BYU linebacker Payton Wilgar celebrates a sack throughout a recreation in opposition to Arizona within the Vegas Kickoff Traditional in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. The Cougars will probably be again in Vegas on Saturday, this time for a recreation in opposition to Notre Dame. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Exterior view of the Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Las Vegas. Saturday evening the stadium will probably be hopping when Notre Dame and BYU sq. off within the desert. John McCoy, Related Press
For BYU linebacker Payton Wilgar, taking part in soccer in opposition to Notre Dame in Las Vegas will probably be doubly rewarding on Saturday when the No. 16 Cougars and Irish face off at Allegiant Stadium.
The fifth-year junior from St. George’s Dixie Excessive grew up dreaming of doing each.
“Notre Dame has been round ceaselessly they usually have all the time been an elite program. I imply, for this reason all of us got here to BYU, to play in video games like this, to play Notre Dame, an elite, historic soccer program,” Wilgar informed the Deseret Information Monday.
“Notre Dame has been round ceaselessly they usually have all the time been an elite program. I imply, for this reason all of us got here to BYU, to play in video games like this, to play Notre Dame, an elite, historic soccer program.” — BYU linebacker Payton Wilgar
“They're a very good staff and we're taking part in them in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, so I don’t know if it will get a lot larger than this,” he stated. “We're all going to be excited to be on the market on Saturday and present what we will do.”
Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. MDT and the sport will probably be televised nationally by NBC. BYU will probably be taking part in at Allegiant for the second time in as a few years, having defeated Arizona 24-16 there within the 2021 season opener.
Wilgar made 9 tackles, together with a sack for an 11-yard loss, in that recreation.
“That stadium is an enormous stage, and to have the ability to get some expertise in it and kinda really feel the ambiance, I feel will probably be useful for us to go on the market and be capable to do it once more,” he stated.
Wilgar’s father, Dana, starred for Las Vegas’ Clark Excessive earlier than taking part in for BYU from 1973-76.
“My dad is type of a Vegas legend,” Payton stated. “He performed … again within the late ’60s. He was often called the Vegas Flash. And I nonetheless acquired plenty of household there. Vegas is type of a second house to me. So I'm tremendous excited to have the ability to play there once more.”
Exterior view of the Allegiant Stadium Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Las Vegas. Saturday evening the stadium will probably be hopping when Notre Dame and BYU sq. off within the desert.
John McCoy, Related Press
BYU offensive lineman Clark Barrington grew up close to Spokane, Washington, however all the time stored observe of Notre Dame soccer.
“Rising up, I (watched) them grow to be a high staff (once more) and be actually good all through all these years,” Barrington stated. “We're all simply tremendous excited to go play this recreation. It will likely be an excellent recreation.”
Oregon State switch Kaleb Hayes, a cornerback, merely responded this fashion when requested about Notre Dame’s place within the faculty soccer world:
“Um, it's Notre Dame, ?” He stated. “In different phrases, BYU and Notre Dame. That is the Holy Conflict. … It has plenty of feelings in direction of it. I do know I'm very puffed up. I do know the boys are very puffed up, and followers are very puffed up for this recreation. The scene is ready at Allegiant Stadium. It will be an amazing one, man.”
After all, BYU groups have performed a whole lot of video games in Las Vegas, from Las Vegas Bowls on the outdated Sam Boyd Stadium to showdowns with UNLV on the Thomas & Mack Middle and matchups with basketball energy Gonzaga and others at Orleans Area for WCC match video games.
The Cougars all the time keep removed from the distractions of the famed Las Vegas Strip, and this 12 months will probably be no totally different. Head coach Kalani Sitake stated Monday that BYU is staying at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, about 20 miles from the Strip.
Hayes is OK with it.
“Oh yeah, man,” he stated. “Don’t acquired time to gamble or nothing like that. We're right here to play ball. It's a enterprise journey, on the finish of the day. It's good to be within the space. It's enjoyable, you see plenty of issues. However we're not actually right here for the Strip or the lights or every thing like that.”
Sitake, who performed for the Cougars when they beat No. 17 Notre Dame 21-14 in 1994 in South Bend, Indiana, stated his gamers are good and have nice soccer data so they're accustomed to the custom and historical past of Notre Dame. However they received’t be in awe.
“They know the names like Notre Dame and these big-name groups. Identical to you didn’t must say a lot (about) Tennessee a couple of years again,” Sitake stated. “These guys know the historic worth of this system of Notre Dame.
“However after we get on the market we're going to play the sport. I need them to embrace the chance. This can be a big-time program that we're going in opposition to, with nice gamers and nice teaching,” he continued. “So it's a robust job. I'm trying ahead to this recreation as a result of I need to get the perfect model of ourselves, and generally going in opposition to an amazing staff with nice expertise, and also you see it on movie, actually will get the fellows excited to get that going.”
Sitake stated he doesn’t know what the consequence will probably be, “however I do know we will dwell with the consequence if we present up and play our greatest.”
Cougars on the air
No. 16 BYU (4-1) vs. Notre Dame (2-2)
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MDT
Allegiant Stadium
Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: NBC
Radio: KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM/1160 AM