SAN ANTONIO – The BYU Cougars are now in the Alamo City to finish preparations to face Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
The Cougars arrived at their Riverwalk hotel around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“We’re excited to be here in San Antonio,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I’m looking forward to the festivities and what we have planned this week. Our players are really excited about it. I know that Colorado’s already out here. Looking forward to seeing them and being around the San Antonio area and really excited about, for me, just the vibe and feeling of the Alamo Bowl. And you know, it has a great reputation, one of the prestigious bowls that are out there.”
This will be BYU’s first time playing in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The Cougars were greeted by many friendly faces as they stepped off the busses with mariachis playing in the background, providing a fun and unique experience that the players enjoyed.
“It’s awesome. I mean, obviously, they didn’t have this in junior college bowl games, I’ll tell you that much,” said starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff. “Coming in the band and everything like that. Like, it’s definitely really cool. And it’s already going to be a fun week. I know it.”
The Colorado Buffaloes, who arrived in San Antonio on Monday, are led by head coach Deion Sanders, his son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Those are three key reasons why the Alamo Bowl seems to be more about Colorado than BYU. Retzlaff is OK with the spotlight shining brighter on the Buffs.
“Honestly, I’m happy that it’s not. We’ve been playing really well when we’ve been the underdog all season. And, so, I think this team loves that identity of the guys who were overlooked from day one. And we embrace it enough. So, it’s fun. I like it a lot,” Retzlaff said when meeting with the media upon arrival.
Balancing all the fun of off-the-field activities during bowl week while getting ready for the game itself can be a lot to handle, but the Cougars are ready to go.
“You know, you just enjoy it. You enjoy it, you be grateful for it,” said defensive end Tyler Batty. “Be grateful to be here. And at the same time, remember, you know, why you’re here. And I think our guys will do a great job of that. And guys are super excited for the bowl experience and for the game come Saturday.”
The Valero Alamo Bowl is scheduled to take place on Dec. 28, and fans are eagerly anticipating a thrilling contest between these two talented teams.