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PROVO — When the BYU football team opens the 2018 season on the road at Arizona, the Cougars will be playing the second of a three-game contract with the Wildcats.
But unlike in the first meeting, which the Cougars won 18-16 in Phoenix back on Sept. 3, 2016, there are no expectations of Saturday night’s test at Arizona Stadium being a home game.
Except for five BYU players.
Tight end Matt Bushman, cornerback Beau Tanner, wide receiver Gunner Romney, long snapper Mitch Harris and offensive lineman Chandon Herring all grew up within a short drive of Tucson. And while their personal support might not make up for the crowds of raging Wildcat fans attending the university’s first-ever college football game where alcohol is sold in the stadium, they’ll see several friendly faces in the audience.
“They’re a school that has had success and tradition,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of the Wildcats. “It’s a big-time program, and we’re excited to go play them in their home. I think we’ll have good support there.
“Our guys are going to have family members there, and it will be on national TV.”
Here’s a look at how the five Arizonans got to BYU, from Saturday night’s 7:45 p.m. MST kickoff on ESPN and KSL Newsradio.
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TE Matt Bushman (So.)
Bushman isn’t a native of Arizona, but Tucson is where he grew up.
The former Freshman All-American relocated to his grandparents’ house as a teenager after his family evacuated their New Orleans home due to Hurricane Katrina. And while Bushman has spoken of the Bayou is “home,” Tucson also holds a special place in his heart. His parents and grandmother still live there, as do several friends and extended relatives.
“Last year, I got to play in New Orleans where I grew up as a kid — and now I get to play in Tucson, where I finished growing up, to start this season. In two seasons, I have two home openers,” Bushman said after practice Wednesday. “I’m really excited. A lot of people have sent me messages, and told me they are looking forward to watching me and seeing me perform for family and friends.”
A former Arizona all-state tight end at nearby Sabino High in Tucson, Bushman played for local football coach Sly Lewis in youth football and high school, when he totaled 2,891 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns. He expects plenty of those former teammates to be on hand Saturday night at Arizona Stadium.
“The schools were great about welcoming us, and we felt so accepted — especially with all the teams I’ve been on,” he said.
Bushman, who also played baseball at BYU, caught 49 passes for 520 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2017 to become the team’s leading receiver. And while he isn’t officially the starter for Saturday’s game — new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes lists as many as four “co-starters” at tight end against the Wildcats — the 6-foot-5 son-in-law of former BYU and NFL standout Chad Lewis should see plenty of touches.
More on Beau
Beau Tanner is back at BYU, and that's a good thing for the Cougars' defensive backfield
Tanner, a 6-foot senior from Gilbert, Arizona, was planning on leaving the program during the 2017-18 offseason. A move from wide receiver to cornerback wasn’t sitting well with him, and he thought his career may have been finished — or at the very least, his career at BYU.***
CB Beau Tanner (Sr.)
Tanner, who is making the move to cornerback after two seasons as a wide receiver at BYU, grew up in Gilbert, Arizona and prepped at Shadow Mountain High School. A thousand-yard receiver as a senior, Tanner played at Scottsdale Community College before transferring to BYU, and he’s making his transition to the defensive backfield as a senior.
“I love being in that Arizona heat; a lot of people complain about it, but I love it,” Tanner said. “That’s the type of football I grew up playing.”
Unlike Bushman, Tanner grew up just a short drive from Arizona’s chief rival, Arizona State, and tended to side with that team during the annual Territorial Cup matchup.
“I was a big BYU fan growing up, but I lived 5-10 minutes away from ASU’s campus, while Tucson is a couple of hours away,” he said. “I went to a couple of ASU-U of A games at ASU, and it was a lot of fun. I have a lot of friends and know a lot of people at Arizona, so it will be fun to play against them.”
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WR Gunner Romney (Fr.)
Romney, the 6-foot-3 freshman from Chandler, Arizona, also grew up in the shadow of the Sun Devils, but knows the state’s preeminent rivalry well.
The younger brother of BYU scout team quarterback Baylor Romney, Gunner prepped at Chandler High School, leading the Wolves to back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017 and becoming one of the top wide receiver-prospects in Arizona as a senior.
Playing for powerhouse Chandler, which is currently ranked No. 24 in MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25, helped prepare the freshman to settle into Division I football quickly — and he’s currently behind just Neil Pau’u and Akile Davis in one of the wide receiver slots.
“We played national competition — some of the best teams in the country — and playing that competition and seeing the better players in practice really prepares you to come out against D-I athletes,” Romney said.
“We had some of the best coaches, too, who really prepared us for the complex offense here so I could learn it really quickly.”
In addition to the Romney brothers, Chandler High is also home to Class of 2019 four-star quarterback Jacob Conover, who has also committed to the Cougars, and standout kicker and BYU commit Cash Peterman.
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LS Mitch Harris (Sr.)
Harris grew up in Las Vegas, but moved with his family to Arizona as a teenager and graduated from Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona. A former walk-on, the 6-foot-4 Harris beat out incumbent long snapper Matt Foley for the starting nod through the back half of the 2017 season and into fall camp.
But unlike his fellow Arizonans, Harris isn’t a diehard in the Arizona-ASU rivalry.
“In March Madness, I would cheer for the local teams,” said Harris, whose father hails from Sacramento, California and his mother from Boise, Idaho. “If they played each other, then a lot of my friends were ASU guys and I would cheer for U of A — I liked to go against the grain. But honestly, I support both of them.”
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OL Chandon Herring (RS-So.)
Herring grew up in Gilbert, Arizona and enters Saturday as the backup right guard to Tristen Hoge.
The 6-foot-7, 302-pound Herring is one of eight offensive linemen to tip the scales at 300 pounds or more.
