Are the 2014 Savannah State Tigers the worst team BYU Football has ever played?

Savannah State is the worst team BYU Football has ever played.

I know what you are thinking. Are you sure? BYU has played a lot of terrible teams in independence.

You are right. They have played a lot of terrible teams over the past 4 seasons.

2011 Ole Miss (2-10), 2011 Oregon State Beavers (3-9), 2011 Idaho State (2-9), 2011 Idaho (2-10), 2012 Washington State (3-9), 2012 Weber State (2-9), 2012 Hawaii (3-9), 2012 Idaho (1-11), 2012 New Mexico State (1-11), 2013 Virginia (2-10), 2013 Idaho State (3-9), 2013 Nevada (3-9).

Beyond that, this season's version of UNLV and UConn looks like they will each finish with 3 wins.

That's a lot of terrible teams. However, none of those teams come close to the stink bomb of a team Savannah State is.

The Tigers are 0-11 and have conceded at least 40 points in 7 of those 11 games!

Against FBS opponents Middle Tennessee State (who BYU defeated 27-7) and Georgia Southern, Savannah State surrendered 61 and 83 points respectively. They only scored a combined 16 points in those contests.

Throughout the season, Savannah State has lost by an average of 33.2 points. The average score of the Tigers 11 games this year have been 44.8-12.5. But that doesn't tell the whole story.

Savannah State scheduled a game against Fort Valley State University. Fort Valley State is a Division II team. Division II is the division just below Savannah State's FCS, or two divisions below the FBS, where BYU lives. Savannah State lost to the mighty Wildcats of Fort Valley State, 42-28, on their home field. Those 28 points were the highest offensive output on the season, again, accomplished against a Division II team, on the strength of 60 rushing yards on 30 attempts and 145 yards on 22/49 passing with 4 INTs and a fumble lost.

6 of 11 games have featured at least 3 Savannah State turnovers. 3 games resulted in 5 turnovers.

Looking beyond this season, the Tigers will enter LaVell Edwards Stadium having lost 20 straight.

Okay, so Savannah State is awful at football, but are you sure they are the worst team BYU has ever played?

Yes, I'm sure. But to be rest your skeptical mind here are some things to consider.

In order for another team to be considered worse than Savannah State, two criteria need to be met. First, an opponent needs to be winless. Sure, 2012 Idaho only pulled off 1 win, but they did win, so the Vandals get the nod over Savannah State. Second, an opponent needs to come from the FCS or lower. Meaning the winless 2008 Washington Huskies are off the hook as are the 1998 Hawaii and UNLV, 1987 New Mexico, 1981 Colorado State, 1973 UTEP, 1968 New Mexico, 1965 Kansas State, and 1964 UTEP teams (who tied two games, which I suppose is better than losing them all, regardless the Miners were winless).

I decided to stop research at 1964 as it was the inaugural season for BYU in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The FCS (initially named as Division I-AA) began in 1978, Saturday's matchup against Savannah State will be the first ever matchup for BYU against a winless FCS opponent.

Those attending Saturday's game will already see history with the arrival of the putrid Savannah State Tigers, but maybe more history can be made with such an awful opponent.

Things in play on Saturday:

• Christian Stewart breaks John Walsh's single game passing yards record of 619 yards.
• Trevor Samson's 11 PATs breaks Matt Payne and Jason Chaffetz record for 10 PATs in a game.
• Bronco Mendenhall burns a year of eligibility for 20 players who figured they would be redshirting this season.
• BYU's offense breaks the most points scored in a single game record from 1980 when BYU hung 83 points on UTEP.

I'd love to see a huge blowout with records broken, but perhaps if a new record is set, it should be noted in the record books that the Cougars were playing the worst team BYU has ever played.