Fact, fiction and myth about BYU, Iowa State football’s next opponent

AMES — Fifty years ago, on Oct. 13, 1973, Iowa State played a football game at BYU. The Cyclones won 26-24 at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. LaVell Edwards, for whom the stadium now is named, was BYU’s coach. Earle Bruce coached Iowa State.

Fifty years later, the Cyclones return to Provo for a Saturday 9:15 p.m. game (ESPN). Iowa State is a 7-point favorite for a win that would ensure bowl eligibility. Matt Campbell is Iowa State’s coach. Kalani Sitake coaches the Cougars, and he’s such a good guy that Campbell said he’d be honored for his sons to play for him.

As for the rest?

It’s not often Iowa State football travels to places it hasn’t played, at least in recent seasons. The Cyclones did that a month ago, beating Cincinnati in the Cyclones’ first football game there.

Since this is Iowa State’s first game at BYU in a long while, here’s your Provo Primer for a game Iowa State must win to avoid a dicey situation. That would be needing a win against Texas or Kansas State to clinch bowl eligibility.

You’ve heard the one about Provo being a ‘dry’ town, right?

I heard that, too, before covering the 2013 men’s basketball game there. Well, it’s not.

There was even a sign on which someone wrote “Drink Wisconsinably,” a few days before Wisconsin played a 2017 game at BYU. According to Google, 90% of people living in Provo are Mormons. Mormons aren’t supposed to drink. Provo, however, is a college town, if you get my drift.

While playing at BYU is new for everyone on the team, competing in the state of Utah is something receiver Dimitri Stanley has done.

When at Colorado, he played against the University of Utah twice. The Buffs lost both games.

“Definitely in the back of my mind,” the personable Stanley said.

We asked Stanley, is playing at altitude is a disadvantage for opponents? Myth or reality?

“For me personally, I’m back in my home time zone, back in altitude,” the Aurora, Colo., native said. “For me, I’m excited.”

For others, playing at 4,551-foot elevation is new.

“It’s definitely been a little concern in the wide receiver room,” Stanley said. “Jayden (Higgins) asked me how the altitude will affect him. I told him he’ll be all right.”

Free ice cream for the visiting fans

Sitake told us about this one last July, during the Big 12’s annual football media days.

They call it “ice cream diplomacy,” where Cougars alumni distribute fourthquarter free ice cream to fans seated in the visitors’ section of the stadium. It’s made right on campus at the BYU creamery.

If ice cream is out of season, which it might be by Saturday, never fear. The backup plan is freshly made mint brownies. (Provo forecast for Saturday’s kickoff: about 40 degrees.)

The biggest point of it all?

It’s free.

“I think everybody should do that - not just to the fans, but also to the coaches on the sidelines,” Sitake said. “That would be really cool. That could be innovative — where I’m eating ice cream going into the fourth quarter.”

Where is the BYU campus, and how far is it from Ames?

At the base of the Wasatch Mountains, LaVell Edwards Stadium is 1,118 miles from Jack Trice Stadium. I walked around the stadium area when I covered an Iowa State men’s basketball game at BYU in 2013. Beautiful setting with the mountains in the background. Very similar to the views in Penn State, the last time I was there, circa late 1990s, early 2000s.

Once the Big 12 settles into a Sweet 16 of a conference in 2024, the trip Campbell’s team is making this weekend won’t be the program’s longest, but it will be played in one of the new Big 12’s biggest stadiums.

LaVell Edwards Stadium’s capacity is second at 63,400, while third is Jack Trice’s 61,500. Here’s the breakdown:

75,000

⬤ Arizona State: ⬤ BYU: ⬤ Iowa State: ⬤ West Virginia: ⬤ Texas Tech: ⬤ Oklahoma State: ⬤ Utah: ⬤ Arizona: ⬤ Colorado: ⬤ Kansas State: ⬤ UCF: ⬤ Kansas: ⬤ TCU: ⬤ Baylor: ⬤ Houston: ⬤ Cincinnati:

63,500 61,500 60,000 56,200 55,000 51,400 50,800 50,200 50,000 48,000

47,200

46,000

45,200

40,000

38,000

Iowa State is chartering on Friday to Salt Lake City, staying there Friday night, bussing 45 minutes or to Provo on Saturday afternoon, then flying home from there after the game.

I asked the program’s chief of staff what time the team expects to land Sunday morning.

“Hopefully by 5 a.m.,” was the response.

By the way, Iowa State’s longest trip when the Big 12 becomes 16 is 1,430 miles whenever Arizona State is on the schedule — until Hawaii joins the league.

Just kidding.

About BYU, and the quarterback factory

Get this: The Cougars had 511 total yards in that 2-point loss against the Cyclones 50 years ago. Yeah, that’s right. They had 511 yards — in the 1970s. Of course, 439 of that came from quarterback Gary Scheide, generally considered the first quarterback to come out of BYU’s “quarterback factory” of greatness.

As for the school ... Students, including the athletes, sign an honor code, ranging from morality to what they can and cannot drink.

Diet Coke is all right.

I think.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/ CyclonesTexts