Sitake looks ahead to Bruin battle

At 1-1 on the season, BYU hosts UCLA on Saturday—12^th meeting in a series that the Bruins lead 8-3, including a 3-1 record in Provo. It’s the second game of a home-and-home agreement that started last year in Pasadena, when UCLA came back to hand the Cougars a 24-23 defeat.

SITAKE MOVES ON

“It didn’t go our way, but it’s ok.”

In the moments after BYU’s 20-19 loss at Utah last Saturday, Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake wanted his players, and his team’s fans to know that while the game’s outcome was not the desired one, the end result could be an improved team moving forward.

“Obviously it didn’t work out for us,” said Sitake from the press podium, “but we’ll keep working. I think we can build on this and this can make us a better team. Just because we suffered a loss doesn’t mean we can’t build on it. We’re definitely going to get better because of this.”

Sitake’s naturally positive demeanor and outlook belied the heartbreak suffered just a short time prior to his remarks, when BYU’s would-be game-winning two-point conversion attempt was stopped three yards from the end zone. For the head coach, it was vital that any expression of any negative emotions be limited to the immediate aftermath.

“I just wanted to let our guys know how much it hurt to lose that game,” he said, “but we can’t dwell on it. It was important for us to leave all the heartache and the pain in the locker room, because it’s important for us to move on to the next game. There’s no point in sitting there crying about it. We’ve gotta move on and we’ve got a tough game against UCLA coming up.”

On his weekly radio show, Sitake reiterated his forward-thinking stance, but was quick to remind fans that his optimism is equaled only by his will to win—especially against the Cougars’ instate rivals.

“We wanted that game for our players,” Sitake says, “and then for the fans—we really wanted it for the fans--but we’ll have an opportunity to have (Utah) at home next year and we’re looking forward to that, after the season is done.

“I’m a positive person…but us moving on and trying to be positive doesn’t mean we’re satisfied with losing. Nobody’s happy about losing. But I’ve said before that your life is 10% of things that happen to you; the other 90% is how you react to it. Whether it’s a win or a loss, you have to overcome it.”

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The first home game of the Kalani Sitake era is set for Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium, home of the 10th-longest current home win streak in the FBS. BYU has won eight consecutive home games, last having suffered a home-field defeat on Oct. 18, 2014, when Nevada handed the Cougars a 42-35 setback. BYU has won four straight home openers: v. Washington State (2012), Texas (2013), Houston (2014) and Boise State (2015).

BRUINS’ MEMORY BANK

Speaking of streaks, BYU’s longest-ever win streak was snapped by this week’s opponent, 31 years ago. On Sept. 7, 1985, I was in the stands as a ticket-holding BYU student when Gaston Green scored on a two-yard run with 1:02 to play—the decisive score in a 27-24 UCLA victory that ended the Cougars’ 25-game win streak (which began in the second week of the 1983 season).

YOU DON’T SEE THAT EVERY WEEK

BYU’s loss at Utah came in game featuring six Ute turnovers. The last time a BYU opponent turned the ball over six times or more was on Sept. 20, 2008, when Wyoming gave the ball away six times in a 44-0 Cougar win at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Since 1972, BYU is 23-2 with six or more takeaways; the losses were in 1973 at home to Iowa State (BYU also turned the ball over six times) and last Saturday in Salt Lake City. BYU had won 22 consecutive games with six or more takeaways before the loss to Utah, in which BYU had a +3 turnover margin. Before last week, the Cougars’ last loss with a margin of +3 or better was on Sept. 6, 1980 at New Mexico, in a 25-21 defeat (one giveaway, four takeaways). Since 1972, BYU now has a 186-28 record with a positive turnover margin (86.9% win rate).

DRIVE TIME

Utah’s 11:21 possession in the 4^th quarter was the longest drive by duration allowed by BYU since at least 1972. The Utes snapped 19 plays on the drive, short of the BYU-record 21 plays allowed in a single drive (v. Nevada in 2010 and at Hawaii in 1984).

ZONING IN

BYU is one of 21 FBS teams with a perfect red-zone scoring record this season (minimum of six red-zone appearances). The Cougars are 6-for-6 inside the 20-yard line, with three touchdowns and three field goals. Dating back to last season, BYU has scored on 22 consecutive red-zone drives, scoring 16 touchdowns and six field goals. BYU is one of 13 FBS teams this season with a red-zone scoring defense rate of 50% or better; BYU has allowed two scores (one TD, one FG) on four red-zone appearances.

NAIL-BITERS AND A BLOWOUT

Of the last three meetings between BYU and UCLA, two have been decided by a single point; the other game, not so much. In 2007, the Cougars got a last-second FG block by Eathyn Manumaleuna to preserve a 17-16 win in the Las Vegas Bowl. In the third game of the 2008 season, UCLA visited Provo and got shellacked 59-0. Seven years later, at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins overcame a double-digit deficit in the 4^th quarter to beat BYU 24-23.

“SPECIAL” START

Having graduated Trevor Samson, the school’s career leader in FG%, BYU was looking for immediate help in the placekicking department. So far, so good, as the Cougars have gone 4-for-4 on field goal attempts through two games. Freshman walk-on Jake Oldroyd is now 3-for-3 on the year after making both of his tries at Utah, from 42 and 43 yards.

DROP AND GIVE ME 20

A couple of catchable balls that weren’t caught have kept BYU from completing any pass plays of 20 yards or longer this season; through two games, BYU is the only FBS team without a pass completion of 20+ yards. BYU is one of 29 FBS teams with three or more runs from scrimmage of 30 yards or longer.

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE

Kalani Sitake is BYU’s 14^th head football coach. Of the previous 13, five won their home debuts: C.J. Hart in 1925, G. Ott Romney in 1928, Eddie Kimball in 1937, LaVell Edwards in 1972, and Gary Crowton in 2001.

OVERHEARD

Kalani Sitake, on his weekly radio show Tuesday night:

“Trust me, I don’t want go anywhere; I want to be here as long as I can. I want to be the Polynesian LaVell Edwards.”