Provo • If the 2017 football season taught BYU fans anything, it was that no opponent can be considered a gimme, no game a cakewalk. Losses to East Carolina and UMass and a narrow escape against Portland State are evidence of that.
So as the Northern Illinois Huskies venture into LaVell Edwards Stadium Saturday for a rare afternoon kickoff (1:30 p.m.) in Provo, nobody associated with the up-and-down BYU program is expecting an easy time with the Mid-American Conference power. The Cougars (4-3) and Huskies (4-3) are both coming off bye weeks, and BYU is a touchdown favorite, perhaps only because it is playing at home.