Another game, another opportunity to prove they deserve to be considered one of the better teams in the Big 12, if not the country.
That's how the undefeated BYU Cougars are approaching Saturday's Big 12 opener at Colorado, after coach Kalani Sitake's crew routed East Carolina 34-13 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, on Saturday night.
The Cougars will take a No. 25 national ranking on their trip to the other side of the Rocky Mountains, as they cracked the Associated Press top 25 poll for the first time this year. They are No. 24 in the US LBM Coaches poll.
BYU's schedule has gradually gotten more difficult as the season has progressed, and that trend is expected to continue in Boulder, where the Buffaloes (2-2) lie in wait for the team that embarrassed them 36-14 last December in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.
While BYU (3-0) was rolling past the Pirates, coach Deion Sanders' club was routing Wyoming 37-20 at Folsom Field, jumping out to a 21-3 halftime lead and then holding off the pesky Cowboys in the fourth quarter.
"I think we just kind of continue what we're doing and we celebrate today and then we flip the page and get going on Monday, just keep the momentum and keep doing what we're doing," said BYU freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who threw for a career-high 246 yards in improving to 3-0 as a starter.
Said linebacker Jack Kelly, who had two sacks on ECU senior QB Katin Houser: "We're super excited to be undefeated going into conference play, and hopefully get our ultimate goal of a conference championship. We will take it day by day, week by week, but we are excited to start Big 12 play and look forward to playing Colorado."
Sitake said the battle with ECU was as physical as expected, and a couple Cougars got dinged up. Safety Faletau Satuala (lower leg) and tight end Carsen Ryan limped off the field in the second half, but both returned to action. Offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho made his first start of the season, while defensive lineman Justin Kirkland was held out again but is expected to make his season debut against the Buffaloes.
"These guys are sore, but they will be fine," Sitake said. "It is a lot easier to nurse your soreness when you have a victory."
Although the Cougars won by three touchdowns, the game from a statistical standpoint was much closer , as BYU gained 418 yards and ECU 404. The Pirates ran 17 more plays (77-60) and had four more first downs (24-20). If not for Evan Johnson's interceptions that resulted in a possible 14-point swing, it easily could have been a one-score game.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill "and the rest of the defensive coaches are going to be upset that we gave up some third-and-long (plays)," Sitake said. "That's not us. We gave up some big plays, but give (ECU) credit. Houser has been really, really accurate as a passer, and he made some good throws, some throws that we were not anticipating."
A big reason for that closeness in stats was BYU's penalties, and a couple of dropped passes.
The Cougars were flagged 10 times for 101 yards by the Big 12 officiating crew, including one penalty for illegal participation (too many men on the field) that robbed safety Tanner Wall of an interception.
Defensive end Logan Lutui was running off the field, thinking he had time to get to the sideline because ECU had substituted offensively, but the flag came. BYU's offensive tackles — Isaiah Jatta and Andrew Gentry — were flagged for holding and/or hands-to-the-face violations.
"We had some mistakes that like took us out of out of drives, a lot of penalties," Sitake said. "We were not disciplined enough as a team, but we'll get that fixed. We just move our feet instead of grabbing. I think we will be fine, but I have to look at the film, at the uncharacteristic mistakes."
Sitake was also displeased with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty accrued by cornerback Tre Alexander for taunting.
"We are so much better than that," he said. "So I need to do a better job of getting these guys more disciplined, but I am thankful that we got the win."
Truly, BYU will have to play cleaner in Big 12 games, after going 7-2 in the league last year.
Four Big 12 teams are now in the AP rankings, with Texas Tech moving from No. 17 to No. 12 after its convincing 34-10 win over Utah. Iowa State is No. 14, while TCU is No. 24. The Cougars face the Utes and those three other ranked teams, as well as West Virginia, Cincinnati and Arizona.
"We will be happy about the win, but we got to get back to work on Monday and then be ready to roll again," Sitake said.
Colorado has had some shaky quarterback play in September, prompting Sanders to bench Ryan Staub and replace him with Kaidon Salter. The Liberty transfer threw for 304 yards and three touchdown passes and for 86 yards and another score against the Pokes.
Colorado led 28-3 early in the third quarter before Wyoming mounted a minor comeback.
"I wish we could be a little more — have a little more killer instinct in us to really put teams away, like we are capable of doing," Sanders said.
