Las Vegas • In many ways, this is the season for BYU. It’s hard to put it any other way.
A win in Las Vegas, against Notre Dame, would put BYU inside top 15 in the country and keep its slim dream for a New Year’s Six bowl game alive. That’s not to mention what knocking off the Fighting Irish would mean as a breakthrough for the program as it heads to the Big 12.
But a loss does an equal amount of damage. The Cougars’ path to a 10-win season will be put in serious peril. The underlying problems BYU has been able to overcome so far will be questioned. Plus, with Arkansas coming to Provo next week, a loss could easily snowball into a larger issue in October.
This quote from former BYU player Craig Bills put the stakes of this game in appropriate measure.
“I think it is really big game, but it is tough. It definitely doesn’t hurt to go out and beat a Notre Dame because they are historically a powerhouse,” Bills said. “But if you lose, you lost to a [2-2] Notre Dame team.”
So, Saturday is a crossroads for the Cougars. It’s a game they desperately wanted to play, and it comes with high stakes.
Game information:
Kickoff time: 5:30 p.m. MT
Broadcast: NBC
Broadcast Team: Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline)
Radio: BYUradio SiriusXM 143/BYURadio.org, BYU Radio App/KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM
Radio team: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play), Riley Nelson (analyst), Mitchell Juergens (sideline)
Pregame reading:
• BYU has waited nine years to play Notre Dame. It could have easily cashed a check and walked away. But Tom Holmoe waited to get it on the schedule in a matchup, and stage, that meant too much to BYU to walk away from.
• Say whatever you will about a 2-2 Notre Dame team, but the Fighting Irish present two of the biggest challenges for the Cougars. They run the ball at will and have a physical front seven. Can BYU stop the run and establish the run, or will it be more of the same?
• It is a big game for Jaren Hall’s NFL draft stock. These next two weeks are important. What have scouts liked, and what do they need to see, from BYU’s QB1 today.
• Speaking of Hall, this game might come down to his arm. If the running game is not able to get going, could BYU turn to Hall to win the biggest game on the Cougars’ schedule? He will also likely have his best two receivers, Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua, available together for the first time all year.
• BYU wide receiver Gunner Romney made his season debut against Utah State after lacerating his kidney. Those closest to him, though, feared the injury could keep him out all year. His wife, Sadie, spoke to The Tribune about the last two months of hospitalizations and a waiting game.
• Here is a fun story. Notre Dame stayed right on the strip and made its team hotel the Bellagio. As for BYU, it stayed 40 minutes away in Lake Las Vegas. No distractions if you can’t even see a casino, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/s9rM862
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