BYU in danger of missing bowl game

PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – The BYU football team is in a deep funk, mired in a four-game losing streak, following Friday’s 27-24 loss to East Carolina. But somehow, someway the Cougars are trying to stay positive as they get ready for the final three games of the season.
“You can be disappointed, but you’ve got to keep working,” said head coach Kalani Sitake. “That’s where the focus is. You keep working, try to be as positive as you can, meaning we have to fix some things and improve still. We’re in a position of fight or flight, and I have a bunch of fighters here.”
“Find ways to keep people positive and keep yourself positive, really,” added quarterback Jaren Hall. “As a leader, a lot of times you can take stuff on yourself. Also, find a way to look outwards. Find the guys that need to be reached out to. Find the guys that need more belief in themselves.”
“The season isn’t going the way that we wanted it to,” said offensive lineman Clark Barrington. “But I think we’re doing a good job of keeping the mindset of next game up.”
That next game is Boise State Saturday night in Boise. The Broncos have gone the opposite direction of the Cougars, they’ve won four in a row and are 6-2 on the season.
“They’re on a win streak right now, and we’re in a slump,” Sitake said. “So, something’s got to give.”
“They bring their best every year,” Barrington said. “We’re expecting a fistfight. It’s going to be physical game, and we’ve just got to bring it.”
At 4-5, BYU needs two more victories in its final three games just to become bowl eligible. After Boise State, the Cougars host Utah Tech before finishing the regular season at Stanford. Making a bowl game has become the primary motivation for the team.
“As you wind down and get closer to the end of the regular season, that definitely starts to be in the back of your mind,” Hall said. “For us, we’ve got to focus on Boise State this week. But anybody who has played in bowl games and been a part of that experience, it’s fun.”
About to play it’s 10th straight game without a bye week, the injuries are mounting up for the Cougars. They hope to get starting running back Chris Brooks back soon as well as wide receiver Gunner Romney. But Kody Epps, who leads BYU in receptions (39), receiving yards (459) and touchdowns (6) is out for the rest of the season.
“That sucks because he’s dealt with some injuries in the past, but he’s in high spirits,” Sitake said. “I spoke with him and he’s excited to keep his role as a leader on this team.”
“You’d like to have all your weapons out there at the same time,” said Hall. “But the nature of football is it’s a physical game. Not a lot of teams in the country go a whole season with all their guys on the field at the same time. That’s the reality.”
BYU and Boise State kick off at 5:00 Saturday night.