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PROVO — Yes, it’s a night game beginning at 8:15 p.m. MT.
Yes, it’s against New Mexico State.
But make no mistake; Saturday’s home finale for BYU football is a big game.
And it’s not just for the departing graduating class as the Cougars celebrate senior night (8:15 p.m. MT, ESPN2, KSL Newsradio).
BYU’s final home date against the Aggies (3-7) is a chance for the Cougars (5-5) to clinch bowl-eligibility for the first time in two seasons. After last year’s disappointing 4-9 season, getting back to a bowl game has been on everyone’s minds in Provo.
And the Cougars can prove themselves bowl-worthy with a win this weekend.
“We’re hungry,” senior running back Matt Hadley said Monday. “Setting senior night aside, that is one of our big focuses — obviously, New Mexico State, but also to accomplish one of our goals (of being bowl eligible) is huge for us.”
The Cougars will honor 25 seniors prior to Saturday night’s festivities, and the university will also honor longtime radio color commentator Marc Lyons during the game. Lyons will finish his 38th season as a broadcaster.
His first broadcast was Sept. 6, 1980 alongside the legendary Paul James, and he’s also called 18 seasons of BYU football with current play-by-play man Greg Wrubell on KSL Newsradio.
But Saturday will be about more than tributes for the Cougars. With a chance to improve upon its 35 bowl games, and add a second bowl appearance to third-year head coach Kalani Sitake, BYU players aren’t taking Saturday night lightly.
“We’re really motivated,” BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki said. “We want to go to a bowl game, and we want to win out. We’re really motivated going into this game, to get that sixth win and to go to a bowl game. We didn’t go to one last year, and it’s really important.”
Saturday’s game is also exactly one week before the again-annual rivalry game with Utah. But Sitake isn’t concerned about his team looking ahead.
“These guys have been pretty good. That’s how football works; you focus on one week at a time,” Sitake said. “All the coaches say that, and that’s what matters right now is New Mexico State.
“I imagine our guys will be focused on what matters the most, and that is New Mexico State.”
Birds-eye view
Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was an on-field coach for the majority of the season. But before the Cougars’ trip to Boise State, he decided to try to call a game from high above the stadium in the coaches’ box.
He apparently liked it; Grimes continued to do his job from his perch high above Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts against UMass.
“You just get a different perspective on the game,” Grimes said during his ‘Coordinators Corner’ radio show. “I miss being on the field where I can be with the guys … but we’ve got capable coaches down there.”
Grimes added he will “probably” call the remainder of the season from the coaches’ box, with games remaining against New Mexico State and at Utah.
Pac-12 After Dark
The Cougars' regular-season finale at rival Utah will be another late-night affair.
The Pac-12 announced Monday that kickoff of next Saturday’s game between the Utes and Cougars will be at 8 p.m. MST. The game, which will be broadcast on FS1, will be the sixth game that kicks at 8 p.m. in Utah or later for BYU.
