Provo • There’s not a more congenial member of the BYU football coaching staff than offensive coordinator Ty Detmer, but even the former Heisman Trophy winner showed a tinge of frustration on Wednesday when he fielded multiple questions that suggested the Cougars could look past Portland State on Saturday.
“You go out there against a team like this, and you are very vanilla, they can jump up and bite you,” Detmer said when asked if BYU will “save” plays to run next week against LSU. “We are going to go out and play the game to win it, and run our stuff.”
Detmer said the entire playbook will be in play against the Vikings of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the same division in which Weber State and Southern Utah play. All three schools are in the Big Sky Conference.
Portland State at BYU<br>Saturday, 1 p.m.<br>TV • ESPN
“We want to win the game, so we are going to have a game plan against their defense that we feel like is going to give us a chance to win,” Detmer said. “I don’t sit there and say, ‘this will work, but I don’t want to use it now, we want to save it for later.’ You get yourself in trouble doing those things.”
Offensive lineman Tuni Kanuch said BYU expects a dogfight on Saturday.
“They are going to be ready,” he said of PSU. “They are going to come into our stadium and they are going to try to smack us.”
The old, old-age argument
It wouldn’t be a first-time meeting for BYU without the opposing coach saying something before the game about the ages of BYU’s players. Portland State coach Bruce Barnum was not immune, telling the Portland Tribune that “BYU’s guys are old.”
“They will probably be bigger than everybody they play, and they’re probably the biggest, most physical team we will play this year,” Barnum said. “I am not saying Oregon State isn’t a very tough football team, too, but I think the Beavers are a little more speed-oriented. … Probably 90 percent of [BYU’s players] have been on a mission, so they’re two years older. It is like grown men going up against guys who are barely out of high school.”
According to BYU’s game notes, about 64 percent of the current players have served LDS church missions. The average age of BYU’s 2017 roster is 21.4 years of age, and 32 players are married. Six of the married players have a child.
Briefly
Detmer said he texted former BYU QB Taysom Hill a happy birthday greeting Wednesday,after the Green Bay Packers hopeful turned 27. “Oh man, it looks likehe is having a great time,” Detmer said of Hill’s two preseasonperformances. … Detmer said the Cougars are healthy and “pretty close tofull strength” on offense. … Tight ends coach Steve Clark will spendthe game in the press box communicating to Detmer, who will be on thefield with a headset on. … BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told anEducation Week audience Wednesday that BYU and Notre Dame are still “in discussions” to play the game that the Irish owe the Cougars in Provo.