PROVO, Utah – BYU football kicked off week three of the 2024 season with a virtual press conference from head coach Kalani Sitake.
The ninth-year head coach spoke for 18 minutes with the media as his team gets set for another non-conference road trip. This weekend, it’s an old WAC and Mountain West rival, the Wyoming Cowboys.
Here are five key things we learned from Sitake’s press conference.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati, BYU’s top running backs, are “doubtful” for Saturday against the Pokes.
“That’s the way it’s looking. The good news is that no one is out for the year. But it might take some time to get some of those guys back,” Sitake said. “Hopefully, we can see what happens in the next 24 hours. If they are going to be available this week or not.”
KSL Sports asked Kalani Sitake if freshman Pokaiaua Haunga would factor into the conversation at running back with Martin and Ropati as both “doubtful.”
Haunga is a true freshman returned missionary and was a high school standout at Timpview High.
Despite not being listed on the depth chart, Haunga is going to be an option in the backfield for BYU’s running back unit this week.
“With Pokai, the question is whether or not to redshirt people. I think right now, I’m not worried about that,” Sitake said. “He’s going to be full-go and he’s going to play. And we’ll just move on with that.”
On a positive injury note, optimism is growing that BYU will have Mory Bamba back this week from an injury. Bamba has been out with a boot on his foot.
#BYU said he’s “hopeful” that CB Mory Bamba will return this week. Bamba has missed the first two games due to injury.#BYUFootball
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 9, 2024
During fall camp, Bamba took first-team reps while Marque Collins worked his way back from an ACL injury he suffered last season.
This Saturday will be BYU’s first visit to War Memorial Stadium since 2009. It’s a place that does not love the Cougars.
Despite starting the season 0-2, Wyoming is expecting a sell-out this weekend against BYU. After Utah and Utah State, Wyoming is the most-played opponent in BYU’s history. Sitake isn’t worried about the history but is looking forward to the opportunity.
“These kids don’t know anything about the rivalry. I guess some of these guys have played in this game against Wyoming [two years ago], but they don’t understand the old conference and all of that stuff. A majority of these guys came here because they wanted to play in the Big 12 and this is another to play this game.
“We know that it’s going to be a hostile environment. It wasn’t a kind one last week either, but that’s college football.”
Sitake was asked if he’s planning to redshirt Ryner Swanson this season. After this season, the former four-star prospect plans to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
#BYU freshman TE Ryner Swanson (@ryner_swanson) announced that he received his mission call.
He will leave next year to serve a mission in Kenya Nairobi Africa for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.#BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/EduLj03MpW
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) September 4, 2024
During the win over SMU, Swanson had one catch for 10 yards.
“He’s a major weapon,” Sitake said.
The ninth-year head coach added that he’s not thinking about a redshirt for Swanson early in the season.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
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A skier was killed and another injured after the group they were in triggered a large avalanche while ascending a mountain in western Wyoming.
The large snowslide happened Saturday in a backcountry area about 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park.
The Teton County Search and Rescue said it received a call to respond to a known avalanche burial on Togwotee Pass just before 12 p.m. on Saturday.
As the group of four people, according to authorities, went up a steep slope at an elevation of 10,400 feet, a large slab of snow about 5 feet thick broke away and slid, fully burying the victim. The second skier was partially buried and had an injury to his leg.
It took rescuers about four hours to reach the scene by skis after a helicopter tried to reach the site but had to turn around because of “challenging” weather conditions.
“(Teton County Search and Rescue) extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier,” it said in a Facebook post.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center is investigating the avalanche.
A series of snowstorms have swept through the area in recent weeks, including one on Saturday, said National Weather Service forecaster Jason Straub.
The skier’s death marks the fifth person to be killed by an avalanche in the U.S. this winter.
CASPER, Wyo. — “Taken off of Wyoming 59 Bypass at 7 a.m.,” writes photographer Nathaniel Lax. “It’s a beautiful picture of the sun rising behind the cornerstone of what we do in Wyoming: make energy. The silhouette of the power plants against the beautiful red and orange sky — it’s absolutely captivating.”
Do you have a photo that captures the beauty of Wyoming? Submit it by clicking here and filling out the form, and we may share it!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Wyoming Cowboys shot a season-high 69% from behind the arc and erased a 9-point deficit en route to a 70–65 road win at Air Force on Saturday.
“If you don’t like stress, don’t watch us,” UW head coach Sundance Wicks said. “This is what Air Force does to teams, but understand it is a complex scout and you try to play the percentages. I gave a lot of game balls out tonight and we had some big-time plays by big-time players stepping up in big moments.”
Wyoming was led by four players in double figures. Jordan Nesbitt recorded his sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Newton scored a team-best 16 points, going 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Dontaie Allen added 14 points going 4-of-4 on 3-point attempts in the process. Matija Belic added 13 points while going 6-of-8 from the field.
Cole Henry added 8 points for the Pokes, and A.J. Wills finished with a game-best five assists.
The Pokes shot 57.1% from the field, the seventh time the team has shot at least 50% this season. UW was extremely efficient from behind the arc, going 9-of-13.
The Pokes opened the game by taking a fast 5–0 lead on an emphatic slam dunk by Henry and a 3-pointer from Newton. However, Air Force went on an 11–0 run using the three ball for an 11–5 lead. The Falcons would push that lead to 14–7 minutes later.
Air Force hit five threes in the first eight minutes to take a 21–12 lead. However, Wyoming managed to respond, and a pair of 3-pointers by Allen made it a 23–18 game roughly halfway through the first half.
A thunderous putback slam from Nesbitt and a triple from Wills made it a 2-point deficit at 27–25 with under nine minutes left in the opening stanza.
Henry tied the game at 27–27 and Belic added an and-one play followed by a triple from Newton, allowing Wyoming to surge ahead with a 33–27 lead as the first half wound down. It was part of a 13–0 run for the Pokes, holding Air Force scoreless for more than five and a half minutes.
After that, though, Air Force proceeded to hold Wyoming scoreless for much of the final four and a half minutes of the half, and the Falcons went into the halftime break with a 36–33 lead.
A Newton 3-pointer about four minutes into the second half made it a one-possession game, down 44–42. About eight minutes later, Allen added a pair of 3-pointers and Belic added a basket to tie the game at 55–55 with eight minutes left.
Nesbitt added a pair of free throws and gave Wyoming a 58–56 lead with just under six minutes left. Wyoming held Air Force without a point for over four minutes and built the lead to 62–56 with just over four minutes left.
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