Underdog Cougars embracing Alamo Bowl role against No. 23 Colorado

SAN ANTONIO — As far as rival quarterbacks go, BYU's Jake Retzlaff probably won't receive many Christmas cards from Tempe, Arizona, or Ames, Iowa.

So his tongue-in-cheek nod about the Cougars' bowl game against No. 23 Colorado — an Alamo Bowl that will feature the two teams tied atop the Big 12 with conference champion Arizona State and championship game opponent Iowa State — was meant as a joke but won't earn him many more friends, either.

"I think it's the people's Big 12 championship, personally," Retzlaff quipped during the 17th-ranked Cougars' official press conference Thursday afternoon ahead of Saturday's Alamo Bowl (5:30 p.m. MST, ABC).

All kidding aside, perhaps the best BYU bowl game in more than 20 years has a different feel to it.

Maybe it's because the Cougars are facing a power conference opponent on equal fitting, a Buffaloes team that — like BYU — finished 7-2 in Big 12 play with a 9-3 overall record. Or maybe it's because the Big 12 regular-season, four-way co-champions (if there is such a thing — which there isn't) have set themselves up something of a third-place game just over four hours south of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Maybe it's simply that nearly every major contributor on both teams, from Retzlaff to wide receivers Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter (for a half) to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, have all opted in to the bowl game.

Either way, there's a reason this year's Alamo Bowl has been declared either the best non-College Football Playoff bowl game or must-see television by most.

"It definitely feels bigger," senior cornerback Jakob Robinson admitted. "My motivation is that we're playing the Heisman Trophy winner … He's fast, he's athletic, and I'd say that's my motivation for me, to just go make plays. I know it's the same for my teammates; everyone wants to go out there and make as many plays as they can."

There's also a reason the Cougars (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) are 3.5-point underdogs to Sanders, the presumptive first-round NFL draft pick with 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and the Buffs.

"We're expecting it," Roberts said. "We're just going to go play. If we win, it won't matter. We're just excited to go play and go do what we do on the field."

Expecting it, and in some ways, appreciating it, senior center Connor Pay added.

"Being the underdog or in some ways maybe underappreciated, we're comfortable being there," Pay said. "We're comfortable where we are. We don't need all the media attention or all the other stuff. Our motivation comes from different places. Obviously you appreciate it when you do get recognized for things you do well. You're grateful for it. But it's not a necessity."

So Retzlaff's glib comment about the "people's championship" wasn't a slight at any Sun Devils or Cyclones; it was more a recognition of where the Cougars came from — picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 in the league's preseason media poll — to a stunning one-year turnaround following last season's 5-7 finish.

"If you guys know my history as a junior college player, walking into a stadium like this (at the Alamodome) is a lot different than any stadium we've walked into," Retzlaff said. "We are plenty excited to be here. Obviously being as big of a stage as it is, prime time, and playing against a good team that draws a lot of media attention, we are excited to show what we've got.

"We've been the underdog all year, and we've been ready to make our statements all year. So we'll be excited. We'll be dancing in the end zone and having fun on the field all game. You'll see when we play best, I know we will have a lot of smiles among all of us."

BYU's motivation doesn't come from being favored, from media votes, or postseason awards. The Cougars say they are playing for more, for seniors like Pay, Robinson, and defensive end Tyler Batty, and to build on next season when Retzlaff and Roberts will try to make a run at a Big 12 title — with a number of younger players who will help them try to get there.

"This has been almost like a full spring ball to get ready for this game," offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said. "We have some young guys that are going to be key players in the future that you will see more of in this game.

"If you finish strong, there's momentum that you feel when you come back in January and start working toward next season. If you really finish strong, it can carry over to how your team is viewed next season, whether by the media and style points that matter now more than any of us want to admit."

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