BYU Football Players, Coaches React To Big Ten’s Conference-Only Decision

PROVO, Utah – The outlook for the 2020 college football season looks a lot different today than it did a few days ago. With the Big Ten Conference announcing they are going to play a Conference-Only schedule it took away two games from BYU’s 2020 football schedule.

The Pac-12 and ACC are also eyeing a Conference-Only format as well for the fall leaving Independent BYU trying to find games for the upcoming fall.

BYU athletics issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging that the Big Ten’s announcement “has specific ramifications regarding the 2020 BYU football schedule.”

A handful of BYU football players and coaches reacted to yesterday’s decision from the Big Ten and all the reports from the college football world shifting towards a Conference-Only schedule.

Sitting on my back porch listening to “The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney … praying we are going to have a season. I’m very sensitive to what’s going on with the health crisis in our country, but I need some football in my life! #GoCougs #football pic.twitter.com/PYNwfCbDT0

— jeff grimes (@coachgrimey) July 10, 2020

BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes wrote on his personal Twitter account, “Sitting on my back porch listening to “The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney … praying we are going to have a season. I’m very sensitive to what’s going on with the health crisis in our country, but I need some football in my life!”

All I know is the Brigham BMI boys want the smoke. Whoever puts their hand down, we will be ready. Just focus on being the best version of us and it’ll work out. #BlueGrit

— Eric Mateos (@CoachMateos) July 10, 2020

Offensive line coach Eric Mateos is keeping the positivity despite the uncertainty surrounding the season, “All I know is the Brigham BMI boys want the smoke. Whoever puts their hand down, we will be ready. Just focus on being the best version of us and it’ll work out. #BlueGrit”

We’re just going get better everyday because that’s all we can control. Go cougs! 🤙🏽 pic.twitter.com/afY8IEuhuk

— Isaiah Kaufusi (@isaiah_kaufusi) July 9, 2020

BYU football players have been participating in voluntary workouts in groups of 30 people since June 1st with hopes of playing an entire 12-game season. Senior linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi who is viewed as one of the leaders of the Cougar defense this year wrote, “We’re just going [to] get better everyday because that’s all we can control. Go cougs!”

Defensive tackle Lorenzo Fauatea made a simple statement to the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences, “Let us play!”

Let us play! @bigten @pac12

— Lorenzo Fauatea (@ZFauatea) July 9, 2020

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 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.