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Six days after beating Houston in a first-ever meeting with that school, BYU welcomes Boise State to Provo on Friday, with the Cougars seeking a first-ever win over the visitors from Idaho.
The Broncos have won the first three meetings in a series that has stretched over 10 years, with Boise State walking away with a 2003 blowout at LaVell Edwards Stadium, then capturing blue-turf nail-biters in 2004 and 2012.
Last year's game featured BYU blanking the Boise State offense, yet the Broncos earned a 7-6 win on the strength of an interception return for touchdown. Taysom Hill came off the bench in relief of an injured Riley Nelson and led the Cougars to their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter; a missed two-point conversion ended BYU's comeback hopes.
"I remember that feeling," said Hill after practice on Monday, "and it's something that I don't want to feel again."
"I think it's going to be different," Cougar head coach Bronco Mendenhall said of his expectations for Friday night's game. "Boise is completely different offensively than they were a year ago--an entirely different system."
"They're scoring a lot more points, and I think they're more potent. I think we're better offensively as well, so I wouldn't anticipate 7-6. I don't know what the score will be, but it probably won't be duplicated that way."
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BYU is on a short week after a grueling 47-46 win at Houston last Saturday. It was a game that lasted more than four hours and saw the two teams combine for 191 offensive plays--115 of them from BYU, tying an all-time FBS record.
Mendenhall said his players' resolve will be tested after a game he called "a draining experience."
"They're excited to work," Mendenhall said, "but their bodies look like they played a long game and traveled, but they're anxious--they see a great opportunity lying ahead, they think Boise's a good football team, and they're looking forward to the matchup, so I think that's serving as a catalyst to how they worked today."
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The Cougars played most of the second half in Houston without the services of running back Jamaal Williams, who took a helmet to the hip and played only a handful of snaps in the second half.
On Monday, Williams sat out the 11-on-11 portions of practice, but took part in meetings and drills and said "I'm going to be ready by Friday."
Mendenhall said "sure," when asked if he expects Williams to suit up Friday night. "Yeah, he will (play). I think he'll be full-speed by Friday night...no limitations."
The Boise State offense didn't appear limited in its last game, despite the loss of starting quarterback Joe Southwick to a broken ankle on the opening play of the Broncos' weekend win over Nevada.
Grant Hedrick came off the bench and threw for 150 yards, adding 114 more on the ground, as Boise State battled back from a 17-7 halftime deficit for a 34-17 victory.
"I think we pretty much prepare the same way," said BYU defensive back Mike Hague about BYU facing the Bronco's reserve QB. "Southwick was a really good quarterback, but #9 (Hedrick) is a really good quarterback too; he might just be a little more mobile. He's able to make plays with his feet but he's also able to throw it. As far as preparing, we've got to make sure that we're ready."
Mendenhall said of BSU's win over the Wolfpack that "the other quarterback came in and, man, ended up having a really successful game."
"Boise's a good team with a good system. They've earned every win that they've got--they've done a really nice job with their program."
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Cougar quarterback Taysom Hill is coming off a record-setting performance at Houston, where he became the first-ever BYU QB to run for 100-plus yards (128) and throw for 400-plus yards (417) in the same game. His total offense tally is the ninth-best single-game mark in BYU history.
Hill also took his share of punishment over 115 plays, 78 of which were either his passes (44) or runs (34). Mendenhall says Hill's workload was a cost of doing business at Houston, especially with Williams unavailable for much of the game.
"Eventually I'd like the rest of the execution to alleviate that (workload) to some degree," said Mendenhall. "It's kind of a work in progress at this point. He's so good running (the ball), and the game was really, really close, so unfortunately--or fortunately for us--we had him, and he could carry it maybe more than we had anticipated."
Asked if his body can take the pounding over as many plays as BYU is running, Hill said "for now, it will."
"It does start to take a toll on everybody, I think," Hill says. "Again, I'm willing to do what it takes to win the football game."
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Mendenhall says BYU's offense is making game-by-game improvements; the Cougar attack is now averaging better than 500 yards and 31 points per game. The coach says "players and Taysom know what's happening; they're getting better and better and better."
"It doesn't mean they're perfect, but man, when you're scoring as many points as we did in that (Houston) game and are moving the ball the way we did, I think they're optimistic and hopeful to get the ball again."
BYU did commit 14 penalties and allow eight sacks at Houston, and Mendenhall knows mistakes must be minimized, but tempo and play volume are mitigating factors he considers in his analysis.
"When you throw it as many times as we are throwing it," Mendenhall says, "(pass) protection is going to be tested, and over 115 plays...the number of plays is exceeding our execution--if you call 47 points and all those yards not good enough execution."
"Yeah, I'd like no sacks, but it's kind of a trade-off right now."
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You can interviews with Mendenhall, Hill, Hague and Williams in "Cougar Cuts," top left.
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