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Fresh off their season-opening 30-6 win over Washington State, the BYU Cougars look forward to facing their next opponent. Saturday the Cougars will take on in-state foe Weber State.
Weber State is led by first-year coach Jody Sears, who spent three years as the defensive coordinator at Washington State. He was fired in January as Weber State's defensive coordinator, but was promoted in April to head coach after the sudden departure of John L. Smith.
The Wildcats started their season against the Fresno State Bulldogs last week, losing 37-10.
A year ago the Wildcats finished 5-6 and tied for third place in the Big Sky Conference. This season, the Wildcats are hoping to improve their overall record and win a conference championship.
Game Notes- BYU (1-0) vs. Weber State (0-1)
- Date: Saturday Sep. 8, 2012
- Time: 1:00 p.m. MDT
- Site: LaVell Edwards Stadium Provo, Utah
- TV: BYUtv
- Radio: KSL Radio 1160 AM, 102.7 FM and ksl.com
- Series Record: BYU leads 2-0
- Last Meeting: 1979 (BYU 48-3)
- Kickoff Weather: Mostly sunny, temps in the upper 80s
This will be the third all-time meeting between Weber State and BYU. BYU leads the series 2-0.
Offense
Senior quarterback Mike Hoke will lead the Weber State offense. He has a career passing completion percent of 64.6. Last week Hoke finished 25 of 32 for 202 yards.
Hoke also was the leading rusher against Fresno State with 12 carries for 34 yards.
Senior offensive lineman Tytan Timoteo will help protect Hoke when the offense is playing. Timoteo was named to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team. Last season Timoteo was on the Big Sky All-Conference Second Team.
Junior wide receiver Jordan Clemente had a breakthrough game last week with nine catches for 51 yards. Look for him to be an offensive leader again this week.
Sophomore fullback Tevia Tulutau will be the other main offensive player for the Wildcats. Tulutau was also named to the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team and was on the Big Sky All-Conference First Team last season.
Defense
The Weber State defense may have a challenge on its hands this week as it faces BYU's rising offense.
Senior captains and stars Anthony Morales and Trevor Pletcher are both injured. Neither Morales or Pletcher played last week against Fresno State and both are questionable for this week.
With injuries to the star defensive players, look for new faces to try to rise to the occasion.
Safety Willie Okwuonu helped lead the defense last week with nine tackles. Last season he made Big Sky All-Conference Honorable Mention. Okwuonu has recorded 75 tackles during his career.
Sophomore linebacker Luke King also led the Wildcats' defense by recording nine tackle against Fresno State. During his freshman season, King recorded 16 tackles.
All in all, this game will be a chance for the Wildcats to play a solid FBS team and improve their skills. It will also be a chance for BYU to perfect its game and prepare for tougher opponents in the future.
Ashley Anderson is a senior at BYU majoring in public relations with the hope of one day having a career in sports public relations.
Photo Courtesy: Weber State
