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Landover, Md. • More than 2,000 miles away from Provo, not far from the Supreme Court of the United States, the BYU Cougars will try to continue to build their case on Saturday that their football program has what it takes to be invited to the Big 12 conference — by beating West Virginia at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
Yes, there is more to the argument about whether or not BYU should be invited to join the Power 5 conference — politics, in true Washington, D.C., fashion, have become a big part of the discussion — but even BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe believes this is an opportunity for the Cougars to shine on a stage where they generally shine best.
"Looking at the game as kind of an audition is a fair assessment," Holmoe said Friday. "To say people will be looking at us from that perspective is probably accurate."
BYU hopes to do that before the ball is even kicked off. The nationwide fan base it has boasted about for months should be on display. BYU officials say it is hard to know how many tickets they have sold to BYU fans because there are different ways to buy tickets, but believe there will be between 10,000 and 15,000 BYU fans in attendance.
"We sold a lot of tickets," Holmoe said. "Believe me, it will be a really good [turnout] for Cougar Nation. I would like to see our team go out there and play great. We will be there in great numbers, like we always do."
However, Holmoe said it won't be like the opener three weeks ago at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., when BYU fans outnumbered Arizona fans two-to-one, or like 2009 when an estimated 25,000 BYU fans rolled into Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to watch BYU upset Oklahoma, 14-13.
There is a higher concentration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — the faith that owns and operates BYU — in those areas than on the Eastern seaboard. Also, those games were season openers played on Labor Day Weekend, and fans could purchase tickets well in advance and plan vacations. Students weren't yet in school.
Next year's season debut against LSU at Houston's NRG Stadium will be similar to the 2009 and 2016 openers, Holmoe said.
"In the end, I would say yes, it is a very important game," Holmoe said. "But I would also say when it comes right down to it at 3:30 Eastern, we gotta play football. It always comes down to the football game itself. … A lot of the peripheral stuff leading up to the game doesn't really matter."
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen agreed that BYU's desire to get into the league the Mountaineers joined in 2012 adds something extra to the matchup, but noted the game was scheduled "a long time before West Virginia and the Big 12 were even a thought." Holmoe said the matchup was first discussed nearly 10 years ago and contracts were signed in 2010.
"It excites our fan base to play a national team, and to be able to do that at a neutral site will add to the intrigue of the game overall," Holgorsen said.
BYU walloped Texas 41-7 in Austin the last time it faced a Big 12 team, and is 3-2 against the league since 2009.
New head coach Kalani Sitake, who says he's a "big fan" of Holgorsen and his wide-open style of offense that has some roots in the BYU offenses of old under LaVell Edwards, has downplayed the game's importance as it relates to BYU and the Big 12.
"That doesn't add anything," Sitake said. "I am not worried about anything other than West Virginia, a well-coached team. They got some momentum. They are coming off a bye. We are focused on the opponent, not worried about all the politics and everything behind it. That has not even entered our minds."
Having been named BYU's starting quarterback again on Monday by Sitake, senior Taysom Hill seconded his coach's stance.
"I don't worry about that," Hill said, when asked if BYU will be motivated to shine in front of Big 12 brass. "You know, all that stuff is out of my control. I focus on the task at hand, and everything else is out of my hands. I will do what I can, as far as preparation, to win the football game."
Hill and safety Micah Hannemann said there is motivation enough just because WVU is a Power 5 team, and the Cougars are 1-2 against P5 teams so far this season, all from the Pac-12.
"The past three games have been against the Pac-12, and I feel we should have won all three," Hannemann said. "The Big 12, same thing, just more stuff to prove. We want to prove ourselves, that we can play in those conferences."
BYU has 21 wins against P5 schools since 2003, more than any other non-P5 school except Navy, which has 22.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. West Virginia
P At FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
TV • ESPN2 —
BYU vs. West Virginia
P At FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
Kickoff • 1:30 p.m. MDT
TV • ESPN2
Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU 1-2, West Virginia 2-0
Series history • First meeting
About the Mountaineers • They will be the first of three teams coming off a bye before they face BYU; The others are Toledo and UMass. … They are seventh in the country in total offense (559.0), having defeated Missouri 26-11 and Youngstown State, 38-21. … Quarterback Skyler Howard, a senior from Fort Worth, Texas, has completed 43 of 68 passes for 642 yards and five touchdowns, with two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 160.92. … Senior RB Rushel Shell III is averaging 5.4 yards per cary.
About the Cougars • They are off to a 1-2 start for the sixth time since 2006. They finished with a winning record is the five previous 1-2 starts. … They are 16-20 all-time against teams currently in the Big 12. … Junior LB Va'a Niumatalolo is from nearby Annapolis, Md., and the son of Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, who has a bye this week. … They are 107th in the country in rushing yardage, averaging 126.3 ypg, and 78th in passing (212.3 ypg.).