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BYU Football: Utah State game key for Cougars’ psyche

By Shaun Gordon

PROVO, UT - OCTOBER 3: A dejected Brigham Young Cougars bench watches the clock tick down on their unbeaten season, as they lost to the Utah State Aggies 35-20 at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 3, 2014 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images )
PROVO, UT - OCTOBER 3: A dejected Brigham Young Cougars bench watches the clock tick down on their unbeaten season, as they lost to the Utah State Aggies 35-20 at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 3, 2014 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images ) /
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BYU Football faces a huge game against Utah State on Friday, not just for their win-loss record, but also for their psyche.

Friday’s BYU Football matchup with Utah State is an important benchmark for the season.

Few people if any thought that the Cougars would enter this game with a 3-2 record. A win over the Aggies would equal last year’s win total in less than half the number of games.

It would also all but ensure that BYU reaches bowl eligibility and have a good shot at reaching eight wins.

But Utah State is a good team.

The Aggies are the fourth highest scoring team in the country, averaging 51.5 points per game. Their defense is middle of the pack, but it’s good enough to keep most games from becoming a shootout.

The Cougars will have to play a whole lot better than they did last weekend if they’re going to beat Utah State.

A Mental Game

They’re also going to have to prove that they’ve got mental toughness.

A loss like the one in Washington can be killer for the psyche. BYU got beat in every aspect of the game. The Huskies are a better team, and they played a cleaner game.

How BYU rebounds on Friday night will set the tone for the rest of the season.

Last year, the Cougars got stomped by LSU in the second game of the season, then after a close loss to Utah they got stomped again by Wisconsin. Those losses set the tone for the season, and aside from a few bright spots (San Jose State, UNLV, Hawaii), the season was miserable.

Snowball Effect

Losing can become a culture, almost a habit. Losses can build on losses, just like wins can build upon wins.

In 2017, a young BYU Football team let those losses pile up mentally, and blowout losses against good teams fed into the narrower losses against worse teams.

Most of that same squad is back this year, and they rebounded well after a close loss to Cal. In fact, they rebounded spectacularly and knocked off the No. 6 team in the nation.

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Win or lose on Friday, if the Cougars come out with fight and focus, it’s a very good sign heading into the second half of the season.

If not, the rest of the season may not be nearly as positive as the first half has been.

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