PROVO, Utah — BYU opens the 2024 season against Southern Illinois at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 6:00 p.m. MDT. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
Use this page as a one-stop shop throughout the week for everything related to the game. Updates will be made leading up to kickoff, including broadcast plans, news, fan events and game notes.
BYU (0-0) vs. Southern Illinois (0-0) Saturday, Aug. 31 Kickoff: 6 p.m. MDT
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Opens in a new window Watch BYUtv“I’m really excited for game week. It’s here. It seemed like it was a long ways away when we first started camp. I’m really proud of the way our guys performed in camp, and the way our coaches and players handled the difficulty of camp. I think we got through it the way we wanted to. I think we were really aggressive and physical. The guys have been working really hard since January. It’s paid off. It shows. I’m excited for them to put it on the field come Saturday night."
"I’m really excited for the opportunity to go against Southern Illinois. A lot of people don’t know about them as an FCS program but they’re a powerhouse at the FCS level. Nick Hill is a really good head coach. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s going into his ninth year as a head coach just like I am. He’s coaching at his alma mater. I know how he feels about that since I do the same. If you look at what he’s done as a head coach and how his players play, it’s a huge compliment to his staff. They get their team ready to go. They’re a dangerous team. A few years ago they beat Northwestern and last year they beat Northern Illinois. They’ve won six games in their history against FBS opponents. Nick Hill has been attached to five of those wins, three as a coach and two as a player. They’re not going to come in here very shy. They’re going to come in here with excitement and energy to try to get a win. We want to make sure we give them our best shot when they arrive here in Provo."
On the quarterback battle
“We know our plan. We’re just not ready to tell everybody our game plan yet. We have an idea of what we’re going to do and how we’re going to execute our offense. We’re planning to do a lot of different things. We have a lot of different options. The goal is to get the win. I can’t tell you how that’s going to go right now but we can win with more than just one person at quarterback. We have a number of them who can play, that we can get victories with. We feel really good about the depth there. I was really proud with how the quarterbacks handled camp and I’m really confident with them, especially the top two [Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon].”
On the team leadership council
“The 15 players on the council are those who received a majority of votes. It was exciting for me to see that there were more players than those 15 who received a vote, even multiple votes. That means we have a great leadership group not limited to the 15 on the team leadership council. That should happen when you have a lot of veterans and a group that’s gone through a lot of adversity and worked hard together. Leadership isn’t just about the guys who speak, it’s about the guys who actually do the work and lead by example. You look at that group of young men, and they’re not all talkers. A lot of them just do the work. They have an impact in a lot of different ways. Having both quarterbacks receive a lot of votes is a great sign. This gives me a lot of confidence that we have a good group.”
On depth at safety
“It’s a deep group. I feel good about our safety group. There’s way more safeties now who can play than we’ve ever had before. The guy who is going to get us the most production will be on the field first but we’re not against using more than one guy.”
On running back LJ Martin
“LJ will be ready to go. We’re excited to see him play. This is his sophomore year. He’s a different player. Last year he was trying to learn the offense, this year he knows it already and he’s teaching the freshmen. He has so much ability. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch LJ, Hinckley [Ropati] and Miles [Davis] go. I’ve been excited by the leadership we’re seeing from LJ. He doesn’t really say much but he has such an influence on this team. When he speaks, people listen. The running back room has become really good since he’s become the veteran rather than the newcomer.”
On being voted a team captain
“For me, it means a lot. This probably means more than any other award or anything else that could happen because this is my teammates voting for this, not anybody else. These are the people I care about the most. They’re the ones making that decision. To be voted a captain by them, to be someone who they feel comfortable with and want leading the team, that’s a really special thing for me. I know it is for everyone else on the leadership council too.”
On the growth of tackle Caleb Etienne
“He’s in a lot better shape right now. Physically, he’s moving a lot better. His understanding of [offensive line coach and running game coordinator] TJ Woods’ system, that enables him to play faster as well. He’s gotten stronger. Every aspect of his game has improved in comparison to last season.”
On Southern Illinois
“We always respect our opponent. We knew they were a good team from the second we turned the tape on and started studying. We know what they’re capable of doing and what they’ve done in the past. We’re going into this game understanding that this is a good football team. We have to be on our P’s and Q’s to get the job done.”
On returning to BYU for his final season
“I’m very happy with my decision to come back. Since I met with Coach Woods that first time while he was being interviewed, I felt comfortable with my decision to come back this season. There’s been nothing to cause me to think otherwise.”
On the goals of the offensive line in 2024
“We just want to be able to produce for the offense. We want to be the offense’s biggest asset, not its biggest liability. First and foremost, that starts with running the football. That’s been our focus all offseason long.”
On the team voting Gerry Bohanon and Jake Retzlaff to the leadership council
“The team views them both as leaders. That’s definitely a good thing. They both garner that respect from their teammates. That puts them both in a position to lead the offense. The player respect both of them in the starting quarterback role.”
Cougar Canyon & Cougar Walk
Cougar Canyon will take place on the West side of the stadium from 2:30 p.m. on game day. Food trucks and activities for all ages are available. BYUtv's pregame show Sports Nation GameDay and BYU Radio’s Cougar Pregame Live will also be broadcast live from Cougar Canyon. The Cougar Walk will take place from the north end of Cougar Canyon in through the soutwest corner of the stadium, starting at 4 p.m.
Cougar Canyon is expanding this season, south of the stadium. Cougar Club members have access to Cougar Club exclusive activities there. There will be activities available to all fans as well.
LaVell Edwards Stadium has adopted a NO bag policy, except for a few exceptions. Small clutch bags, no larger than 5” x 8” x 1”, with or without a handle or strap can be taken into the stadium. Medically-necessary bags will be permitted after inspection. One bag per person. No outside Food or drink will be permitted.
To see all stadium policies, go to the LaVell Edwards Stadium venue page.
Enjoy the convenience and reliability of UVX and FrontRunner to get you to and from the BYU vs. Southern Illinois football game this Saturday. You can ride UVX for a $2.50 fare, and there will be extra service provided before and after the game. For the best service, please head directly to the stadium stations, or bus, or UVX within 15 minutes following the game.
Visit rideuta.com/plan to plan your game day travel!
Parking passes for all designated BYU lots are digital this season. If you are a passholder, you will see the pass available to download in the same location where you download your digital ticket. Please ensure that you download the digital pass before you start driving to the stadium, and have the pass up on your phone and ready to display as you arrive at your designated lot. Also, familiarize yourself with the parking map, if necessary. Having your parking pass ready to display will greatly expedite the process of pulling into the lot. As all parking pass holders get used to this new process, there may be wait times. We encourage you to leave for the game a little earlier than you usually do to allow for some extra time to park.