If you want to be able to predict how well a college football team will perform,  look at two key indicators:
A) Experience at quarterback
and
B) Experience on the offensive line
If you can check both A and B, your team will probably have a very good season. In BYU’s case it’s almost always a memorable one.
Since the Cougars will begin the 2010 campaign with little-to-no experience at QB, their saving grace will be the “big uglies” (the word uglies is use with a great deal of reverence) on the offensive line.
BYU returns …

The BYU defense began fall camp with several question marks.
The Cougars needed to replace the majority of their front seven. They were also searching for a solution at free safety, which was the only question mark in an otherwise solid defensive backfield.
As we approach the end of the first full week of practice some answers are beginning to unfold.
The ability of Travis Tuiloma to come into the rotation at nose tackle allows Eathyn Manumaluena to move out to defensive end.
That development greatly solidifies the defensive line and creates a rotation …

The BYU quarterback battle has quickly boiled down once again to a choice between Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps.
The question is which one of these signal callers is best suited to take advantage of the talent the Cougars will put out the field this season. They vary vastly in their strengths and style of play.
Heaps is the prototypical pocket passer, while Nelson is a guy that relies on his feet as much as his arm.
In our previous segment, we mentioned that the Cougar offense will operate with more receivers on …

2010 marks the return of the wide receiver for the Cougars.
The BYU offense will look a little different this season. Expect to see more receivers on the field and fewer double tight end sets.
BYU is well known for employing its talented tight ends with great effectiveness, but this year the combination of inexperience at tight end and depth and talent at wide receiver will necessitate a change in the way the Cougars approach things.
As usual, there is talent galore at tight end, but there isn’t a single tight end on …

Football season is underway in Provo!
The BYU Cougars kicked things off with a two-and-a-half  hour practice session Saturday, that after the team’s annual morning race to the “Y” overlooking the BYU campus.
As the Mendenhall Era enters its sixth season, the Cougars are a team that are upgraded in talent but lack experience and leadership in key areas.
That lack of experience have led some to wonder if the program’s streak of four straight 10-plus win season will come to an end.
The fact that the Cougars linger just outside the top …

Our final preview focuses on the oft-overlooked special teams.
Any football coach will tell you that special teams make up a significant portion of plays during a game and execution in special team situations can make or break you during a game or season.
The Cougars weren’t spectacular on special teams last year, but they did turn in a mostly solid performance in ‘09.
This year brings higher expectations and the hope for more big plays and more consistent performances in certain areas.
Here’s how the various BYU special team units shape up this …

Weak things have been made strong at BYU.
On paper the defensive secondary appears to be the strength of the BYU defense in 2010.
The Cougars return three starters to a area of the defense that is traditionally the weakest link in the program.
BYU will be without the leadership and experience of graduated free safety Scott Johnson however.
Scotty was the unquestioned leader in the defensive backfield last year and was responsible for making the play calls in the secondary and making sure the DB’s were in proper position.
BYU fans found out how …

BYU football fans are salivating at the thought of having four linebackers with NFL-caliber athleticism on the field at the same time.
Jordan Pendleton, Uona Kaveinga, Zach Stout and Kyle Van Noy would represent perhaps the most athletic group of linebackers in the history of the program. The question is, will we see that combo together in 2010?
As BYU opens fall camp this Saturday, the Cougars find themselves needing to replace three of four starters at linebacker.
Jordan Pendleton (6-2, 228 Jr.) is the lone returning starter. The former Bingham High star …

The BYU Cougars start 2010 with task of replacing six starters on the defensive front seven, including all three defensive lineman.
Gone are Jan Jorgensen, Brett Denny and  Russell Tialavea.
The athletes stepping into the starting roles have playing experience and the Cougar coaches hope and expect them to step up to the plate.
Bronco Mendenhall has stated in the past that the program has reached a level of maturity such that he expects the next wave of players to come in and get the job done.
The overall speed and athleticism has been …

By far the biggest question in Provo these days is who will be the new BYU quarterback in 2010.
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced this week during Mountain West Conference media days that the race could go on well into the season.
Oh-oh!
Prevailing wisdom says that that doesn’t usually work out very well. You know the old saying – “If you have two starting quarterbacks, you don’t have any.”
Mendenhall mentioned Wednesday in an interview with Salt Lake City radio station 1280 The Zone that he wants to allow time for the competition …