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Provo • Quarterback Taysom Hill made cameo appearances the first two games of his freshman season, throwing a touchdown pass in the opener against Washington State and completing an 18-yarder in a blowout of Weber State.
But it was on Sept. 20, 2012, BYU's fourth game of his first year, that Hill really arrived as a future star. He relieved Riley Nelson in the second half and drove the Cougars 95 yards for a touchdown against Boise State.
Hill's two-point conversion pass was knocked away with 3:37 remaining, however, and Boise State escaped with a 7-6 win, having scored its only touchdown on a 36-yard interception return by defensive tackle Mike Atkinson.
Hill and the Cougars (4-3) return to the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium on Thursday (8:21 p.m. MDT, ESPN) to face the undefeated and No. 14-ranked Broncos (6-0) hoping to make amends for that loss and a 55-30 blowout defeat in 2014 that occurred three games after he suffered a season-ending injury against Utah State.
"I remember what that [7-6 loss] felt like," said Hill, who grew up across the state of Idaho in Pocatello. "As we prepare this week, I am doing everything I can so the outcome is different this time. It is a fun place to play. It is a great environment. It is a loud, hostile place. I love it. I am looking forward to going and playing those guys on the blue turf in my home state."
A year after the one-point loss, Hill played one of his finest games as a Cougar, completing 27 of 41 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 18 times for 69 yards and a score in a 37-20 thumping. He watched last year's game from the bench, recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury, as understudy Tanner Mangum threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead TD with 45 seconds left, in a 35-24 win over the Broncos.
Hill said the blossoming BYU-Boise State rivalry is "definitely up there," but far behind BYU-Utah in terms of bitterness and history. That said, Thursday's matchup won't have any extra meaning for him just because he's from Idaho.
"It's Boise State, and I certainly grew up watching them, but the Treasure Valley is probably farther away than Provo is to Pocatello," he said. "It's fun to go back and play in Idaho against a good program, but every week I am going to prepare the best I can. So in terms of preparation, it's all the same."
Pocatello is 239 miles from Boise and 208 miles from Provo.
Sitake likes blue turf
BYU coach Kalani Sitake has faced Boise State just twice in his coaching career, and never in Boise. As a Utah assistant, Sitake lost 36-3 to BSU at Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2006 and 26-3 to the Broncos in the 2010 Las Vegas Bowl.
He's a big fan of the blue turf, if not a big admirer of the birds that inhabit southwestern Idaho.
"I heard birds die flying into it and everything," he said. "So there are either dumb birds in Boise, or the field must be really nice and looks like glass. None of our players are going to be out there in swimsuits or anything like that, thinking it is a lake. So we are excited. I think it is nice. It is cool. It is a part of their deal. It is one of the things you see in college football that is unique. I think it is awesome. It is going to be fun."
Briefly
Along with the aforementioned Hill and Mangum, BYU has three other players from Idaho on its roster: quarterback Hayden Livingston (Rigby), receiver Colby Pearson (Blackfoot) and defensive back Sam Baldwin (Rexburg). … Boise State is the first ranked team BYU will face this season. The Cougars are 7-16 against ranked teams since 2005.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU at No. 14 Boise State
P Thursday, 8:21 p.m.
TV • ESPN