Whether its families looking at going to Disney World, thrill-seekers interested in Universal Studios, space cadets wanting to visit Cape Canaveral, sand lovers looking to escape to the beaches or vacationers just looking for more sun, the area has plenty to offer.

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake talked during Monday’s press teleconference how his family has personal ties to the area, since his wife Timberly Sitake is from that area.

He said it will be nice to have family around when his Cougars take on UCF at FBC Mortgage Stadium on Saturday but emphasized that first and foremost this is a business trip.

“Going up to Orlando will be fun but the focus is the football game,” Sitake said. “It’s not a vacation. We have to be ready to play. I want the fans to have fun, and in order for us to have fun we have to do our part.”

One aspect that gets talked about frequently is the challenge of travelling two time zones. The Big 10, which added four West Coast schools this season, has seen teams that have gone cross-country go 5-11 on the road, with the wins coming over the teams in the bottom of the league standings (Purdue, UCLA (2), Rutgers, and USC).

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, though, thinks the Cougars have the advantage of experience in that area.

“It is taxing,” Roderick said Tuesday. “We did it a lot in independence, so we have a pretty good plan for it. But we didn’t play very well last year when we went two time zones away, so we have to do better than that. It throws off your normal routine, so you have to make some adaptations with practice and travel on Thursday. It’s a little inconvenient, that’s all. I expect us to play well.”

On the flip side, there might be a benefit in recruiting when playing in the Sunshine State.

“There has always been a player or two from Florida on the team,” Roderick said. “Back when I played, Brian McKenzie was a teammate of mine who was from Florida. I don’t think Florida will ever be our backyard recruiting area but there is always a chance. We have had enough players from Florida that it’s not outrageous. We have guys from all over and in this day and age it’s possible to get guys from anywhere.”

The real challenge will be facing a dangerous UCF team that has lost four straight and will be giving its all to end that streak.

“We know it’s going to be a difficult environment to play in,” Sitake said. “I do like the matchup. I think UCF will give us their best shot, and we will give our best shot as well and then we live with the results.”

The most glaring challenge will be slowing the Knight run game, which averages 280.3 yards per game (third in the nation). The Cougars surrendered 269 yards on the ground to Oklahoma State, so this is certainly an area of concern.

“UCF has a dynamic run game,” Sitake said. “That is going to be difficult for us. We have to find ways to learn and get better. That is going to be the fun part of the game. Every game is a different deal. I think the challenge will be great for our defense.”

But BYU players and coaches also see a UCF defense that can cause a lot of problems for opposing offenses.

“They’re a good defensive team,” Cougar sophomore running back LJ Martin said. “I believe they have one of the best run defenses, so we’re going to have to really step up in the running back room and try to break more tackles, just do our part. They’re a really good team, but I feel like as long as we do our part and we go out there and execute, it should be a fun matchup, and we should be able to compete.”

BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff said that in looking at the Knights it’s clear the Cougars are facing a dangerous opponent.

“I think their record does not speak for how good of a football team they are,” Retzlaff said. “They’re probably the best 3-4 football team in the country, and probably a lot better than a lot of people who have better records than them.

“They fly around. They do a lot of good things defensively, especially. I know they’re going to play us really tough, especially since they’ll be at home. So going to their place, it’ll be a fun trip.”

BYU is highly ranked and undefeated but the Cougars know that means they have to be ready for everyone’s best shot to take them down. And a loss will make it that much harder for BYU to reach its goals.

So this becomes another opportunity for the Cougars to make a statement to themselves and to anyone doubting just how good they are.

“Right now, this is the season,” Sitake said. “It’s one week at a time. We’re in a spot that we thought we could be in. It doesn’t matter if people believed us or not.”

No. 11 BYU at UCF

TIME: 1:30 p.m. MT

TV: ESPN

WHERE: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando

THE WORD: This will be the fourth meeting between BYU and UCF with the Cougars leading the series, 2-1 … BYU won the last matchup, knocking off the Knights 49-23 in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl, but the Knights won the only meeting in Orlando when the Cougars couldn’t hold on to a 24-10 in the fourth quarter and lost, 31-24, in overtime … BYU is off to a 4-0 start in the Big 12. Last year, BYU finished 2-7 in league play so the Cougars have already doubled its win total in the Big 12 with an opportunity to increase that tally … . The 7-0 start is just the fifth 7-0 start in program history and second under Kalani Sitake. The Cougars started 9-0 in 2020. BYU is one of nine remaining FBS undefeated teams.