BYU football: The good, the meh and the ugly
By Shaun Gordon
The Meh
The season starts off in style. A blowout win against Portland State helps the Cougars head down to Houston prepared to take on a tough LSU squad. It’s a low-scoring affair, but the Tigers’ physicality finally wears BYU football down late as they pull away for a 10 point win.
BYU bounces back in LaVell Edwards Stadium against the Utes. The game isn’t pretty by any means. It’s tight like always, but the Cougars hold on to take back the Holy War crown.
The Wisconsin matchup is a near replica of the LSU game. The Cougars hang tough with a top 10 team, but the Badger depth is too much, handing BYU its second loss of the year.
The Cougars handle the Aggies up in Logan and win surprisingly easily over Boise State.
The journey to SEC country doesn’t go quite as well, as a stronger-than-expected Mississippi State squad beats the Cougars by double-digits.
BYU runs through their next five games like expected, although the game against San Jose State turns into a surprising nail-biter.
The biggest hiccup comes in game 13. Hawaii needs the win to reach bowl eligibility for the second straight year. They come out with more fire and hand it to a Cougar squad that looks like they’ve spent the week enjoying the sun and sand.
2017 Regular Season Record: 9-4
Bowl Game Invite: Frisco Bowl
Final Ranking: Unranked