What to know about UC's first Big 12 road game at BYU
After sorting out a 20-6 loss to undefeated Oklahoma in their Big 12 opener, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats are now preparing for their longest road trip of the season with one less day of preparation.
Coach Scott Satterfield's 2-2 Bearcats take on the 3-1 BYU Cougars at 10:15 p.m. Eastern time Friday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. If you were up for the drive, it would take you nearly 24 hours at 1,647.5 miles. From Salt Lake City Airport, it's 51 miles south on Interstate 15.
Here are other things to know about BYU should you make the trip.
How is BYU doing this season?
The Cougars just suffered their first loss, 38-27, at Kansas in their Big 12 debut. They won their previous three games, beating Sam Houston and Southern Utah at home then going on the road in the SEC and beating Arkansas, 38-31. The Cougars won't pity UC too much on the travel as they travel more than anyone in the league outside of the University of Central Florida this season. Research by Bookies.com has BYU traveling 12,741 miles this season compared to UC's 7,105. UCF tops the Big 12 at 14,914.
Who should I know on BYU's roster?
Their quarterback is senior Kedon Slovis, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder who played at Pitt last season, throwing for 2,397 yards and 10 touchdowns. From 2019-2021, he played at Southern Cal surpassing 400 yards five times. He threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas last week, but the Cougars struggled running the ball, gaining just nine yards. BYU led at halftime but was outscored 24-10 in the second half.
The previous week at Arkansas, BYU was down 14-0 and later 31-21 but rallied to win in Fayetteville 38-31.
Who is Kalani Sitake?
He's a 47-year-old Tongan-American former fullback who has coached the Cougars since 2015. His full name is Kelaokalani Fifita Sitake should you seek a proper autograph. He played for BYU in 1994, then again from 1997-2000. During the gap, he served a mission.
Currently, 65 players on BYU's roster have served on full-time voluntary missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The missions have covered 29 countries and 15 different languages are spoken.
Who else attended BYU?
Former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, the late Mike Leach, NFL quarterbacks Jim McMahon and Steve Young and basketball players Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette are all Cougars.
Who is LaVell Edwards?
The stadium's namesake won 257 games in 29 seasons as the coach of BYU, which included the 1984 season. That year, the Cougars went 13-0, beating Michigan in the Holiday Bowl behind Robbie Bosco. They were voted No. 1 by the AP, UPI, Sports Illustrated and CNN-USA TODAY. BYU's stadium is named after him and seats 63,470. It is a grass field.
What should I know about LaVell Edwards Stadium?
Don't count on having a beer as there is no alcohol or tobacco permitted on campus. You can, however, have ice cream made at the school in the BYU Creamery or sample a Cougar Tail, a maple-flavored doughnut. The stadium is located on Canyon Drive and there are food trucks and entertainment along the way in what's called "Cougar Canyon."
BYU owns nearby Y Mountain. The Y is five times bigger than the "H" in the Hollywood, California, sign.
Has UC ever played BYU?
Tommy Tuberville's Bearcats lost to them twice, 20-3 at Nippert Stadium in 2016 and then 38-24 in 2015 in Provo. In that game, the Bearcats had a 10-0 first-quarter lead, which was cut to 17-10 at the half. The Bearcats and Hayden Moore led 24-17 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter was all Cougars. They scored 21 unanswered points. In UC's last three drives, they ran nine plays that resulted in -13 yards as BYU amped up the defense.
A UC family reunion Friday
The Bearcat radio booth features two Hall-of-Famers, Dan Hoard and Jim Kelly Jr. Kelly is in his 33rd season doing Bearcat radio and the James P. Kelly Hall of Fame is named for his father, a former UC coach and administrator. Jim Kelly played three seasons for the Bearcats in the 1970s and has four boys.
His oldest, Kevin, assisted at times as a teenager in the radio booth as did his second-oldest, Dave. Dave Kelly got so good at spotting for Hoard that he eventually made connections with Westwood One Radio. That led to an opportunity with ESPN, where he's been busy on fall weekends for 16 years. Dave works with the Clay Matvick/Aaron Murray crew that will call Friday night's game on ESPN. His father will be just a few doors down.
"It's pretty cool," Kelly Jr. said. "He'll be in the TV booth with his crew and I'll be in the radio booth. (It's) the first time we've ever been on the road together."
Most weekends Kelly, Kevin and Dave, all heavily involved in college football, compare notes on their venues. Kevin is an NCAA Division II official and has refereed some Bearcat spring games and scrimmages.
"We have a little ritual every week where we take a photograph of the stadium and send it to each other," Kelly Jr. said.
This past weekend while Jim was manning the fort in Nippert, Dave was in Gainesville with the Florida Gators and Kevin was officiating in Tiffin, Ohio.
WANNA BET? Here are the latest Cincinnati Bearcats odds and lines
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC football at BYU Friday: What to know about Provo, Cougars
