Pregame Observations From LES For BYU/Utah State
Sep 29, 2022, 3:38 PM | Updated: 5:00 pm
BYU/Utah State square off for the 91st time on Thursday, September 29, 2022 in Provo. (Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
(Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
PROVO, Utah – The final installment of the BYU/Utah State football rivalry is taking place tonight at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
BYU joins the Big 12 Conference next season, which puts the annual BYU/Utah State series on pause for the foreseeable future. There are no scheduled games between the two historic rivals after tonight’s game.
BYU comes into tonight’s matchup ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and are 3-1 overall on the year. Utah State is struggling at 1-3 and is searching for immediate answers.
There’s no game that the Aggies would love to circle the wagons for than the Wagon Wheel rivalry game against BYU.
BYU/Utah State kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. (MT) on ESPN and KSL NewsRadio. Pregame coverage on the radio at 102.7 FM, 1160 AM begins at 4 p.m.
Pregame notes and observations for BYU/Utah State
– I arrived at LaVell Edwards Stadium around 2:45 p.m. (MT) so I could avoid the game day and worknight traffic. UTA sent out reminders for fans to use the FrontRunner train to get to LaVell Edwards Stadium. On my early drive to Provo, there were no traffic issues.
Rain is starting to come down here at LaVell Edwards Stadium before @BYUfootball vs. @USUFootball. ☔️ 🌧️ #GoCougs #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/lvvBhAvQwl
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 29, 2022
– Around 3:20 p.m. (MT), a sudden rush of rain started to downpour on the LaVell Edwards Stadium field. BYU’s cheerleaders were practicing their routines when the sudden storm hit LES.
– At 3:35 p.m., BYU’s student section members, The ROC, began filing into their seats. Some of the students camped out overnight for the game. They had a line that concluded in LaVell Edwards Stadium’s north endzone.
After camping out overnight, members of the @byuROC are starting to file into their seats.#BYU #USUvsBYU #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/YIaLHvEtq0
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 29, 2022
– After the Cougar Walk concluded, Kalani Sitake typically crowd surfs into the grouping of BYU fans that are students. Sitake told KSL Sports he couldn’t crowd surf anymore.
No more crowd surfing for Kalani 😂 pic.twitter.com/x6rDNlMd7K
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 29, 2022
– During pregame warmups, BYU players were wearing royal blue t-shirts that featured a vintage BYU logo from the 1920s. BYU’s first game against Utah State took place 100 years ago in 1922.
#BYU players in pregame warmups are wearing a royal blue shirt with a vintage BYU logo.#USUvsBYU #BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/p17eYDZrjM
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 29, 2022
– BYU FB/TE Masen Wake was not suited up for pregame warmups. If Wake is out, BYU will turn to Houston Heimuli at that versatile spot.
– Kaleb Hayes, who suffered concussion-like symptoms two weeks ago at Oregon, was going through phase one of warmups on Thursday.
– BYU’s gameday roster did not include DL Blake Mangelson and Joshua Larsen. Larsen last week was seen leaving LES on crutches.
– BYU DL Joshua Singh and Fisher Jackson were practicing some MMA & Boxing moves during pregame warmups near the goal posts.
– WR Gunner Romney is going through pregame warmups. No sign of Puka Nacua or Chase Roberts during the first phase of warmups.
– Lorenzo Fauatea had a funny moment in warmups lining up at wide receiver. Cade Fennegan passed the big defensive lineman the rock which gave Zo a big smile.
– Players that I did not see during phase one of warmups: Malik Moore, Puka Nacua, Masen Wake, Chase Roberts, Tavita Gagnier, Gabe Summers, and Alema Pilimai.
– A lot of young defensive backs were dressed for pregame warmups. Freshmen Evan Johnson, Zion Allen, Chika Ebunoha, Mory Bamba, Korbyn Green, and Nathaniel Gillis.
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Refresh this page, we will continue to have updates on this story leading up to kickoff.
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 him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
