BYU Football Leaves For Business Trip, UCF Awaits In Boca Raton
Dec 20, 2020, 11:17 AM
BYU football players board a plane at Provo Airport as they get ready to go to Florida for the Boca Raton Bowl. (BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
(BYU Photo/Jaren Wilkey)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football is on its way to Florida for its postseason game against the UCF Knights in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Cougars left Provo Airport at 10 a.m. on Sunday; they’ll arrive in Fort Lauderdale this afternoon at 4:03 p.m. ET. Like everything else in 2020, the bowl season is far different than what we’ve grown accustomed to.
Wheels up 🏔🛫 pic.twitter.com/AjEwCPX5KA
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 20, 2020
No week-long celebrations in a bowl destination, dance-offs, or buffets. Instead, this trip to face the Knights will be similar to the previous four road trips BYU has made this season, all business.
“It’s just a business trip. It seems like a different kind of year in a bowl game, but it’s just another game and another business trip,” said BYU senior Kavika Fonua.
At least one tradition remains in bowl season, all of the BYU players get to pick from the gift suite that allows each member of the team to get $550 worth of free merch.
BYU football has a chance at an 11-win season
Starting the season 9-0, BYU hoped to go to the New Year’s Six, but after a five-point loss to Coastal Carolina on December 5th that saw the Cougars come up one yard short, that dream was dashed. Playing UCF in the Boca Raton Bowl might be the next best consolation considering BYU’s limited options within ESPN Events.
— BYU Equipment (@byuequipment) December 20, 2020
The Knights are the highest-ranked opponent BYU will face this season, according to the Sagarin ratings. UCF is currently No. 27 in those ratings, with Coastal Carolina at No. 38.
“They like to play fast,” said Fonua about UCF’s No. 2 ranked total offense. “Also, they like to attack the outsides. But we just have to be conditioned and be ready. They definitely have some skill guys that are pretty good.”
This business trip for BYU football will be an opportunity to close out the unprecedented 2020 season with 11 wins. The Cougars haven’t hit that win total in a season since 2009.
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., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
