Opposing Coach Says BYU’s Stadium Was Louder Than An SEC Venue
Sep 4, 2023, 3:27 PM
PROVO, Utah – BYU football opened the 2023 season with a 14-0 win over the Sam Houston Bearkats. The game wasn’t a thing of beauty for BYU, but as the saying goes, “A win is a win.”
On the losing end of Saturday’s game was the Bearkats from Conference USA, who reportedly received a $1.2 million check to play in Provo. The Bearkats took the payday after Tennessee backed out of the trip to Provo.
The Cougars blanked the Bearkats to win their season opener. 🤙
FINAL @BearkatsFB 0@BYUfootball 14
It's BYU's first shutout since 2014 and first against an FBS opponent since 2012.#BYU #GoCougs #BYUFOOTBALL
📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/dAjNhgnz5l— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 3, 2023
SHSU’s K.C. Keeler said LaVell Edwards Stadium was louder than Texas A&M
Sam Houston coach K.C. Keeler has witnessed his fair share of road venues over his legendary coaching career.
He couldn’t help but be impressed with the atmosphere at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Keeler said it was a louder venue than an SEC squad’s stadium that his Sam Houston program has visited in the past.
“What a great atmosphere. Their student section showed up and were loud. We played at Texas A&M last year and got some weather that came in fairly early, but it was louder here. That’s such a testament to how excited they are about getting in the Big 12 and the opportunity they have in front of them,” Keeler said in the postgame. “We knew we were going to get a really good, well-coached football team. And I thought they did a really good job in the portal, getting some and filling in some spots. I think they’re just so well-coached and do such a great job. It’s such a great culture here. I’m just so impressed by the whole program; it was great. It was great to come and play.”
Two years ago, former USF head coach Jeff Scott, a longtime assistant under Dabo Swinney at Clemson, also had high praise for BYU’s atmosphere. He called LaVell Edwards Stadium “one of the loudest environments I’ve ever coached in and I’ve been in a bunch of them.”
The final attendance number for BYU’s first home game as a member of the Big 12 Conference on Saturday was 59,006. BYU fans made their presence felt despite an up-and-down night for the offense.
BYU football coach lost his voice
First-year BYU football defensive coordinator Jay Hill was impressed by how loud LaVell Edwards Stadium was in the win over the Bearkats. It was Hill’s first experience being part of the home team inside LES.
#BYU DC Jay Hill during Coordinators' Corner: "We got out of the first drive, the offense goes right down and punches in the touchdown and the stadium erupts.
"From then on, for like the next two quarters, even making adjustments on the sideline was crazy because it was so loud.…
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 4, 2023
“We (defense) got out of the first drive, offense goes right down and punches in the touchdown, and the stadium erupts,” Hill said on Coordinators’ Corner. “From then on, like the next two quarters, even making adjustments on the sideline was crazy because it was so loud. I lost my voice completely, just trying to make those adjustments. Our stadium is a true home-field advantage.”
BYU football will be back inside LaVell Edwards Stadium this Saturday, September 9, when they host Southern Utah. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. (MT) on ESPN+ and KSL NewsRadio.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X (Twitter) and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.
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