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Provo • Having discovered some offensive rhythm after their third-straight slow start on that side of the ball in Saturday's 52-10 romp over Fresno State, the BYU Cougars turned their attention to Utah State on Sunday knowing they can't afford to come out sluggishly at Maverik Stadium if they want to get some revenge for last year's 35-20 loss.
"We have to work on [ineffective starts] and come out firing on all cylinders," quarterback Tanner Mangum said after throwing for 256 yards after the first quarter against the hapless Bulldogs.
Just like last year, the Cougars enter the week not knowing who will be Utah State's starting quarterback. In 2014, after it was disclosed a couple days before kickoff that Chuckie Keeton would not play, Darell Garretson stepped in and threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
In USU's 31-27 win over Nevada on Saturday, which upped the Aggies' record to 6-5 and made them bowl eligible, sophomore starter Kent Myers left after two series with a shoulder injury. Keeton entered the game and rallied the Aggies from a 20-point deficit.
Myers' status for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. affair in Logan wasn't known on Sunday.
Also not known to the 8-3 Cougars is their bowl destination, Las Vegas or Hawaii.
The Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl will be played Dec. 19 at Sam Boyd Stadium and will pit the sixth selection from the Pac-12 against either BYU or the top team from the Mountain West Conference.
The Hawaii Bowl will be played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on Dec. 24 and will pit either BYU or a Mountain West team against an American Athletic Conference (AAC) team.
The Cougars may have to wait until after the conference championship games on Dec. 5 to see where they will spend the holidays. Air Force (8-3) and San Diego State (8-3) will play in the MWC championship game on Dec. 5 at the home of the highest-ranked team.
Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti told the Idaho Statesman newspaper that BYU's bowl destination will be decided by four entities: BYU, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Hawaii Bowl and ESPN, which owns both bowls.
Air Force is at New Mexico on Saturday and San Diego State hosts Nevada, but both schools have already clinched their spots in the championship game. Neither Air Force nor SDSU is known for traveling a lot of fans to their bowl games or away games, while BYU routinely helped sell out the Las Vegas Bowl when it went there five straight years (2005-09).
The Las Vegas Bowl has a substantially bigger payout than the Hawaii Bowl, but the bowl that does not get the Cougars this year will get them in 2019.
Another factor that might affect where BYU wants to go is the fact that the Cougars' men's basketball team will play in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Dec. 22, 23 and 25.
For now, though, the emphasis is on Utah State and getting the offense revved up before the second quarter.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU at Utah St.
P Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Maverik Stadium, Logan
TV • CBSSN