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BYU fans greet football players during the Cougar Walk before the start of a game against Sam Houston at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
Rebecca Fuentes Smith, BYU Marketing
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BYU senior cornerback Marque Collins (4) intercepts a pass during a practice in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.
Jaren Wilkey. BYU Photo
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BYU fans greet football players during the Cougar Walk before the start of a game against Sam Houston at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
BYU senior cornerback Marque Collins (4) intercepts a pass during a practice in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.
The prevailing sentiment for BYU players and coaches heading into the first game of the 2024 season is likely the same as at every other college football program across the country:
Finally.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Cougar senior offensive lineman Connor Pay said earlier in the week. “I’m pretty sick of practicing, especially against ourselves. I’m sick of hitting the same guys. You get to that first game and you are finally in LaVell Edwards Stadium again in front all the fans and you see someone else across the line of scrimmage from you is pretty nice. I’m definitely fired up for that.”
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said he feels like his program got the work done it needed to get done to be ready for Game 1.
“It’s here,” Sitake said. “It seemed like it was a long ways away when we first started camp. I’m really proud of the way our guys performed in camp, and the way our coaches and players handled the difficulty of camp. I think we got through it the way we wanted to. I think we were really aggressive and physical. The guys have been working really hard since January. It’s paid off. It shows. I’m excited for them to put it on the field come Saturday night.”
But after all the waiting and working, the last thing the Cougars want to do is come out flat.
And while the general consensus may be that playing an opponent from the FCS should result in a win, BYU knows it can’t overlook Southern Illinois.
“I have tons of respect for (Southern Illinois head coach Nick Hill),” Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill said. “I think he is a great play-caller and does a phenomenal job. They showed the same toughness and tenacity last year on film. He has had a lot of good teams there, so they have our attention for sure.”
Few BYU players know that firsthand but Cougar senior cornerback Marque Collins was on the Weber State team that lost to the Salukis in the FCS playoffs in 2021, a moment he hasn’t forgotten more than three years later.
“We lost on the last play of the game,” Collins said. “It still hurts. It’s definitely a memory that stuck with me. For me personally, I know who they are. I know how they play. I know how physical they can get. I’m glad they are on the schedule so I get a second chance against them.”
Collins said that the Cougars are aware of Southern Illinois’s history of beating FBS opponents, including wins over Northwestern in 2022 and Northern Illinois in 2022.
“As far as the team, we know they could beat whoever comes in there,” Collins said. “I think we have a good understanding of that right now. It’s going to be a physical game. They are going to bring out everything they’ve got to beat us, things like trick plays and double moves. We’ve got to be ready for it all.”
He said he’s been glad to see how seriously his BYU teammates are preparing for this contest, without being passive about playing an opponent from a smaller division.
“I think we’ve done a good job understanding that we need to respect our opponent, whether they are FBS or FCS,” Collins said. “They are going to play hard with nothing to lose.”
It’s been a journey for Collins as he made the transition from being at Weber State to BYU, as well as coming back of a serious knee injury.
“I’ve felt really healthy since midway through the summer,” Collins said. “It’s been a long journey, going through a major injury. It’s been tough. You question a lot of things, even whether you are going to keep playing. But I think I’m where I need to be. Now I’m 100% and ready to go.”
He also feels like the Cougar defense is prepared but recognized that the only proof of that happens on game day.
“You never really know until that first play,” Collins said. “I think we are as ready as we can be. We had a lot of time to study these guys. I think that first drive is really going to set the tone for us.”
He said that bottom line is always the same: find a way to win.
“It’s all about getting the result,” Collins said. “That’s the main thing to get out of it. But I want to play well as well.”
BYU vs. Southern Illinois
TIME:6 p.m. MT
TV:ESPN+
WHERE:LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
THE WORD: This will be the first meeting between BYU and Southern Illinois. The Cougars are a perfect 18-0 against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision. Last year, BYU beat Southern Utah, 41-16, in Provo to stay unbeaten against the FCS … BYU is 7-1 in season openers under head coach Kalani Sitake. Last year, the Cougars shut out Sam Houston State 14-0 … It is the fourth time under Sitake that BYU has opened the season at home (2-1) and the first time the Cougars have opened at home in consecutive seasons since the 2007 and 2008 campaigns.
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Publish date : 2024-08-31 14:40:00
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