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PROVO — In a recent interview I conducted with BYU legend Ty Detmer, he said, “It’s kind of neat, now, to see all of the colleges change up uniforms from time to time. I think the players really enjoy it.”
Apparently, he is not the only one with this opinion, as the BYU football team is set to wear three alternate uniforms for home games in 2014. Today, BYU Sports Nation tweeted a photo of the three uniforms and the dates they will be worn. Following are brief descriptions of the uniforms, the games they will be worn in and my take.
Sept. 20, 2014 vs. Virginia Cavaliers: “White Out”
For their second home game of the 2014 season, the Cougars will don all-white uniforms and fans will be encouraged to wear white to LaVell Edwards Stadium. In recent years, the all-white jersey has become a frequently used alternative when the Cougars hit the road. This will mark the first time BYU has ever worn white jersey tops at home, as Georgia Tech, the Dallas Cowboys or LSU do.
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Personally, I am not a big fan of the all-white jerseys. I have always thought the two-tone coloring of the jerseys with the corresponding stripes is a sharper and more classic look. However, I actually like this move by BYU for a variety of reasons. First, quite simply, it’s different. As previously mentioned, there are very few collegiate and professional football teams that wear white for their home contests. Second, as with all these promotional games, I think it unifies the home crowd. It is awesome to see thousands of people look and act as one.
Perhaps most importantly, though, is that the Cougars were wearing all-white jerseys during their embarrassing loss to the Cavaliers last year. What better way to put that disaster behind them in the rematch than to look the same but play like a completely different team? The symbolism (whether intentional or coincidental) behind this move could help those associated with the loss last year get the bitter taste out of their mouths.
Oct. 3, 2014 vs. Utah State: “All Royal”
When the Cougars play the Aggies for “The Old Wagon Wheel,” BYU players will be decked out all in royal blue. The Cougars wore this alternate uniform for their otherwise forgettable tilt with the Utes last season. I cannot tell from the picture tweeted today whether the face mask and helmet stickers will get the metallic blue treatment the Cougs displayed in the game against Utah.
Again, I prefer the two-color scheme, but any time the Cougars go back to the royal I will take it. I think wearing it for the Utah State game is a good move for a few reasons. As many Aggie fans will tell you, Utah State has worn navy blue for decades, while the Cougars didn’t make the switch until the 1999 season. This fact has led to numerous signs in Romney Stadium that say something along the lines of “Get your own blue.”
BYU’s decision to wear the blue that college football fans nationwide associated with the Cougars during Edwards’ reign is a good idea, particularly because it may help the team repeat the days where it routinely beat the boys from Logan by five touchdowns every year.
Nov. 15, 2014 vs. UNLV: “Black Out”
For their late-season matchup against the Rebels, the Cougars will be covered from head to toe in black. The jerseys were last seen in 2012 in a game against then-No. 10 Oregon State. Since 2005, the Cougars’ uniforms had remained remarkably unaltered, so having a completely different jersey was a major surprise to BYU faithful. The promotion worked, as Cougar fans gobbled up black merchandise before watching a game where the Beavers pulled away late in the fourth quarter to end BYU’s upset hopes.
The black-on-black looks sharp and tough: I really like this jersey combination. But the game chosen to use it for is an odd pick. In general, college football teams save their “Black Out” promotion for big games. This was the case when BYU played Oregon State.
While the Rebels showed marked improvement last season, it’s safe to say that anything besides an easy win for the Cougars will be met with strong displeasure in Provo. Perhaps the thinking by the administration is that wearing the all-black jerseys will bring more interest to an otherwise unattractive game. Whatever the reasoning, let’s just hope this game is actually played at night under the lights for the full effect.
Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com sports contributor. He can be reached at dylancannon86@gmail.com or via his twitter account @DylanCannon11.
