BYU football approaching final regular season game with gratitude
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- BYU’s Darius Lassiter takes a selfie with fans after the Cougars’ 38-35 victory against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday, Oct. 19, 2024.
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- Cheerleaders wave the BYU flags during the Big 12 game against Oklahoma State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
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- BYU players run onto the field before the Big 12 game against Arizona at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
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- BYU students unfurl a giant flag during the Big12 game against Arizona at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.
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- BYU senior defensive lineman Tyler Batty greets fans before the Big 12 game against Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
The Thanksgiving holiday is traditionally a time where thoughts turn toward appreciating the good things you have in your life.
But for BYU football, that’s something that is emphasized much more frequently.
Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake has made gratitude one of the foundational principles of his program and BYU senior defensive lineman Tyler Batty said that focus makes a difference for the athletes.
“I’d say the biggest thing is it allows you to stay grounded and stay present,” Batty said earlier this week. “You have a heart-wrenching loss and it’s like, yeah, that sucked, but at the same time it’s about being grateful for the opportunity to come to practice today and that we get to play another game this week.
“It just changes your perspective, and I think it just helps you in a variety of ways. I think it also helps your performance on the field, because you’re really focused on what you’re able to do, not on what you weren’t able to achieve. It just kind of keeps your mindset present and forward thinking. It is huge, especially in sports, to have that next-play mentality.”
Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill agreed, saying that the humility and appreciation that comes with being thankful enables players to have the right priorities.
“I do believe that in being grateful, usually you play harder and you’re usually more loving and caring to those around you,” Hill said. “If you’re grateful, you usually work harder. The guys who start getting prideful, usually at some point they’ll stop working. They’ll start believing they have all the answers and that’s usually when they get humbled.
“I just think that by giving thanks and being grateful for what we have, we continue to work hard and keep the focus on what’s most important.”
One of the things BYU is grateful for this week is how different things are than they were in 2023.
Yes, both this year’s team and last year’s team are trying to end losing streaks. This year, however, the Cougars are guaranteed a bowl bid and are fighting for a spot in the conference championship.
“I’d much rather be in this position than last year,” Batty said. “It is like last year in that there is a lot on the line for us as a team. But I’m hoping that our struggles last year will help us this year in this final game of the season.”
As part of the group of 20 athletes who will be recognized, Batty is also thankful to have one more game in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“I’m excited,” Batty said. “It’s been a long time coming but it’s a little bittersweet. It’s a special place, even magical on some occasions. we’ve had a lot of fun wins. We’ve had some tough losses in there. It’s a very memorable place to me and to a lot of guys. Having that opportunity to play one last game on that field means a lot.”
Senior Night comes around every year, but Hill said it’s still a special experience.
“It’s a culmination of these guys’s careers,” Hill said. “It’s not coming to an end, because we still have games left, but I think it will be special knowing that this will be the last time that these guys play at LaVell Edwards Stadium. That’s a pretty special day for them”
Every team wants to send its senior off with a win in their final home game, but the visitors — Houston, in this case — would love to spoil the party.
And while this is a Houston team that has had plenty of bumps in the road this year, BYU knows it is very dangerous.
“Houston is a team that is dangerous and has surprised some teams along the way,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “Willie Fritz is a really good coach. He’s establishing his culture and his program. I know they are going to be excited to come here and play this game, and we’ve got to be ready for that.”
The strength of the Houston Cougar squad is its defense, which has been consistently good all season.
“They’re solid on defense, especially up front,” BYU senior offensive lineman Connor Pay said. “Their strength shows up and sticks out on film. There are not very many people moving them off the line of scrimmage. They’re really big and strong. They mix up the fronts on you a little bit. They try to keep you thinking and guessing. They’re a quality defense. They play well as a unit and complement each other from first to second and third level.”
BYU also faces some unknowns on defense since Houston changed offensive coordinators heading into this week
“It’s kind of a weird deal,” Hill said. “I don’t think you can change that drastically in one week. They’ll probably have a wrinkle or two new that maybe this guy did in his last jobs. But I just don’t think you can wholesale change in a week, especially at the end of the season like this.”
The bottom line is that while the postseason is still uncertain, BYU wants to take care of business by winning this game.
“Our mindset is to control this game, not focus on anything else but what we have,” Sitake said. “That is playing against Houston and our preparation against Houston. You can’t be concerned about what everybody else is doing. There are still a lot of really cool things to play for, including getting to double-digit wins on the season.”
No. 19 BYU vs. Houston
TIME: 8:15 p.m. MT
TV: ESPN
WHERE: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
THE WORD: This will be the fourth meeting between BYU and Houston with BYU having won all three previous “Cougar Bowl” matchups … The last meeting took place in Houston during the pandemic season of 2020, with BYU falling behind 26-14 before rallying to get the 43-26 victory … The last meeting in Provo took place in 2014, a 33-25 BYU win … BYU is looking to reach the 10-win plateau for the 19th time as a program. Head coach Kalani Sitake has directed his team to two such seasons, in 2021 and 2020.
