Jake Retzlaff Looking Composed As BYU’s Lead Grows

PROVO, Utah – Jake Retzlaff is giving BYU the experienced quarterback they need, leading two scoring drives in the opening quarter. The redshirt junior uncorked a deep ball late in the opening quarter that settled into the waiting arms of Jojo Phillips to give BYU a 14-0 lead with 1:56 left in the period.

The Cougars are hosting the Southern Illinois Salukis at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, August 31.

BYU vs. Southern Illinois: Live Updates, Analysis, And More From Provo

LET IT FLY @jretz11!!

📺: https://t.co/zDOxM9A89H pic.twitter.com/Pgc2y0DEU0

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 1, 2024

Following a 13-play, 65-yard TD drive to open the game, Retzlaff showed the Cougars quick-strike ability with a 57-yard strike. The Corona, California native is already 5-of-7 for 105 yards and the TD.

The Salukis have 22 yards of offense through two drives.

One Score Prediction for BYU vs Southern Illinois

Over the course of the week, BYU’s prognostications have been trending backward. Still, BYU remains a favorite in this game.

On paper, Southern Illinois appears to be one of the best FCS teams BYU will have ever faced.

RELATED: BYU’s Jay Hill ‘Feeling Much Better’ Following Heart Attack

Looking good, LES. 👀 ⛰️ #BYU #GoCougs #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/Cy8Z1PQi8S

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 31, 2024

Despite the trend of SIU being a potential FCS upset, BYU is the better football team. The Salukis lost many key personnel from last year’s team, which was fourth in total defense a season ago.

BYU will get production from the ground game of LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati to carry them to a comfortable victory and set the tone for the 2024 season.

BYU 38, Southern Illinois 17

BYU vs. Southern Illinois

This is the first meeting between these programs. BYU enters with a perfect 18-0 record against Football Championship Subdivision teams. The Cougar’s last win against an FCS program came in a 41-16 victory over Southern Utah in 2023. BYU has outscored FCS opponents 47.8 to 9.8 all-time.

RELATED: BYU Football Announces Captains For 2024 Season

The Salukis were 8-5 overall last season, finishing 4-3 on the road.

Cougars Postgame Show

BYU vs. Southern Illinois recap on KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM), KSLSports.com, and the KSL Sports app.

For more information on BYU football, follow our BYU insider Mitch Harper. Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on Twitter/X and Threads: @Mitch_Harper.

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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.

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