BYU coach Kalani Sitake leads his gamers out onto the sector as BYU defeats Liberty in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. The 2 groups meet once more Saturday, however this time in Lynchburg, Virginia. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter appears to be like to move in opposition to Wake Forest throughout recreation in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Salter is one in all three Flames QBs who has seen motion in 2022. Chuck Burton, Related Press
LYNCHBURG, Va. — As they've the previous 12 or so years after choosing up their second or third lack of the season — except for 2020, after they went 11-1 in opposition to a patched-together schedule — the BYU Cougars have spent a number of time this week speaking about motivation now that their aspirations of creating a big-time bowl recreation have vanished like their protection did in opposition to Arkansas.
“BYU soccer will bounce again to what our id is and what we will cling our hat on. That’s what it comes right down to. We all know what's arising within the close to future, so we have now acquired to get ourselves prepared, and that's in a number of completely different areas.” — BYU soccer coach Kalani Sitake
The 4-3 Cougars insist, as they at all times do, that each one is just not misplaced and so they nonetheless have a lot to play for, particularly pleasure, of their ultimate season earlier than becoming a member of the Massive 12 in 2023.
Within the days main as much as their long-awaited showdown with fellow impartial and personal, faith-based establishment BYU, the 6-1 Liberty Flames have additionally talked quite a bit about motivation, however for fully completely different causes. Liberty hasn’t been shy about proclaiming Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. MDT conflict at sold-out 25,000-seat Williams Stadium in entrance of ESPNU cameras as epic because it will get within the afternoon shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“It's, surely, the largest dwelling soccer recreation this program has ever had,” Liberty coach Hugh Freeze mentioned in a videotaped staff assembly Monday that apparently was so necessary that this system despatched it out on social media. After all, Freeze additionally on Monday referred to statements Liberty founder Rev. Jerry Falwell made a half-century in the past that the evangelical Christian college would sooner or later use athletics as a way to nationwide relevance, as BYU has performed.
The Cougars’ go to, albeit as a middling program this yr coming off back-to-back losses, is “the achievement of a imaginative and prescient,” Freeze has mentioned.
Relating to truly enjoying a quite meaningless midseason recreation within the eyes of the remainder of the nation, which is able to win out — BYU’s pleasure, legacy and custom, or Liberty’s starvation for extra progress within the lengthy longed-for pursuit of prominence?
BYU followers will reply that it relies on which Cougars staff exhibits up. The one which drubbed South Florida and edged defending Massive 12 champion Baylor, or the outfit that sputtered offensively in opposition to Notre Dame in Las Vegas after which appeared totally clueless on protection final week in Provo in opposition to Arkansas?
“BYU soccer will bounce again to what our id is and what we will cling our hat on,” head coach Kalani Sitake mentioned Monday, a number of hours after Freeze’s impassioned speech. “That’s what it comes right down to. We all know what's arising within the close to future, so we have now acquired to get ourselves prepared, and that's in a number of completely different areas.”
Again in Utah and all through Cougar Nation — which had restricted entry to tickets within the smallish stadium — all eyes are on the BYU protection, after it gave up 644 yards, 12 of 15 third-down tries, and 52 factors to the Razorbacks. Though not its calling card in 2022, Liberty’s offense is able to first rate numbers, particularly if Baylor/Utah switch quarterback Charlier Brewer can play, native observers right here say.
Brewer — sure, the identical man that quarterbacked the Utes to a 26-17 loss at BYU 13 months and two weeks in the past — fractured the thumb in his proper hand within the second offensive sequence of the Flames opener at Southern Miss and hasn’t performed since. He’s been pinpointing the BYU recreation as being good for his return, practising extra this previous week than ever.
“Charlie desires to play badly. He’s not prepared right now (Thursday), for my part, however he desires to play badly. Wouldn’t shock me for us to strive him if issues aren’t going effectively, however I’ve simply acquired to see how he improves. He doesn’t have sufficient flexibility in his hand to make me really feel assured he could make each throw he must make for us to win this recreation. I'm hopeful it will get higher earlier than Saturday,” Freeze informed the Information & Advance of Lynchburg.
Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter appears to be like to move in opposition to Wake Forest throughout recreation in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Salter is one in all three Flames QBs who has seen motion in 2022.
Chuck Burton, Related Press
Sitake reminded reporters this week that Liberty’s solely loss was to now-No. 13 Wake Forest 37-36 in Winston Salem and that quarterback Kaidon Salter was nearly as good in that recreation as Wake’s extremely touted Sam Hartman. One other QB, Johnathan Bennett, improved to 3-0 as LU’s starter within the Flames’ closer-than-comfort 21-20 win over FCS Gardner-Webb final week in Lynchburg.
“Excessive-powered offense, actually good group of operating backs who can actually run the ball,” Sitake mentioned. “After which whoever they've at quarterback I'm certain they'll coach very well and have actually good talent receivers and the protection is hard, too. Very well-coached staff. We've got a tricky matchup this weekend.”
BYU is wherever between a 4- and 6-point favourite, so a Liberty win couldn’t be thought of an enormous upset. Proper now, the Cougars’ repute as a nationwide model is greater than their chew, so a field-storming isn’t out of the query.
The Cougars are clearly heading right into a hyped-up hornets’ nest, the place home-field benefit and closely harbored hopes will seemingly imply one thing.
“It'll be an important day of celebration of kinda the place the imaginative and prescient has come that Dr. Falwell forged a few years in the past,” Freeze mentioned.
Greater than 2,000 miles throughout the nation, the Cougars have seen.
“Yeah, must be an important setting,” BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick mentioned Tuesday. Offensive line coach Darrell Funk has performed there earlier than. He mentioned it's a nice … setting. He mentioned it's a nice faculty soccer stadium and they're a superb staff. So it'll be electrical.”
Motivation gained’t be briefly provide, both.
Cougars on the air
BYU (4-3) at Liberty (6-1)
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT
Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, Virginia
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM/1160 AM