10 Things To Watch For During BYU/UTSA Game

PROVO, Utah – BYU hosts UTSA on Saturday afternoon in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Cougars are ranked No. 15 in both national polls and have been one of the hottest teams to open this unprecedented college football season.

Here are ten things to watch for during Saturday’s game between BYU and UTSA.

BYU/UTSA Game Info

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. (MST)

Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

TV: ESPN2

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM, KSL NewsRadio app)

For more details on how to watch, listen, and stream the game at kickoff.

#1 How this game came to be

BYU and UTSA did not schedule a game until this past August after numerous scheduling changes in college football amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a “guarantee game” where BYU will be playing UTSA to play this game. The Cougars will not be making a return trip to San Antonio.

#2 Highest ranking since 2009

The last time BYU played a game ranked in the top-15 of the rankings was in 2009 when the Cougars defeated Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl of that year. This is the 11th time BYU is playing a game as an AP Top 25 team since becoming Independent in 2011.

BYU  🤝  Top 25 pic.twitter.com/kbgzrK0Hfx

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 8, 2020

#3 Nation’s Best

BYU is ranked No. 1 in total offense and total defense entering this game against UTSA. The Cougars are dominating their opposition, putting up 585.7 yards per game on offense and only allowing 214.3 yards per game. By comparison, UTSA is 33rd in total offense averaging 417 yards and giving up 447 per game, good for 58th nationally in total defense.

#BYU is in elite company with this stat.#GoCougs #Clemson #BYUFootball https://t.co/hbiUsyLep2

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 9, 2020

#4 BYU players from the state of Texas

Saturday’s game against UTSA begins a three-week stretch for BYU facing teams from the state of Texas. The Cougars have three players on the 2020 roster from the Lone Star State in kicker Jake Oldroyd, quarterback Baylor Romney, and wide receiver Keanu Hill, the nephew to former Texas Longhorn and Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams.

#5 Zach Wilson looks to continue his hot streak in 20th career start

Last week, Wilson led BYU to a 45-14 victory over LA Tech, where he tossed for 325 yards on a 92 percent completion rate, the second-best single-game percentage in program history. The best mark is his own, a perfect game against Western Michigan in 2018. Wilson was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the week for his performance and now comes into this week’s game against UTSA garnering buzz for the Heisman Trophy.

Saturday will mark the 20th career start of Wilson’s career. He’s posted an 11-8 record through his first 19 starts.

#6 Wilson climbing BYU’s all-time charts

If Wilson passes for 217 yards against UTSA, he will pass Virgil Carter for 14th all-time on BYU’s top passing yards list. Wilson currently sits at 4,909 career passing yards. Another 22 passing attempts would put Wilson at 16th all-time in front of Gary Sheide.

As a big favorite, #BYU will need to have another business-like approach against UTSA.#BYUFootball #GoCougs https://t.co/N6iaEuoBVP

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 9, 2020

#7 4-0 doesn’t happen often

BYU is looking to move to 4-0 in 2020 with a win over UTSA. If the Cougars come away victorious, it would mark only the sixth time since BYU’s 1984 National Championship season that the Cougars have opened the season 4-0. The others are 1990, 1993, 2001, 2008, and 2014. In three of those five seasons, BYU went on to finish the year ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll.

#8 Empty stadium

BYU is one of only six FBS teams that has played this season who has yet to play in front of fans. The Cougars game against UTSA will be in front of no fans, as has been in the previous three games. Along with BYU, Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Cincinnati have yet to play in front of fans in 2020.

No fans will be in attendance at LaVell Edwards Stadium for #BYU's home game against UTSA this Saturday.#BYUFootball @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 6, 2020

#9 BYU’s history against Conference-USA teams

For the second week in a row, BYU is taking on a team from Conference-USA. This is the 53rd meeting in BYU’s history against a current school within Conference-USA. BYU is 39-12-1 all-time against CUSA programs. 37 of BYU’s meetings against CUSA squads are against UTEP, an old WAC rival. The only C-USA team with a winning record against BYU is Marshall, who defeated the Cougars in their lone meeting against one another in the 1999 Motor City Bowl.

#10 Big favorite

Speaking of UTEP, the last time BYU lost a game as a 35-point favorite or more was in 1985 when the Cougars dropped a shocker to the Miners in El Paso. Since 1990, the Cougars have had five previous games against FBS competition, where they’ve been a five-touchdown favorite. BYU is 5-0 in those games.

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.