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BYU and SMU have a big-time history in Bowl Games. In fact, they played maybe the best bowl game in history, a Holiday Bowl that featured a huge BYU comeback.
And this year, they will meet again in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday at 7:30. It should be one of the best games of the bowl season.
Of course, BYU is a unique institution. The school is owned by the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course, in the LDS church, many young men do a two-year religious mission either right after graduating from high school or a few years later. That means that many of BYU’s football players are much older than other teams. And, with the church’s views on premarital sex, many players come back from missions and immediately search for a wife. This results in a lot of players with wives and even kids. And, SMU had no clue what was coming.
SMU players were shocked to see all how big the BYU traveling party was
The traveling parties for bowl games are usually pretty big. After all, it’s the entire 125 man roster, plus managers, coaches, support staff, and high-ranking administrators. That puts the total easily over 200 people. But, BYU came rolling DEEP to Alberquerque.
#BYU's traveling group for a bowl game is always bigger than your typical college football team.
SMU was surprised to see it.#BYUFootball #GoCougs https://t.co/qtlZKMhxKK
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 16, 2022
The article provided more details.
The first BYU football player to step off the plane ride Wednesday from Provo was quarterback Jaren Hall. Hall, who was sporting a boot on his right foot, was with his wife, Breanna.
Breanna Hall was one of 25 wives that joined their BYU football-playing husbands on the trip to see BYU take on SMU in the 2022 New Mexico Bowl.
“It’s fun, and it’s always funny the other team’s reactions seeing the players bring wives to these events. It’s a good time,” said Alaina Pestana, wife to BYU defensive end Tyler Batty.
It’s been an annual tradition at BYU to have the players bring their wives to the bowl game. So how BYU travels in the postseason is nothing new to them. But it’s a new look for teams not familiar with the Cougars.
It went on to say more.
“Zero,” said SMU QB Tanner Mordecai when asked how many married players are on the Mustangs.
Mordecai, who is preparing for his last college football game before moving on to pursue an NFL career, admits it was different seeing married players on another college team.
“Yes,” Mordecai said with a smile when asked if it was different to see BYU players with wives. “And they had kids too. We have a few guys on the team that have kids, maybe like three or four. But yeah, that’s different.”
Who knows. Maybe the BYU players will be distracted.