BYU Football: Main Storylines Ahead of BYU-Boise State

There are plenty of storylines heading into BYU-Boise State on Friday night.

BYU and Boise State are set to square off on Friday for what might be the most pivotal game for BYU since the Cougars went independent in 2011. If the Cougars win, they will have a high probability of finishing the season undefeated and playing in a New Year's Six bowl game. If the Broncos win, they will also have a great chance to finish the season undefeated and it will boost their resume in the race for the group of five NY6 slot. There are plenty of storylines to follow heading into Friday night, here are the eight main storylines ahead of BYU-Boise State:

Zach Wilson Was a Boise State Commit

In case you haven't heard, star BYU QB Zach Wilson was a Boise State commit before flipping to BYU late in the recruiting process. Now, Wilson's fantastic junior season has earned him a spot in the Heisman discussion.

Election Day

The NCAA will not allow either Boise State or BYU to practice on Tuesday. This is especially notable for BYU, since the Cougars don't practice or meet on Sundays.

Zach Wilson Revenge Tour

The last time BYU traveled to Boise State, true freshman Zach Wilson was making one of his first career starts for the Cougars. Wilson played well, throwing for 252 yards and he ran for a touchdown in a 21–16 loss. BYU struggled in the redzone throughout the game, kicking three field goals and scoring only one touchdown. The game ended prematurely when Wilson took a costly sack with seconds remaining on the clock instead of throwing the ball away through the back of the endzone, which would have given BYU one more chance to win the game. The mistake was understandable given Wilson's experience as a starting quarterback, but Wilson's solid performance was overshadowed by the late mistake. Wilson was hurt last season when BYU beat Boise State in Provo—this is his first opportunity to play Boise State since that 2018 game.

Boise State Revenge Tour

Speaking of revenge tours, Boise State will be on a revenge tour of its own on Friday night. BYU was the only team that kept Boise State from a NY6 bowl last season—the Broncos were 11–1 in 2019 and their only loss was against BYU. Memphis earned the G5 NY6 bowl slot as a one-loss AAC champion. An undefeated Boise State would have played against Penn State in the Cotton Bowl.

Both Teams are Ranked

BYU and Boise State have played 10 times with Boise State leading the total series 7-3. This is the first time that the game will be a matchup of two top 25 teams. 

Boise State is Undefeated on the Blue against BYU

BYU has come close on multiple occasions, but the Cougars have never won in Boise against Boise State.

Boise State Players out with Injury

BYU has lost some key players due to injury this season. Boise State was hit by in the injury bug last week:

Starting DE Demitri Washington suffered a season-ending injury against Air Force

Star RB George Holani left the game against Air Force in the first quarter. Holani's status against BYU has not been announced.

Starting QB Hank Bachmeier did not play against Air Force, his status against BYU is unknown.

Highest Ranked Team to Play in Boise

According to B.J. Rains of the Idaho Press, BYU (#9) is the highest-ranked team to play at Boise State in program history:

BYU is No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. Broncos haven't played a team that high since No. 4 TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.

Friday night's game will be Boise State's highest-ranked opponent in a decade, and the highest-ranked ever to play in Boise.

— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) November 1, 2020

Proving Ground for BYU

BYU is 7-0 and ranked #9 in the AP poll. However, some people feel that BYU's record is more indicative of their schedule than their talent. Boise State is the best team on BYU's schedule and an opportunity for the Cougars to prove themselves worthy of their top 10 ranking.