Cougar Bites

A few more noteworthy snippets for those who, like me, can’t enough:

The MWC is playing 13, non-conference games against BCS foes this season. All but three of those are away from the comfort of home. Wyoming has the Longhorns coming into town. How they pulled that off, I’ll never know. It doesn’t really matter though because I don’t know anyone in their right mind that would give them a snowball’s chance of winning that game without a blizzard acting as their twelfth defender. Each of the “big three” is playing two non-conference BCS foes so if we (as a conference) can win a majority of these games, we can set up a team for another BCS breakthrough.

Click here to see if your TV provider will be proving you with the most games for watching your Cougars this season. I don’t have a quick link for Utah’s TV schedule, but based on the info from the site, Utah has 5 games on the MTN., 2 on CSTV, 2 on Versus, and 2 on ESPN channels. The BYU game will be simulcast on the MTN and CSTV.

Last year’s debacle (is a 10-3 season considered a debacle?) can be blamed on several things: BYU’s over hype for national prominence, the “Quest” misunderstanding, Max Hall’s ability to find wide open defenders . . .. This year they have refocused their goals and their attention. Sure, it helps that they don’t have the big media spotlight shining on their backs to begin this season, but a win over Oklahoma in week one will put the squarely in the public eye again. A win over reining Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and the rest of Sooner Nation and the media will be playing BYU’s song for a possible National Championship birth.

BYU QB Max Hall says this year will be about having fun again and playing for the love of football.

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BYU Quick Hits

The college football season is fast approaching; many college camps open in mere weeks. The time has come to grab a hold on your favorite bandwagon and prepare for the ride. I’m hoping that by making this post, I can inspire one of my fellow CBAC bloggers to take up the mantle of “Ute Insider” and keep us all posted on the happenings for the team “on the hill.” Here is just a quick sampling of some coming highlights for the 2009 football season.

As tough a schedule as I can remember in years, including a neutral site game against:

Oklahoma Florida State Utah State

TCU and Utah

Nationally televised games for all the big games – all on HD!

Coach Mendenhall has been hitting the recruiting path hard this off-season, landing a whopping 20 as of today, including top-rated QB, Jake Heaps, as well as other four-star recruits, WR Ross Apo, and DE Bronson Kaufusi and Kona Schwenke.

Check out the new 2009 BYU Football Guide here.

I can smell the football in the air. ESPN is starting to talk more and more about it. If you read any of the local sports chat rooms, rivalry talk is rampant and excited. Utah is coming off unquestionably the best season in its program’s history, the MWC’s history, and possibly all of non-BCS history. TCU is picked to win the conference. But both schools have to come through Provo and that always bodes well for the Cougar faithful.

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