Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall has been putting off this game for a while, saying he had no interest in facing his former players or an institution that ties in with his faith in such a profound way. This game was originally scheduled for 2019 and got moved. But I suppose the contract dictates the game must be played, so UVa is headed to Utah to face BYU this year, and the Cougars are supposed to return the favor and visit Charlottesville in 2023.
When: Oct. 30, Time TBA Where: Provo, Utah
Series record: UVa leads, 3-2
Last meeting: Sept. 20, 2014; BYU won, 41-33 Streak: One for BYU
Last year's record: 11-1; beat UCF, 49-23, in Boca Raton Bowl
Best win: at No. 21 Boise State, 51-17
Loss: at No. 18 Coastal Carolina, 22-17
Coach: Kalani Sitake (sixth year, 38-26)
Starters returning: 13 (7 offense, 4 defense, 2 specialists)
Offensive player to watch: RB Tyler Allgeier. Only listed as a sophomore, in 2020, his third season in the program, Allgeier rushed for 1,130 yards (7.5 ypc) and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 174 yards. Allgeier's performance was overshadowed by QB Zach Wilson, who had NFL scouts drooling over him. This year, it will be interesting to see if Allgeier can maintain his level of play without Wilson. Surely defenses will have more eyes on him in 2021.
Special teams player to watch: K Jake Oldroyd. Oldroyd, a sophomore, made all 13 of his field goal tries last season and was named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award. He went 4 for 4 on kicks from 40-49 yards and 3 for 3 on attempts of at least 50 yards. His longest was a 54-yarder.
Fun fact: Obviously, this is Mendenhall's old program. But also, QB Baylor Romney, who is battling to be the No. 2 QB, and his brother, starting WR Gunner Romney, are distant relatives of U.S. Senator Mitt Romey from Utah. Another interesting roster tidbit is that wide receiver brothers transferred into BYU from different locations: Samson Nacua (from Utah) and Puka Nacua (Washington). Either could start. Their brother, Kai, was a safety a few years ago for BYU and has been battling to remain in the NFL.
Early game thoughts: It goes without saying this will be an emotional game for Mendenhall and many of Virginia’s coaches, who have ties to BYU, and those associated with BYU. The Cougars experienced a lot of success under Mendenhall, but they have been doing pretty well since he left, too. Sitake went 9-4 in his first season in 2016 but followed that up with a 4-9 campaign in 2017. At that point, I thought that Virginia definitely had the better coach. Since then, I am unsure. Sitake has turned it around the past three seasons, going 7-6 in 2018 and 2019 and then experiencing huge success last year with an 11-1 mark. But how much of that success last season was built on the arm of Wilson and a weak schedule? (Zero Power Five games; this year, BYU plays seven P5 programs.) I think similar things have been said about Mendenhall's 2019 campaign at UVa. People point to Bryce Perkins and a "meh" schedule as helping propel Virginia to its Coastal title and Orange Bowl appearance. So this is a pivotal year for both BYU and UVa to prove the doubters wrong and show sustained success. Naturally, with UVa going out West, BYU will have the advantage being at home, but the Cavaliers should have a good shot in this game with Wilson trying to make a name for himself in the NFL. All five games between these schools have been decided by single digits, and I expect this emotional affair to provide similar fireworks.
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