Lawless Republic
Fansided

BYU Football: Bronco Mendenhall vs. Kalani Sitake in 2018? Maybe

By Shaun Gordon

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Bronco Mendenhall of the Virginia Cavaliers watches the clock in the second half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Scott Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - SEPTEMBER 22: Head coach Bronco Mendenhall of the Virginia Cavaliers watches the clock in the second half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at Scott Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Could BYU Football take on former head coach Bronco Mendenhall in a bowl game this season? At least one national sportswriter seems to think so.

When Bronco Mendenhall left BYU Football to take over as head coach at Virginia, some Cougar fans were glad to see him go, while others wished he would stay.

But like it or not, the second most successful coach in BYU history is now on the east coast, and Kalani Sitake is at the helm for the Cougars.

The two teams will meet in 2021, 2023, and 2025, so if both head coaches are still at their respective schools in three years it’ll be the first matchup between Mendenhall and Sitake.

Or will it?

According to national sportswriter Brett McMurphy’s latest bowl projections, the two coaches could go head to head this season. He has BYU squaring off with Virginia in this year’s Independence Bowl.

And it’s not outside of the realm of possibility. There’s a very strong chance that the Cavaliers will be slated into the Independence Bowl. If so, they’re supposed to square off against an SEC team, but right now the SEC doesn’t look like they’ll have enough bowl eligible teams to fill that slot.

If that’s the case, the bowl can select an at-large team that doesn’t already have a tie-in with another bowl through their conference.

And guess who has no bowl agreement this year?

Yep, BYU.

It’s way too early for Cougar fans to book a flight to Louisiana to watch BYU take on a former coach. Anything can happen between now and bowl season to shift who goes where.

If it were to happen, though, a matchup between BYU and Virginia could be a pretty close game. Just look at the similarities:

  • BYU is 4-3, Virginia is 4-2
  • Both teams have upset a Top 20 program (Wisconsin, Miami)
  • BYU averages 25.1 points per game, Virginia averages 27.8
  • BYU gives up 24.4 points per game, Virginia gives up 19.2
  • BYU averages 330 yards per game, Virginia averages 386.8
  • BYU gives up 353.7 yards per game, Virginia gives up 327
  • BYU has 10 sacks on the season, Virginia has 11

Statistically, Virginia looks like the slightly better team at this point in the season. Emphasis on slightly.

Next. The future was on display against Hawaii. dark

Which means a potential bowl matchup between the two teams could turn into a great game, with a little added motivation on both sides.

Home/BYU Football