Three reasons why BYU football will beat LSU in 2017
By Joshua Ellis
No. 2: BYU has a knack for neutral site games early in the season
Since 2007, BYU is 3-0 in week one, two or three neutral site games with wins against Arizona (2016), Houston (2013) and Oklahoma (2009).
As we get later in the season, BYU tends to struggle at neutral sites, with losses against West Virginia (2016) and Missouri (2015) coming in week four or later.
The future holds more of these neutral-site season openers, with a 2021 game against Arizona already scheduled for Las Vegas and more likely to come as ESPN works to fill its schedule.
It’s also no secret that BYU football fans travel in droves to these games.
Even if the team is one game above .500 (see last year at Cincinnati), Cougar fans will always fill the university’s ticket allotment with ease.
Last year’s season opener against Arizona in Glendale stands out to me as a prime example of how BYU’s fans can give the team an emotional boost.
Plus hearing about BYU outdrawing Arizona in Arizona for the next week was great.
The drive from Baton Rouge to Houston takes between four and five hours, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see a pro-LSU crowd. But BYU will be well represented.