BYU quarterback Jaren Hall (3) celebrates after taking a knee on the final play during a game between Utah and BYU on Sept. 11, 2021, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. BYU (3-0) will play host to the University of South Florida on Saturday night. (Photo by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah — The BYU Cougars will look to remain perfect on the season Saturday night with home game against University of South Florida.
The Bulls (1-2) play in the American Athletic Conference, and are coming off a 38-17 win over Florida A&M last Saturday.
The Cougars opened the season with wins over three straight victories against opponents from the Pac-12. Those wins include last week’s 27-17 win over Arizona State.
The kickoff at LaVell Edwards Stadium is set for 8:15 p.m. You can listen to all the coverage on KSL NewsRadio 1160 AM or 102.7 FM.
South Florida defeated BYU 27-23 during the 2019 season at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
During his weekly media availability last Monday, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said his team needs to continue to get better to avoid another setback to the Bulls.
“We know the game, we know the personnel, a little bit different scheme from them, but we see the athleticism, the speed and the talent on their team,” Sitake said. “We need to make sure we’re ready to do our best and keep our focus on these guys.”
Also this week, the Cougars moved up The Associated Press Top 25 rankings. BYU enters Saturday night’s contest ranked 15th in the nation. Additionally, BYU is the only team in the nation with three wins over Power 5 opponents.
The Cougars will also be playing their first game without Keenan Pili. The BYU linebacker suffered a season-ending injury in last week’s win over Arizona State. Sitake says it will take more than one player to help the fill the shoes of Pili.
“It’s not just going to be Ben Bywater,” Sitake said in his media availability “There’s going to be a bunch of guys that we’re going to need playing against a high tempo, no-huddle team like USF. We’re going to need more than just the 11 starters on defense, we’re going to have to dip into the depth.”
After Saturday night, the Cougars will travel to Logan to play Utah State next Friday.
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