Nick Saban didn’t just notice BYU football’s moment in the spotlight last week - he flat-out raved about it.
Appearing Friday on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show from inside Rice-Eccles Stadium, the former Alabama, LSU and Michigan State coach was asked about what he saw in Provo during College GameDay. Saban, now in his third season as an analyst on the show, came away struck by the atmosphere around BYU’s campus.
“And that was the most excitement, and energy, and passion that I’ve seen from college football since I’ve been on the show,” Saban said on the Pat McAfee Show. “Of course, when I was coaching, you never saw that part of the game.”
BYU fans had already turned the week into an event before the No. 1 pregame show even arrived. Supporters began camping out on Tuesday night and Wednesday ahead of College GameDay’s first trip to Provo since 2009, setting the stage for a week that ended with BYU’s 28-24 win over Notre Dame.
Saban also singled out Kalani Sitake, saying the head coach’s presence showed up in the way BYU carried itself.
“The leadership there, the coach (Kalani Sitake), he’s dancing before the freakin’ game,” Saban said. “I see that kind of confidence; I didn’t see a lot of guys that were tight or had a lot of anxiety the way they went out there and played and competed in the game. I think that’s a reflection of his leadership and the way he goes about coaching his team and the confidence they have in themselves.”
The attention matched the numbers, too. BYU’s College GameDay appearance drew more than 3 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the season, and the Notre Dame game itself pulled in 9.2 million viewers for the Cougars’ upset of the Fighting Irish.
Now BYU turns the page and looks to keep rolling against UCF at the Bounce House on Saturday, October 24 at 1:30 p.m. (MT). The game will air on FOX and KSL NewsRadio.
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The challenge, of course, is that BYU still does not have its top runner available. LJ Martin remains sidelined with an ankle injury and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks, which leaves the Cougars leaning on Moa and the other backs to carry more of the load. For a team heading into a tough conference matchup, the timing could hardly be more important. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team that has climbed into the national conversation this quickly, the portal additions have done more than fill gaps. They have given BYU a sturdier foundation and a more complete offense, which is part of why the Cougars have been able to keep winning while still sorting out what this stretch of success means over the long haul. The bigger question now is how far this mix can carry them once the season reaches its most demanding phase. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads To UCF With Everything Suddenly Feeling On The Line
The Notre Dame win gave BYU a surge of momentum, but it also sharpened the stakes around what comes next. A trip to UCF now feels like more than a routine Big 12 road game, because the Cougars are carrying the kind of record that can put the College Football Playoff and the conference title game within reach if they keep handling business.
An 11-1 finish is being viewed as the threshold for making a serious playoff case, which means the margin for error is suddenly thin. A loss in Orlando would not end BYUs season, but it would make the path much narrower and put a lot more pressure on everything that follows. [Read more 🡒]