BYU is headed to Florida for its bowl game.
The Cougars will play in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 22 and play UCF, one of the more recognizable Group of Five programs. The official announcement came Monday morning, after Jacob Hatch of The Zone Sports Network first reported the news Sunday night.
The Boca Raton Bowl will kickoff at 5 p.m. MST on Dec. 22, a Tuesday, at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida. The game will be televised on ESPN.
“Our team is excited for the challenge and opportunity to face UCF in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement. “UCF is a well-coached team and top-tier football program that’s had a lot of success. In a season where we’ve learned that we can’t take playing this game for granted, we’re really thankful for the chance to go to Florida and play one more time with our group. We are looking forward to the bowl matchup with UCF and also really like the timing of this game, which will allow our players to spend the holidays with their families, after a great season together.”
UCF accepted an invite to play in the Boca Raton Bowl last week. The Knights, a member of the American Athletic Conference, are 6-3 this season, including a 49-21 win over Georgia Tech of the ACC.
UCF has a 5-3 mark in AAC play, with its victories coming by an average of 20 points. The Knights lost to the three teams above them in the standings — No. 8 Cincinnati, No. 24 Tulsa and Memphis — and each loss was by eight points or less.
“BYU plays complementary football, in terms of offense, defense and special teams, as well as any team in the country. This will be a tremendous challenge for our football team — and certainly one our players are excited about.” — UCF head coach Josh Heupel
“BYU plays complementary football, in terms of offense, defense and special teams, as well as any team in the country,” UCF head coach Josh Heupel said in a statement. “This will be a tremendous challenge for our football team — and certainly one our players are excited about.”
The Cougars are 10-1 after beating San Diego State 28-14 on Saturday. It’s BYU’s first double-digit win season since 2011.
BYU has faced two other AAC opponents this season, beating Navy 55-3 in the season opener and rallying for a 43-26 win at Houston.