There’s no truth to the rumor that the BYU football program has petitioned the Big 12 Conference to allow the Cougars to bypass the entire month of October next year.
Maybe they should.
That’s because BYU again appears headed for another nightmarish month, after going winless last October with losses to Notre Dame, Arkansas, Liberty and East Carolina. After getting an inopportune bye the first Saturday of October, slowing whatever momentum they had garnered with the home win over Cincinnati, they were pummeled 44-11 last week at TCU. They looked slow, out of sync and a bit disinterested after TCU’s pick-six on the third play of the game.
“We got our work cut out for us. It is a very high-powered offense coming in here (that) has played against some elite competition, Oregon and others, and these guys have been right there with them.” — BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill on Texas Tech
Maybe October just isn’t BYU’s month.
Saturday’s game against Texas Tech isn’t a must-win scenario for BYU — there’s no such thing in October — but it certainly feels like it for many Cougar fans, if social media posts and message board comments are any indication.
If the Cougars (1-2, 4-2) can’t upset 3-point favorite Texas Tech (2-2, 3-4) at 5 p.m. at LaVell Edwards Stadium, prospects for another winless October are sky high. Up next is No. 8 Texas (5-1) in front of more than 100,000 in Austin.
“When you play in this conference, and you play against really good teams, and they are playing at a high level and you are not matching that, you have no chance,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said Monday.
The Cougars were able to bounce back from several October tailspins as an independent, like last year when they went undefeated in November and won their bowl game, but Power Five life is a whole different animal. Texas Tech, which could start a freshman third-string quarterback, might represent BYU’s best opportunity for a win the rest of the season.
The stakes are that high.
“I think the sense of urgency for us to get better is even greater now,” Sitake said.
The Cougars are 2-8 in October the last three years; a promising 2021 season was derailed by October losses to Boise State and Baylor.
Promising starts in 2023 have been few and far between.
BYU was able to recover from poor starts against Arkansas, Kansas and Cincinnati, but not against TCU. Getting off to a positive start against Texas Tech will be a key, especially if the Red Raiders go with freshman Jake Strong, and BYU can nick his confidence early, something it wasn’t able to do against TCU’s Josh Hoover after he was staked to a 7-0 lead before he even took the field.
“What I need to do as a coach is get us to function at a higher level and to play up to our capabilities,” Sitake said. “I think physically we are in a really great spot. I have to factor all the things, whether it is scheme, personnel, all those things, schedule, everything, to get us to play better. I am working on that. That’s the goal, to get that done.”
It won’t be easy.
Despite Sitake’s claim that BYU is OK physically, injuries have tested its depth — with mixed results.
On defense, getting cornerback Kamden Garrett back will help. But they are still incredibly thin at safety — Tanner Wall is the latest casualty there — and their pass rush has regressed as the season has worn on.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill said they are hoping to get safety Talan Alfrey, out since fall camp, back in time for the Texas game.
“The other guys, really to this point, have done a pretty good job picking up the rifle and stepping up and doing a good job,” Hill said. “That’s college football right now. You are going to have injuries, and how you overcome them is a critical part of your success.”
Last week, the Cougars went into the TCU game thinking the Frogs would rely on star running back Emani Bailey to take the pressure off Hoover and focused their preparation on Bailey, according to linebacker AJ Vongphachanh. Boy, were they wrong.
Is a similar situation playing out this week? Texas Tech also features a stud running back, Tahj Brooks, who has 786 yards on 131 carries. Hill said Brooks and Cam’Ron Valdez, who is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, are too good to ignore.
“We got our work cut out for us,” Hill said. “It is a very high-powered offense coming in here (that) has played against some elite competition, Oregon and others, and these guys have been right there with them.”
A season-opening 35-33 loss at Wyoming in double-overtime may have fooled some into thinking Texas Tech was going to be down this year, but Wyoming has proven to be a Mountain West contender this season, and darn tough in Laramie.
Offensively, the Cougars could get running back Aidan Robbins back to spark a lethargic rushing attack that ranks among the worst in the country, making the offense as close to 100% as it has been all season.
Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said converting on third down will be huge, along with getting off to a better start to keep Texas Tech’s defense guessing.
Speaking of that Red Raiders defense, Sitake said size and athleticism makes it formidable.
“I think this is the biggest defensive backfield I’ve seen in college football,” he said. “But they can run and they are strong and physical. Then you look at the front seven, well-coached. And they get after the quarterback. So it is a tough task.”
Cougars on the air
Texas Tech (2-2, 3-4) at BYU (1-2, 4-2)
Saturday, 5 p.m. MDT
LaVell Edwards Stadium
Provo, Utah
TV: FS1
Radio: KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM