. 19 BYU vs. Wyoming

TIME:8:15 p.m. MT

TV:ESPN2

WHERE: LaVell Edwards Stadium

THE WORD: This will be the 79th meeting between BYU and Wyoming which started in 1922 with the Cougars leading the series, 45-30-3 (26-13-1 in Provo). BYU won the last meeting, a 24-21 victory in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl. The Cougars have won eight straight over the Cowboys and 11 of the last 12 matchups … BYU has played Wyoming more than any other out-of-state school and third-most overall. The two teams the Cougars have faced more are Utah (95 games) and Utah State (90 games) … Wyoming became BYU’s first ever opponent to finish the season ranked in the AP Top 25 when the Cowboys came in at No. 16 in the final poll of the 1959 season.

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