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PROVO — When BYU tight end Matt Bushman was 9 years old, his family was forced from their home in New Orleans as a result of the damage done by Hurricane Katrina.
The family moved to Arizona with his grandparents, and Bushman graduated from Tucson’s Sabino High and earned Parade All-American honorable mention honors while accumulating offers from Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Washington.
So one can imagine the heartache the dual-sport athlete, who also plays baseball at BYU, felt when he saw the flooding in South Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey.
“It’s definitely tough. Whenever these natural disasters happen, the people affected have a soft spot in my heart,” Bushman said. “I feel for the families in Houston. It’s hard, but I know they are strong people and they will bounce back. Our thoughts, prayers and concerns go out to them.”
It’s still not completely official, in all regards, but the anticipated Advocare Texas Kickoff between BYU and Louisiana State is almost assuredly not going to happen at NRG Stadium in Houston. LSU athletic director Joe Alleva told Baton Rouge reporters Monday morning the teams are actively working with ESPN, who owns the game, to move the game to one of five alternate sites, though he declined to discuss which venues were in line.
Reports have New Orleans, Jacksonville, Dallas, Nashville and Orlando as possible alternative venues.
Heavy floods caused by Hurricane Harvey descended on the South Texas shoreline through the weekend, leaving at least two confirmed dead and hundreds more without shelter as a projected 50 inches of rain descended off the gulf coast.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has watched the devastation on the news, and the relocation of a football game is one of the last things on his mind.
“I’m not really worried about the football game; people come first,” Sitake said. “We’ll figure out the rest later. We’ll know more details later, but our guys are mostly focused on fixing the mistakes they made last week and then the concern for the people in Houston.”
Bushman, who caught a team-high three receptions for 56 yards in the 20-6 win over Portland State Saturday, would be particularly excited to return to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans — a place he hasn’t returned since the eighth grade. Even so, he considered himself an LSU fan growing up (in addition to his allegiance to the Cougars).
“Growing up, we were always BYU fans, but being from New Orleans, we cheered on LSU also,” Bushman said. “We’re going to have friends and family watching me on both sides of the spectrum.
“I’m really excited. They’re a tough team, solid, and always a national powerhouse. It’s the second game of my college career, and I can’t wait to play them.”
Wide receiver Talon Shumway served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in McAllen, Texas, and he’s reached out to several families and friends who have experienced first-hand one of the worst storms in U.S. history.
“There’s some concern there, and it’s been devastating to some people,” Shumway said. “But we’re not in charge of the venue or what will happen with the game. That will work itself out.
“We’re really just hoping that things can turn around for south Texas and the people down there.”
Lead punt returner Tanner Jacobson, who prepped at Texas’ Southlake Carroll High School, has also seen first-hand accounts from friends and family in south Texas.
Naturally, a relocated game to the Cotton Bowl near his hometown in Dallas would be at the top of his personal wish list. But like his coach and teammates, he’s not focused on the location of a football game, either.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with the Houston people, and then getting ready for LSU,” Jacobson said. “It’s in the very back of my mind, as far as where we play.”
Two-deep update
Moroni Laulu-Pututau was not listed on the Cougars’ updated depth chart Monday after sitting out the Portland State opener with an undisclosed injury.
Bushman is listed as the starter at one tight end spot, with Hunter Marshall as his backup. Tanner Balderree is the other starting tight end and backed up by offensive lineman JJ Nwigwe.
“It was sad when we found out that Moroni got hurt. He was working with me a lot, and we were going to be able to split the field together,” Bushman said. “But there’s not much we can do about it. We just have to go out and play. One of the weapons went down, and we’ll just have to try to put points on the board.”
Hindsight is always better
Sitake said the team’s performance against Portland State wasn’t as bad as he initially thought following a thorough review of the weekend’s film. But there’s still plenty of room to grow, he added.
“I think we just thought doom and gloom after the game,” Sitake said. “But we did a lot of good things, and there were just a few mistakes that would’ve changed the whole game. Whether penalties, missed assignments, or mental breakdowns, they can all be fixed.
“We’re just focused on getting better and making sure those things don’t happen Saturday.”
