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BYU students cheer on their team during the game against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU cheerleaders wave BYU flags during the game against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

Marci Harris, Special to the Herald

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Cosmo the Cougar performs during a time out at the BYU-Southern Illinois college football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, August 31, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU players celebrate with sophomore defensive back Evan Johnson after he intercepted a pass during the non-conference game against Wyoming in Laramie on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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“This is as good as it gets in college football.”

“It the best feeling in the world.”

“It’s probably going to be the most fun I’ve had.”

Those are just a few of the comments made by BYU football players and coaches this week as they get ready to host No. 13-ranked Kansas State at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday night.

“They’ve done a great job with their team this year,” Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake said. “They’re a very dangerous team. I think they play great on defense and offense, and they do great on special teams as well. It’s going to be a true test for us.

“They’re one of the teams that are favored to win this conference and highly ranked, so we’re looking forward to the matchup. I’m excited about the opportunities we have to know more about ourselves, our program and how much progress we’ve made. I feel like we’ve made great progress throughout this seasoning especially from last season, so I’m really looking forward to this game. It’s going to be a lot of fun at home.”

He said he’s looking forward to showing off the BYU fans on national television as his team hosts the Wildcats.

“That’s a big part of our program and the athletic department here,” Sitake said. “Our fans will pack the house. There’s already a lot of energy leading up to this game just because our fans are awesome, but we knew that Kansas State had a good team coming back and well coached, and they’re going to be ready for this game.

“I’m looking forward to playing our best ball this weekend. As long as we keep progressing and getting better, I want to see us making a huge step in improving from last Saturday to this Saturday against Kansas State. It’s a tough task and a difficult team, but man, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I want our guys to enjoy it.”

The Cougars are publicly embracing the challenge, welcoming the opportunity that is in front of them despite the fact that many prognosticators believe Kansas State will win. That’s why they kept describing it as “fun.”

“TO play at LaVell Edwards Stadium for an 8:30 p.m. game, that’s as good as it gets in college football,” BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. “It should be a great environment against a great opponent. This is what you live for if you are in this profession or play this game as a player.”

The Cougars come into the game undefeated and exceeding the expectations some observers had for the team, but they know this is when they will learn more about who they are and how good they can be.

“This is a big first test,” BYU senior defensive back Marque Collins said. “Having a ranked team coming in and playing at home, I think that is the most exciting part. We know what to expect in Big 12 play and we’ll be ready to go.”

As Sitake alluded to, the Wildcats bring in a squad that is very capable on both sides of the ball.

It’s offense probably gets the most attention, with its versatility and talent.

“This is a super-good team coming in on Saturday,” Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill said. “Their quarterback is a very, very good athlete. Their offensive line is good as well and he has good targets to throw to. I’m excited about the matchup.”

Leading the way is Kansas State sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson, who has the ability to both run and pass the ball.

“We’re going to use a lot of things against him,” Hill said. “There will be times when someone is spying him and times where we will bring pressure to keep him on his toes. There are challenges, but we like our preparation right now. I think we’ll play well against him.”

BYU linebackers coach Justin Ena knows his group will need to be excellent against Johnson and said the key to slowing him down is being assignment sound.

“They need to be in position attack where they need to attack, then finish and wrap up on these ball carriers,” Ena said. “But their quarterback is dynamic. We’ve got to try to somewhat contain him and not let him hurt us with his feet. But he is electric and their offensive line is fantastic as well. They are great at both run blocking and pass blocking.”

Guys like Collins will need to be ready to rally to support the run-stop efforts, but can’t get caught peeking into the backfield or they’ll give up a big play.

“We’ve got to trust our defensive linemen to keep contain and they have to trust that we’ll stay in coverage,” Collins said. “That’s the biggest thing. If we all do our jobs, then I think we’ll have a pretty good shot

Roderick said that the Wildcats are also very good on the defensive side of the ball.

“They are very physically tough,” Roderick said. “Everyone does their job on every play. I think they’ve given up about 21 points per game three years in a row. They have eight returning starters, so we have a big challenge on our hands. They are very good.”

Now it’s up to the Cougars to show that they are very good as well and they get that chance to do it in Provo.

“We are excited to be in front of our home fans,” BYU senior offensive lineman Connor Pay said. “We like being at LaVell Edwards Stadium.”

BYU vs. Kansas State

TIME:8:30 p.m. MT

TV:ESPN

WHERE:LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

THE WORD: This will be the ninth meeting between BYU and Kansas State with the series currently tied at 4-4 … The two schools last met in the Cotton Bowl following the 1996 season on New Year’s Day. The No. 5 Cougars edged the No. 14 Wildcats 19-15 behind 291 passing yards and two touchdowns from Steve Sarkisian and a late interception to win it from Omarr Morgan … The last time the two schools met in the regular season was 1977 when BYU won 39-0. The Cougars are 3-0 at home against Kansas State … The Cougars are 32-68-1 vs. ranked opponents. BYU is 7-12 against ranked teams under Sitake. BYU’s last win against a ranked team was a 26-20 double-overtime win vs. No. 9 Baylor in Provo in 2022.