Bowl games are always interesting case studies in motivation, especially now that the more-important College Football Playoff games have cut into their relevance and significance and a lot of older players choose to bypass them and begin preparing for the NFL draft.
So how are the No. 12 ranked BYU Cougars feeling after being the second team out of the playoffs when the committee released its finals rankings a few weeks ago?
The answer to that question really won’t be revealed until Saturday, when the 11-2 Cougars tee it up with No. 22 Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl (1:30 p.m. MST, ABC) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
Will the Cougars be as motivated to play as well as they did last year when they walloped listless Colorado in the Alamo Bowl? Or will they look like the team that was upset 31-28 by UAB in the 2021 Independence Bowl?
In separate interviews last week, quarterback Bear Bachmeier, linebacker Isaiah Glasker and tight end Carsen Ryan all said the Cougars are itching to play, mostly because they love football, their teammates and coaching staff and want to give them all the respect they give.
Clearly, that’s the message head coach Kalani Sitake has preached the past few weeks, since shortly after the Cougars were routed 34-7 by Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game.
“Obviously it was a tough loss, but we understand what’s at stake with the bowl game, and (getting) momentum going into next season as well,” Bachmeier said.
“We have that flip-the-page mentality and are really focused on this next game.”
Glasker said a lot of the players, especially the defensive players, have a “chip-on-our-shoulder” mentality because of the CFP snub. He said the same type of mindset drove them last year before they steamrolled the Buffaloes 36-14 in San Antonio.
“I feel like if we can get a win right here, we can show the committee what the Big 12 is really about,’ Glasker said. “Really, we feel like we should have been in the playoffs.
“We feel like that is enough of a driving factor for us. We are going to be ready to show out in the bowl game, just like last year.”
It is important to the Cougars that Sitake’s 10th team be remembered as one of the best in school history, Ryan said. The Cougars haven’t won 12 or more games in a season since 2001.
“We would really like to prove to the country that we were overlooked after losing that (first game) to Texas Tech and we are better than that,” Ryan said.
Since the beginning of the 2024 season, BYU has posted an overall record of 22-4, which is the fourth-best record in the FBS in that stretch. Glasker said keeping that streak going has been a point of emphasis, as well as representing the Big 12 well.
“I would say (getting a 12th win and representing the Big 12) are super important, especially going against the ACC,” Glasker said. “People overlook the Big 12, and the talent that is here. I feel like if we can catch this win we can really make a difference in the Big 12.”
A win would almost certainly put the Cougars in the top 20 in the preseason rankings next year. Voters tend to remember teams that won their bowl games and have their starting quarterbacks returning.
“I’ve talked to the guys who played in the Alamo Bowl last year, and they say it was just a surreal time,” Bachmeier said. “So obviously we will cherish every moment. … I understand the lineage of the (Pop-Tarts Bowl). … It is a really fun time and a really great bowl. I am really looking forward to it, and just playing with my brothers again.”
Bachmeier said a couple of weeks of film study have given him more respect for Georgia Tech’s defense.
“Yeah, they have a great scheme. They have great players,” he said. “They held Georgia to 16 points. We just gotta be ready.”
Added Glasker: “We didn’t do what we wanted to do, which was get to the playoffs, but just getting an opportunity to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl is still something to be grateful for. We had a great season.”
Glasker and seniors Jack Kelly and Tanner Wall lead a BYU defense that ranks No. 9 in the nation in red zone defense. That bend-but-don’t-break mentality will be tested in Orlando, as Georgia Tech has one of the most balanced offenses in the country.
The Yellow Jackets are No. 12 nationally in total offense (466.3 yards per game) and No. 25 in points per game (33.1 ppg.). Quarterback Haynes King is the kind of dual-threat signal-caller who has given BYU fits in the past.
“Schematically, they are a little bit like West Virginia,” said BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill. “Utah has a similar run scheme. Those two (Big 12) programs are probably the closest to Georgia Tech (in terms of offensive scheme).”
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said the offense’s lackluster performance in Arlington — after Bachmeier sustained a left ankle sprain in the first quarter — has motivated players to double down their efforts this month.
“We have had a great year, and this is one last chance to go play together. That’s just who these guys are. They show up every week (ready to play),” Roderick said.
“That last game was a tough one, but we have showed up every game to compete and we will again.”
