No game … more football!: BYU football got to enjoy Saturday’s action after Friday win at SMU
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- BYU senior tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase hurdles a defender during the non-conference game against SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
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- BYU head coach Kalani Sitake gets fired up during the non-conference game against SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
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- BYU fans cheer on their team during the non-conference game against SMU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Most Saturdays from the end of August until the beginning of December are the big moments for college football teams, the days where they showcase their talents and preparation on the gridiron.
But on bye weeks and when playing a non-Saturday game, like BYU did with its 18-15 win at SMU on Friday, players and coaches get to use the day for other purposes.
Not surprisingly, though, most still include football.
“I picked my wife up from the airport because she went down to Dallas for our game at SMU and got in on Saturday morning,” Cougar junior safety Tanner Wall said during Monday’s teleconference. “Then I spent most of the day watching college football. There’s no better feeling on the plane ride home after a win than realizing you can watch football all day Saturday. I thought our conference represented really well on Saturday, so it was fun to watch all those games.”
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said his focus on Saturday was starting to get his team prepared for next Saturday’s game at Wyoming (7 p.m. MT, CBSSN).
“It’s still work,” Sitake said. “I watched the Wyoming game in real time but was also evaluating what to do with the program. We were letting guys heal up still and our coaches still went to work. But you don’t have to worry about a game. We took advantage of that. The most fortunate thing is that we have guys who might need that extra day of recovery, so that might get them closer to being able to play in the game next week.”
Leading up to the SMU game, both teams had the challenge of preparing on a short week.
“The week before is very expedited,” Cougar senior tight end Mata’ava Ta’ase said. “The amount of focus and level of intensity in all aspects of recovery, game film, and practices are at an all-time high. Being cognitive of that is the biggest thing.”
But with that game in the past, now BYU (and SMU) get the benefit of a long week before they take the field again.
“Having an extra day is awesome,” Taggart said. “I personally like an extra day. Last game was a head beater, we were bashing heads in the trenches, so having more time to recover and get our bodies back is nice. It’s also nice having that extra day to watch film and study.”
And a lot of guys spent it watching other teams compete. Ta’ase, for example, got the chance to watch his brother Malaki Ta’ase play for New Mexico State.
“They played Liberty and they were winning all the way until the last couple of minutes,” Mata’ava Ta’ase said. “They couldn’t pull it off but just being able to watch him play was definitely a highlight. Usually we play on the same days and aren’t able to watch each other play live, so that was definitely my favorite college game.”
There were also some key takeaways that Wall said BYU should take to heart.
“I think it was really motivating to see some of the big upsets and see these underdogs winning or playing in close games, especially given our position in the Big 12 being seen as an underdog,” Wall said. “So now we just need to go out every week and make a statement.”
Running back depth to be tested
Sitake said that BYU’s top two running backs on the depth chart — sophomore LJ Martin and senior Hinckley Ropati — are both “doubtful” to play in Saturday’s game at Wyoming.
“You just never know,” Sitake said. “People heal differently. Today (Monday) is going to be a really important day for us to see where we are going to be at with both of those guys. The depth is going to be tested but hopefully we get better news with their recovery.”
Sitake said that the Cougars will likely be relying on junior Miles Davis, junior Enoch Nawahine and freshman Pokaiaua Haunga.
A moment to savor
BYU wasn’t able to turn the play into points, but Wall gave the Cougars a huge opportunity with his savvy special teams play in Friday’s game at SMU.
He was on the punt coverage team on a kick in the second quarter when the ball hit and started bouncing toward where he was locked up with a blocker.
“When I saw the ball take the first hop, I thought that I could bait this dude into pushing him into it,” Wall said. “He was definitely pretty excited thinking he had me blocked and his back was to the ball. I think he thought the returner had picked it up. Little did he know I was just steering him into the ball.
“I couldn’t really tell but when I heard the crowd go nuts, I knew it had hit him. That was a fun play.”
BYU senior linebacker Jack Kelly was in the right place to jump on the football for the turnover.
Time set for BYU-Kansas State game
The Big 12 announced the time and broadcast plans on Monday for the BYU-Kansas State game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Sept. 21.
The Cougars and Wildcats are slated to kickoff at 8:30 p.m. MT and the game can be seen on ESPN.
