On paper, BYU football should have an easier home stretch than it had in 2023.
Last year, the Cougars faced Iowa State (tied for fourth place in the Big 12), Oklahoma (third place), and Oklahoma State (second place) in the final three weeks of the season.
This autumn, however, BYU will face Arizona State, Kansas, and Houston, who are ranked No. 16, No. 4, and No. 15 in the Big 12 media preseason poll, respectively.
Given the historical unreliability of preseason picks, such rankings should be viewed with caution. However, the Cougars have two of those games at home (they only travel to ASU), which should assist.
This is the final installment of a three-part series looking at what three of BYU’s opponents focused on at Big 12 football media days at Allegient Stadium in Las Vegas last week, beginning with a rising school, Kansas.
Kansas Jayhawks
It’s a time of transition for a Jayhawk program that has risen from near the bottom of the college football globe to become much more competitive — and a familiar face among Cougar fans is part of that.
Lance Leipold, Kansas’ head coach, recruited former BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes as the Jayhawks’ assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator.
“Coach Aranda, Jeff Grimes, and that staff won the Big 12 Conference (in 2021),” Leipold stated on July 10. “And seeing what they did when they played us and other things, I just believed we’d be a fantastic match. They are familiar with the conference, and when we met to discuss what we wanted to accomplish next, did we have the appropriate alignment again? I am certain that we do, with Jeff as a coordinator.”
Kansas is also constructing their stadium, so the Jayhawks will play all of their Big 12 home games at Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City.
“We have over 30 seniors, guys who have done an outstanding job helping us get this turned around,” Leipold pointed out. “Part of me regrets that they do not have the opportunity to play in large venues or at the newly refurbished stadium location. But there’s also a part of me that’s excited because we’ll be playing conference football games at an NFL stadium. I believe the locker room is really enthused about it, and we’ll have to be ready to go.”
Kansas’ game versus BYU, however, will be played on the road, with the Jayhawks visiting Provo on November 16.
Arizona State Wildcats
As Arizona State prepared to transfer to its new conference, second-year Wildcat head coach Kenny Dillingham made his introductions.
“We’re super excited to be in the Big 12,” Dillingham stated on July 9. “We’re eager to play in all of these incredible cities with fantastic atmospheres for our players. I believe this is one of the best-coached conferences in the country. From top to bottom, I believe that every game is a grind. And we’re very excited to be a part of it.
As he works to get the Wildcats back on track, he says the goal is to get stronger and harder.
“If you watched this league and you look at the teams that have continually won in this league and the ones that are joining this league, it’s teams that are tough,” according to Dillingham. “It also prepares and teaches our children how to deal with adversity, both good and negative. Those are the topics we’ve been harping on for the past year. Those are the things we will continue to emphasize during autumn camp.”
BYU will make its first trip to Tempe, Arizona, for the game on November 23 since a 13-10 Cougar victory in 1997.
Houston Cougars
The red-uniformed Cougars had a wild ride during their first year in the Big 12, but finished with a disappointing 4-8 record, so they are eager to turn things around.
“I’m really trying to promote our strengths at the University of Houston,” said incoming Houston coach Willie Fritz on July 10. “We are a Tier One academic institution. Our president has done an excellent job increasing enrollment. We have 48,000 pupils.
“The second thing that’s essential in this day and age is that Houston, Texas, is the world’s football epicenter. I appreciate that I did not have to board an aircraft to recruit. I stayed in my car the entire time I was out recruiting. There are lots of quality players in Texas.”
He’s not one to talk about gradually bringing his program up to speed. He believes Houston has the ability to become outstanding rapidly.
“We’ve got high expectations, just like all the coaches we’ve got up here,” Fritz told the crowd. “We aim to win every ball game we play this season. It takes time to get to know your team early in the season. Spring ball is fantastic. Summer exercises are amazing. But nothing compares to actually playing real games. We’ll learn a lot about ourselves after the first few weeks.”
Fritz expects Houston will have learned these lessons and had everything working by the end of the year, when they visit LaVell Edwards Stadium on November 30.