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PROVO — The 31-28 win at Boise State provided a bounce in their step, so much so that when BYU quarterback Jaren Hall and wide receiver Puka Nacua were asked to speak with a small number of local media this past week before the Cougars' game against FCS Utah Tech, the duo wanted nothing more than to hold court together.
Or maybe it was so the two high-profile BYU football players could get out of the 30-degree weather late after the midweek practice in Provo.
Either way, there's a significant uptick in the Cougars' program after that shock win over the Broncos. A win that not only grants a road victory in the decade-long rivalry for consecutive meetings to BYU for the first time in program history, it also puts the probability of a postseason bowl game back on the table.
Beat the Trailblazers, who are still in the middle of a transition to Division I, and the Cougars will receive a bowl destination to Hawaii, or New Mexico — maybe Texas or Alabama. Either way, it means 10 extra practices and a few extras weeks of the season, which for a senior class of 13 and 21 other players who will be honored prior to senior day kickoff Saturday (1:30 p.m. MST, BYUtv) is only a positive.
It's all motivation: seniors, bowl eligibility, and simply winning at home to erase the taste of a loss to East Carolina the last time the Cougars played at the home stadium named for the legendary college football hall of famer.
"Our game on Saturday is the most important thing," Nacua said. "But it's all those things, too. We're playing in the stadium for possibly our last time for 37 of those guys. To get bowl eligible and all those things on the end of the season.
"But most importantly, it's to win."
Nacua said he still hasn't made a decision, even if he'll go through all of the walk-through traditions of BYU seniors on senior day. Head coach Kalani Sitake has said he'll give players with eligibility remaining the chance to go through senior day and receive the customary senior blanket, while keeping their options open.
Worst-cast scenario, some players get two blankets.
"We've still got two games left, but I'm honored to be on that list," Nacua said, who added that he plans to make a decision whether to return for his senior season or forego his final year of collegiate eligibility "sometime after the Stanford game" on Nov. 26.
"We're just trying to focus and make sure we win our last game at LaVell Edwards Stadium," he said. "That's going to be an important game on my calendar — circled for the rest of my life — but also to make sure that we win at LaVell Edwards Stadium."
Ditto for his quarterback, though Hall said he "doesn't even want to think about it." The redshirt junior has one year of eligibility remaining, but is largely expected to pursue a spot in the NFL owing to his lengthy collegiate experience, a two-year church mission, and the fact that he'll be 25 years old in March.
He's also No. 15 in program history with 5,625 passing yards with 45 touchdowns, and leaves behind a legacy as the Cougars' first-ever Black starting quarterback and one that helped turn around the program since he arrived following the disastrous 4-9 campaign of 2017.
"I think we're a resilient group; kids who want to be great. When we came in, BYU was in a tough spot," said running back Lopini Katoa, who redshirted the 2017 season as a member of the scout team. "These guys got to see it from the ground up. A lot of the boys in the locker room played a huge part in building us back up to where it is. Even though it's not a picture-perfect season, from where we started to where we are now is a huge leap and bound."
That's a big part of the legacy of the class of 2023 — be it 13 or 37 players large like the one that will link arms and walk the field one last time Saturday evening.
"We all love being a part of the legacy," Hall said. "For us, being here in 2018, when coach A-Rod and coach (Jeff) Grimes joined the staff and turned things around offensively, to see the growth of that and being in the rooms to help shape the program to where it is now, hopefully we've left it in a better place than we found it.
"Seeing all the ups and downs of the last five years, the good and the bad, it's been a resilient team and I'm really blessed to be part of it."
It's a legacy that each senior takes seriously, whether they've been in the program for five years like Hall, six like tailback Katoa and defensive end Lorenzo Fauatea, or joined the group partially through their college careers like Oregon State transfer Kaleb Hayes, Cal's Christopher Brooks and Stanford's Houston Heimuli.
"I love these boys," Hayes said. "When I first got here, they made it easier for me. We have a close brotherhood in the DB room and I just love the experience that they bring.
"It's a privilege being able to play for a program like this. I've only been here for two years, but it's been the best two years of my college career and my life."
Of course, there's also a game on Saturday, and even if it's against a first-time FCS opponent, it's a good one. The Trailblazers (4-6) are riding a three-game winning streak that includes a 47-44 road victory over Stephen F. Austin and an emotional pair of wins, a 48-36 win over rival Southern Utah and 34-28 win over Tarleton State on a senior day of their own.
In head coach Paul Peterson's fourth season, Utah Tech boasts an explosive offense under new offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, averaging 28.6 points and 425.9 yards per game.
Celebrating senior day with a win is the most important thing for the Cougars. But that requires the last part: a win.
The rest will right itself later.
"There are a lot of good things going for us," Hall said. "I just want to be in the moment."
