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PROVO — BYU head coach Kalani Sitake just wanted to play football. And after the Cougars scheduled 11 games in the midst of a global pandemic — at one time being the only team west of El Paso to play college football — his players felt the same way.
So when news broke of the No. 14 Cougars (No. 18 in College Football Playoff rankings) earning a bowl berth to play UCF next Tuesday in the Boca Raton Bowl (5 p.m. MST, ESPN), there wasn't consternation or any hemming or hawing from Provo.
Truthfully, BYU (10-1) could be winding down its season right now. Five Power Five institutions have already done so, despite the NCAA's adjustment that would allow teams with any record to play in a bowl game.
But the Cougars don't want their first 10-win season since 2011 to end — regardless of where they have to play to extend it a little longer.
"Our guys just wanted to play football," Sitake said Monday when he met with the media hours after the formal announcement. "We were just waiting for ESPN and the bowl games to do their invites. If there was a chance that we could get a later bowl game and play this weekend, we were going to try to do that.
"We've got one last hurrah with this group. It's not going to be the same team next year … so it's a good time to try to send them out the right way."
The Boca Raton Bowl is just seven years old, and it's in a state where BYU has never won. But so much about the game simply checks the right boxes.
For starters, UCF (6-3) is among the best opponents for which BYU could ask. While many fans may feel that a Power Five matchup (including a postseason rivalry game with 2-2 Utah) would be ideal, there was no guarantee those conferences would be available to fill a game where the Cougars would also be eligible.
The Pac-12 only has four games contracted this season, including a New Year's Six bid guaranteed to the champion between USC and Oregon (likely the Fiesta Bowl, with the Rose Bowl obligated to host a CFP semifinal).
Plenty of leagues find themselves in the same situations; 10 bowl games have shuttered their doors in 2020 due to the pandemic, and a few more are still possible before the first kickoff Saturday in the Frisco Bowl in Texas.
BYU is 1-1 all-time against UCF and has a home-and-home series scheduled for 2023 and 2024 as two of the high-end mid-major programs in the country.
In a season where nothing is guaranteed, there is nothing wrong with locking in a bowl game with a $900,000 payout against a Knights team that is just three years removed from a self-proclaimed national championship and features one of the top passers in the country in quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Additionally, the Tuesday, Dec. 22, kickoff allows the Cougars to wrap up finals before traveling to Florida on the weekend and return players home in time for the holidays. In a year of controlled environments, thrice-weekly COVID-19 testing, and many players who haven't seen their families in months — BYU nearly added a game over Thanksgiving break, as well, before a deal with Washington fell through — the personal aspect of being "home for Christmas" can't be dismissed.
That is why BYU linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi "absolutely" agreed that playing the Knights in sunny South Florida hits a sweet spot.
"Being able to travel and get out of Utah for a few day, — we're at that challenge of traveling two time zones, but we'll have some time to prepare for it," said Kaufusi, noting the Cougars will travel to the East Coast 2-3 days early to acclimate to the time change. "It definitely hits that sweet spot to have enough time to game plan, to get in good practices; and it leaves us excited.
"I love that it's before Christmas and we'll be able to spend Christmas with our families. I'm really excited to play UCF, as well. They're a great team, and I'm really excited about playing against this offense. They put up a lot of big numbers and big points."
When bowl season is as much about motivation as schemes and dialing up the right number of blitz packages, the Cougars seem sufficiently motivated, at least publicly.
"I think the message in the locker room is we're super excited to play this game," said quarterback Zach Wilson, who will decide after the game if he will enter the NFL draft process after finishing his junior season. "The best part is that it's going to be warm, but what an incredible team to play against. We're going to have to have everything put together to contend with a great team."
One main factor stood out to several players less than 48 hours after wrapping up the regular season with a 28-14 win over San Diego State on a snow-covered, ice-bitten field in 20-degree weather.
"It kind of reminds you why you don't play football in Provo in December," Sitake joked just hours after thawing out his last frozen toe from Saturday night. "We're really looking forward to getting out to Florida."
Sitake added that players who live east of the Mississippi will be scheduled to fly directly home for Christmas either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, while the rest will fly back to Utah before heading home for the holidays. With a lack of traditional bowl week, pre-game festivities, the game will be the spotlight — similar to when the Cougars scheduled Coastal Carolina, but with more than three days' notice.
"I think we're going to treat it like a regular away game," Sitake said. "I think we have time now to get our schedule and get out there a couple of days before the game."
On the air
No. 14/18 BYU (10-1) vs. UCF (6-3)
Kickoff: Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. MST
TV: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: BYU Radio, KSL Radio 1160 AM/102.7 FM
Series: Tied, 1-1
