Boise State-BYU Agree to Four-Year Series
PROVO -- Fresh off another 11-2 season and a No. 14 national ranking to finish the 2007 season, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe announced an agreement has been finalized today to complete the 2008 non-conference schedule. The Cougars will open the season against Northern Iowa on Saturday, Aug. 30 in Provo. In addition, Holmoe announced BYU has agreed to a four-year series with Boise State, beginning 2012 in Boise.
"Given the short notice we had to find an opponent, we're excited to be able to bring such a highly respected program in for our season-opener ," Holmoe said. "Northern Iowa is a top-ranked program that has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past few seasons. It will be a competitive game, and there will be plenty for our fans to be excited about as Coach Mendenhall and his staff prepare our team for a run at the BCS next season."
Northern Iowa posted an impressive 12-1 record during the 2007 season, including a streak of 12 straight wins before falling to eventual national runner-up Delaware in the Championship Subdivision playoffs. The win streak included a win over Iowa State from the Big-12. The Panthers held the No. 1 ranking for six straight weeks during the season and finished ranked No. 4 in the Championship Subdivision. Northern Iowa completed an unblemished 7-0 record in the Gateway Conference and finished the first undefeated regular season in school history since 1960.
UNI head coach Mark Farley was named the 2007 Schutt Sports FCS Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly and received the Eddie Robinson Award, honoring the top head coach in the Championship Subdivision. Farley guided the Panthers to the first-ever perfect regular season (11-0) in the 23-year history of the Gateway Football Conference. In seven seasons as the Panthers' head coach, Farley has compiled a 63-25 record and led the Panthers to four Gateway titles (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007). His 2005 team tied for the league crown and advanced to the national championship game.
In addition to playing Northern Iowa, the Cougars will travel to Washington on September 6, followed by a home contest against UCLA. BYU will round out its non-conference schedule on October 3 in Logan as the Cougars resume their in-state rivalry with Utah State.
"This is a well-balanced non-conference schedule that includes two Pac-10 opponents, an in-state rival and one of the premier teams at the Championship Subdivision level," BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "Our fans deserve a BCS-calibre football program. Under the current format for inclusion into a BCS game, this schedule gives us that opportunity."
The Cougars are 3-0 against teams from the Championship Subdivision, including wins over Murray State (1998), Eastern Illinois (2006) and Eastern Washington (2007).
Beginning in 2012, the Cougars will begin a four-year series with Boise State. The series includes two games in Provo and two games in Boise and will run through the 2015 season. The Broncos own the fifth best record in the Bowl Subdivision over the past three seasons, posting a record of 32-7. After a 9-4 season in 2005, BSU put together a perfect 13-0 campaign in 2006 that included a win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. In 2007, Boise State finished the season with a 10-3 overall record and placed second behind undefeated Hawaii in the WAC standings. The Cougars are 0-2 all-time against Boise State.
"We're excited about the series with Boise State," Holmoe said. "This will be a great regional match-up with a lot of national interest."
Did You Know? Northern Iowa ranked 62nd out of 242 teams in Jeff Sagarin's final RPI of the 2007 season. With a 12-1 record, the Panthers' RPI ranks ahead of four teams from the Mountain West Conference and six teams from the WAC, including Nevada, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State and Idaho.