BYU Cougar Sports Daily

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans, and go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars indeed. It is Monday, September fourteenth, twenty twenty-six, and what a weekend it was in Provo.

Cosmo Let's start with the big one. B Y U football beat Arizona twenty-eight to seventeen at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Cougars trailed in the first half, then flipped the switch and owned the second half.

Carrie That is becoming the identity of this team. A second-half team. And the voters noticed. The A P Top Twenty-Five released Sunday has B Y U up four spots to number eleven.

Cosmo And number thirteen in the coaches poll, up two. Both polls moving the same direction after the same weekend. That is real momentum.

Carrie Here is my favorite part. The Big Twelve handed out its weekly awards, and B Y U swept both sides of the ball. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier is Offensive Player of the Week.

Cosmo And defensive end Tausili Akana is Defensive Player of the Week. Bachmeier had already landed on the Davey O'Brien Great Eight, so this is a quarterback stacking honors early.

Carrie And it was not just football. Women's volleyball beat U C L A in five sets Friday night at the Smith Fieldhouse. Twenty-five to fifteen, twenty-two to twenty-five, twenty-five to seventeen, twenty to twenty-five, and fifteen to ten in the decider.

Cosmo A back-and-forth match. B Y U out-hit U C L A and led in kills, sixty-one to fifty-five. That puts the Cougars at five and one heading into Big Twelve play.

Carrie And a little history this weekend too. Five new members went into the B Y U Athletics Hall of Fame. Kyle Van Noy and Jason Buck from football, Wally Joyner from baseball.

Cosmo Plus Amy Boswell Usevitch from volleyball and Shauna Rohbock from soccer and track. Quite the class. Now, looking ahead, the football team heads to Fort Collins to face Colorado State.

Carrie Head coach Kalani Sitake says he has fond memories of that trip from his own playing days. Let's hope the current roster makes some new ones. Okay. Margaret, if you're ready.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Here are your scores. Football, B Y U twenty-eight, Arizona seventeen, at home in Provo. Women's volleyball, B Y U over U C L A three sets to two, on Friday night at the Smith Fieldhouse. That leaves volleyball at five wins and one loss on the season, with Big Twelve play still ahead. On the horizon, B Y U football travels to Fort Collins for a road game against Colorado State. The Cougars will carry a number eleven national ranking into that one, so the pressure is on to keep climbing. And in the neighborhood, Utah Valley men's basketball has released its schedule for its first season in the Big West, including a trip to the Paradise Jam in the United States Virgin Islands. That is your rundown. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! [] It's Sunday, September thirteenth, twenty twenty-six, and we have a full plate this morning. []

Cosmo We do. [] Let's start at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [] The Daily Herald's live coverage had B Y U leading Arizona twenty-one to seventeen with six minutes and eighteen seconds left in the fourth quarter. [f]

Carrie And in a great spot, too. [] The Cougars had the ball at the Arizona twelve yard line, looking to push that lead out. [f] We'll have the final result for you on the next episode. []

Cosmo That comes on the heels of a season opener where B Y U absolutely buried Utah Tech, sixty-three to seven. [f]

Carrie Bear Bachmeier was surgical. [] Sixteen of twenty passing, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns. [f] And here's a fun detail from the Herald: after the game, it was only backups and reserves talking to reporters, because the starters were done early. [f]

Cosmo When your bench is doing the interviews, the game went well. [] Now, big news off the gridiron. [] B Y U women's volleyball has a new head coach, Rob Neilson, who comes over from Utah State. [f]

Carrie And he's not arriving empty-handed. [] The Cougars added All-American setter Kaylie McCallum, the Mountain West Player of the Year, and she joins returning All-American setter Alex Bower. [f]

Cosmo Two All-American setters on one roster. [f] That's a luxury most programs never see. [] Meanwhile, this weekend B Y U Athletics is inducting five new members into its Hall of Fame. [f]

Carrie Kyle Van Noy and Jason Buck from football, Amy Boswell Usevitch from volleyball, Wally Joyner from baseball, and Shauna Rohbock from soccer and track. [f] That's a serious class. []

Cosmo And down the road, Utah Valley men's basketball released its schedule, including its first season in the Big West and a trip to the Paradise Jam. [f]

Carrie Plenty for local hoops fans to circle. [] Okay, that's the rundown. [] Now it's time for the numbers. []

Margaret Let's run the numbers. [] B Y U football's opener was a rout, sixty-three to seven over Utah Tech. [f] Against Arizona, the last update we have shows the Cougars ahead twenty-one to seventeen late in the fourth quarter, so watch for that final. [f] On the golf course, B Y U's Lincoln Markham finished the Ram Masters Invitational at Fort Collins Country Club at four over par, a three-round total of two hundred fourteen, good for a tie for fifteenth. [i] Looking ahead, the B Y U Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony wraps up this weekend, and we'll have the Cougars' next football opponent and the full Arizona recap for you on the next episode. [f] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans, and go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It is Saturday, September twelfth, twenty twenty-six, and it is game day in Provo.

Cosmo It sure is. The Daily Herald has the big one: B Y U hosts Arizona this afternoon, and this is the game a lot of people are calling the real start of the season.

Carrie And there is history here. Last time these two met, B Y U nearly lost down in Tucson. So the Cougars owe the Wildcats a little something.

Cosmo They come in hot, though. Last Saturday they rolled Utah Tech sixty-three to seven in the opener. Bear Bachmeier was sharp, sixteen of twenty for one hundred ninety-eight yards and three touchdowns.

Carrie What I loved was the postgame press room. Instead of trotting out the usual stars, B Y U put some nontraditional names in front of the cameras. That tells you something about how deep this roster is.

Cosmo Speaking of depth, the Herald also ran an analysis asking whether B Y U even needs Sione Moa right now, with young backs like Preston Rex and Journee Tonga pushing for carries.

Carrie That is a good problem to have. Now, the story I want everyone to notice is women's volleyball. B Y U hired Rob Neilson away from Utah State as head coach, and he immediately landed the Mountain West Player of the Year, an All-American setter.

Cosmo Wait, so she joins Alex Bower, who is already an All-American setter? Two All-American setters in one gym?

Carrie Two. That is a coach making a statement in his first weeks on the job.

Cosmo It is also Hall of Fame weekend. Five inductees this time: Kyle Van Noy and Jason Buck from football, Amy Boswell Usevitch from volleyball, Wally Joyner from baseball, and Shauna Rohbock from soccer and track.

Carrie What a class. Quick one from down the road too. Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips released the men's basketball schedule, and it includes the Wolverines' first ever Big West season plus a Paradise Jam trip to the Virgin Islands.

Cosmo And around the Big Twelve, Texas Tech sits at one and oh after Will Hammond threw for two hundred ninety-eight yards and a touchdown.

Carrie Plenty to chew on. Okay... Margaret, if you're ready.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Here is where things stand. B Y U football opened the season with a win over Utah Tech, sixty-three to seven, with Bear Bachmeier throwing three touchdown passes.

Margaret On the golf course, Lincoln Markham represented the Cougars at the Ram Masters Invitational at Fort Collins Country Club. He finished four over par at two hundred fourteen across three rounds, good for a tie for fifteenth.

Margaret Looking ahead, the big date is today. B Y U football hosts Arizona in Provo, the first real test of the year, with the Cougars looking to settle the score after that narrow escape in Tucson last time out.

Margaret Also this weekend, the five new Athletics Hall of Fame members will be honored in Provo. That is your Cougar rundown. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] Go Cougars! []

Carrie It's Friday, September eleventh, twenty twenty-six, and the season is officially rolling. []

Cosmo It sure is. [] Let's start with the big one, and the Utah sports roundup leads with it too. [] B Y U football opened the season by flattening Utah Tech sixty-three to seven at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f]

Carrie Sixty-three! [f] Bear Bachmeier was surgical. [] Sixteen of twenty passing, one hundred ninety-eight yards, and three touchdowns. [f] That is exactly what you want from your quarterback in week one. []

Cosmo And here's the part I loved. [] The roundup noticed who walked into the postgame media room. [f] It was the backups doing the talking, because the starters got to rest early. [f] That's depth. []

Carrie Which brings up the running back question everybody has been chewing on. [] With Sione Moa gone, the writers are debating whether three young backs, Preston Rex, Journee Tonga, and a freshman named DeVaughn, can carry the load. [f]

Cosmo The counterpoint from the roundup is simple. [] B Y U survived and thrived without Moa last season. [f] The depth is there, it just has to prove it again. [f]

Carrie And it gets tested fast. [] Arizona hosts B Y U next, and the last meeting between those two was a tight one. [f] This is the first real measuring stick of the year. []

Cosmo Fun side note from the roundup. [] Arizona's alumni list includes filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer, N B A star Gilbert Arenas, and actress Kristen Wiig. [f] Not a bad crowd. []

Carrie Let's swing to the volleyball court, because this is a real storyline. [] New coach Rob Neilson, who came over from Utah State in January, landed a transfer setter named Kaylie, who was the Mountain West Player of the Year and an All-American. [f]

Cosmo And he kept Alex Bower, a two-year starter and All-American at the same position. [f] Two All-American setters on one roster. [f] That is a luxury most programs would kill for. []

Carrie Quick golf check. [] The women's team is in ninth place after thirty-six holes at The Bruzzy, played at Trophy Club Country Club. [j] The final round is still ahead. [j]

Cosmo And the men's golf team opens its season Monday and Tuesday at the Vuori Invitational at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in San Diego. [i] Tough not to be jealous of that assignment. []

Carrie Just up the road at Utah Valley, basketball coach Todd Phillips unveiled his schedule, headlined by the Wolverines' first season in the Big West and a trip to the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. [f]

Cosmo That's the rundown. [] Time for scores and what's ahead. []

Carrie Right. [] Over to the scoreboard. []

Margaret Scores first. [] B Y U football sixty-three, Utah Tech seven, in the season opener at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f] Bear Bachmeier threw three touchdowns. [f] On the golf course, the B Y U women sit ninth after two rounds at The Bruzzy at Trophy Club Country Club. [j]

Margaret Now the horizon. [] Football travels to Arizona for game two, and the Wildcats are hosting. [f] The last time these teams met, it came down to the wire, so expect a tighter afternoon than last week. [f] Men's golf tees off Monday and Tuesday at the Vuori Invitational in San Diego to open the season. [i] And keep an eye on the volleyball program as Rob Neilson's new-look roster gets rolling. [f] That's the board. [] Go Cougars, and we'll see you tomorrow. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans, and go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! [] It's Thursday, September tenth, twenty twenty-six, and we have a full plate today. []

Cosmo Let's start with the big one. [] According to this week's B Y U sports roundup, the football team opened the season by burying Utah Tech sixty-three to seven at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f]

Carrie Sixty-three! [f] And quarterback Bear Bachmeier was surgical. [f] Sixteen of twenty passing, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns. [f]

Cosmo Here's the tell. [] The postgame media session featured backups and lesser-known names instead of the stars. [f] The coaching staff got to rest the starters because the game was never close. [f]

Carrie Which sets up the real work. [f] Arizona comes this Saturday, and that's the first true test of this season. [f] B Y U nearly lost in Tucson last year, so nobody in Provo is taking this one lightly. [f]

Cosmo Speaking of the roster, there's a fun local angle. [] Two players who were suiting up for Lehi High School just last season are now on B Y U's roster. [f] Utah County prep football feeding straight into the program. [f]

Carrie Love that. [] Now, over on the volleyball court, the news is a little tougher. [] Number twenty-four B Y U fell to number two Pitt, three sets to one, on Friday. [f]

Cosmo But the first two sets were a fight. [f] Pitt took the opener twenty-five to twenty-three, then B Y U stole the second, twenty-six to twenty-four. [f] After that, Pitt's consistency won out, twenty-five to fifteen and twenty-five to twenty. [f]

Carrie And this is a program in transition. [f] Rob Neilson left Utah State in January to take over as B Y U's head coach, and in May he brought in a transfer setter who was both a Mountain West Player of the Year and an All-American. [f]

Cosmo Plus B Y U held onto Alex Bower, a two-year starter and All-American at setter. [f] So that's a deep position group, even after a loss to a top-two team. [f]

Carrie Competitive at the elite level, just not consistent yet. [f] That's the storyline to watch. []

Cosmo One more quick one. [] In women's golf, B Y U sits in ninth place after thirty-six holes at The Bruzzy, out at Trophy Club Country Club. [i] Middle of the pack, with more golf still to play. [i]

Carrie Okay. [] Time for the scoreboard. []

Margaret Let's run the scores. [] B Y U football over Utah Tech, sixty-three to seven. [f] Bear Bachmeier threw for one hundred ninety-eight yards and three touchdowns in the opener. [f]

Margaret Women's volleyball dropped a four-set match to second-ranked Pitt. [f] Pitt won the first set twenty-five to twenty-three, B Y U took the second twenty-six to twenty-four, and Pitt closed it out twenty-five to fifteen and twenty-five to twenty. [f]

Margaret And women's golf is in ninth place after thirty-six holes at The Bruzzy at Trophy Club Country Club, with play still ongoing. [i]

Margaret Looking ahead, the headline is football. [] B Y U faces Arizona this Saturday, the first real challenge of the season after the opener. [f] Circle it, and we'll have the full breakdown next time. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. Go Cougars.

Carrie It's Wednesday, September ninth, twenty twenty-six, and the board is full.

Cosmo We start with football. B Y U opened the season by burying Utah Tech, sixty-three to seven, at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Carrie And Bear Bachmeier looked the part. Sixteen of twenty passing, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns. Efficient, calm, nothing wasted.

Cosmo Here's the curious wrinkle. Not one starter came to the postgame press conference. Make of that what you will.

Carrie I take it as a team that knows Saturday is the actual test. Arizona comes to Provo this weekend, and last year in Tucson the Cougars nearly lost to them.

Cosmo That's the thread running through the whole week. Sixty-three points is preseason business. Arizona is the Big Twelve measuring stick.

Carrie Volleyball got a measuring stick of its own. The twenty-fourth ranked Cougars fell three sets to one against number two Pittsburgh.

Cosmo How close was it, really?

Carrie Very close early. Pittsburgh took the opener, twenty-five to twenty-three. Then B Y U answered in the second, twenty-six to twenty-four. Pittsburgh pulled away after that. Two good teams, and the Cougars belonged on the floor.

Cosmo Good news on the pitch. The fourteenth ranked women's soccer team beat Colorado State, two to one. Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and Emma Hamberlin scored the goals.

Carrie Any concerns?

Cosmo One. B Y U may have lost a key player to injury about twenty minutes in. Worth watching this week.

Carrie And around the conference, Texas Tech is one and oh after Will Hammond threw for two hundred ninety-eight yards and a touchdown. The Big Twelve is not handing anybody anything.

Cosmo Three sports, three results worth your time, and only one of them a loss. That's a good week.

Carrie Agreed. Margaret, take us through the scores and what's ahead.

Margaret Happy to. Let's run the board. Football first. B Y U sixty-three, Utah Tech seven, from Saturday in Provo. A blowout, and a clean one.

Margaret Volleyball, Pittsburgh three, B Y U one. Pittsburgh won the first, third and fourth sets, twenty-five to twenty-three, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty. B Y U took the second, twenty-six to twenty-four. Soccer, B Y U two, Colorado State one.

Margaret And on the golf course, the B Y U women sit ninth after thirty-six holes at The Bruzzy, played at Trophy Club Country Club. That tournament is still under way.

Margaret Looking ahead, the headline is simple. B Y U hosts Arizona this Saturday. Same stadium as the opener, very different opponent. Circle it. That's your board. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. You are locked in to B Y U Cougar Sports Daily. It's Tuesday, September eighth, twenty twenty-six.

Carrie And we've got a loaded show today.

Cosmo We're still catching our breath from Saturday night.

Carrie Because the season opener was not close. The Daily Herald has it: B Y U sixty-three, Utah Tech seven, at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Cosmo Eight months of waiting, and the Cougars needed about one quarter to answer the question.

Carrie Bear Bachmeier was surgical. Sixteen of twenty through the air, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns.

Cosmo That completion rate is the story. Eighty percent in a season opener, with a receiving group still finding its footing.

Carrie Here's the odd wrinkle. B Y U did not bring its usual star players out to talk with reporters after the game.

Cosmo That is unusual, and worth watching. No explanation was given, but you notice a thing like that.

Carrie And a fun one from the roster. Two players who suited up Saturday were playing high school football at Lehi High School just last season.

Cosmo That is a fast jump. From Friday nights in Utah County to a sixty-three point blowout in Provo.

Carrie Speaking of the local pipeline, keep an eye on Tausili Akana out of Skyridge High. He was a consensus four-star recruit in twenty twenty-three, ranked inside the top one hundred nationally.

Cosmo Soft-spoken and laid-back off the field, and a native Hawaiian. The kind of player who lets the tape do the talking.

Carrie A little context on the opponent, too. Utah Tech started life as Dixie Junior College back in nineteen eleven.

Cosmo The school moved to Division Two in two thousand six, and changed its nickname from the Rebels to the Trailblazers in twenty sixteen.

Carrie Now, football wasn't the only Cougar team working last week.

Cosmo No it was not. Number twenty-four B Y U volleyball ran into number two Pitt on Friday and lost the match, three sets to one.

Carrie But look at how it started. Pitt edged the first set twenty-five to twenty-three, and then B Y U answered to take the second, twenty-six to twenty-four.

Cosmo Pitt was just steadier late, and closed out the last two. That's the gap between top twenty-five and top five right now.

Carrie And the good news came Thursday. Number fourteen B Y U women's soccer beat Colorado State two to one.

Cosmo Goals from senior Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and junior Emma Hamberlin.

Carrie One concern there. B Y U may have lost a key player to injury about twenty minutes into the match. We'll watch for word on that.

Cosmo Three ranked programs, one week. This athletic department is humming.

Carrie It really is. Margaret, take us to the scoreboard.

Margaret Here's how the week finished. Saturday, September fifth, football: B Y U sixty-three, Utah Tech seven. Thursday, women's soccer: B Y U two, Colorado State one.

Margaret And Friday, volleyball: Pitt three, B Y U one. Pitt took the first set twenty-five to twenty-three, B Y U won the second twenty-six to twenty-four, and Pitt closed it out twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty.

Margaret Looking ahead, B Y U women's golf opens the twenty twenty-six through twenty twenty-seven season at The Bruzzy. That one runs Tuesday and Wednesday at Trophy Club Country Club in Trophy Club, Texas, so the Cougars are teeing it up as we speak. That's your scoreboard. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. You are listening to B Y U Cougar Sports Daily. Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Monday, September seventh, twenty twenty-six, and we have a football team that just announced itself.

Cosmo Announced itself is right. B Y U opened the season by hammering Utah Tech, sixty-three to seven, at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Eight months of waiting, and the Cougars answered in about a quarter.

Carrie And the quarterback story is the headline inside the headline. Bear Bachmeier went sixteen for twenty through the air, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns. That is an eighty percent completion rate in his first real look at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Cosmo Efficient, not flashy. And here is the detail I loved. After the game, the coaching staff did not put the usual featured players in front of the microphones.

Carrie Wait, really? Why not?

Cosmo Because so many players contributed. A whole lot of Cougars got their first game experience in the blue and white on Saturday. When the production is spread that far, there is no single star to trot out.

Carrie So depth is the storyline to follow. And for context, Utah Tech plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The school opened as Dixie Junior College back in nineteen eleven. It moved up to Division Two in two thousand six, and it traded the Rebels nickname for the Trailblazers about ten years ago.

Cosmo So a tune-up, but a clean one. Elsewhere, volleyball ran into a wall. Number twenty-four B Y U dropped a four-set match to number two Pittsburgh, and honestly, the final score does not tell the story.

Carrie No, it does not. Pittsburgh took the first set, twenty-five to twenty-three. Then B Y U took the second, twenty-six to twenty-four. The Cougars were right there with the second-best team in the country for two full sets.

Cosmo Then Pittsburgh held that level and B Y U could not match it. Sets three and four went twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty. The gap is not talent. The gap is holding that level for two more sets.

Carrie Meanwhile, women's soccer got a win, two to one over Colorado State at South Field. Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and Emma Hamberlin scored the goals.

Cosmo Good result, with a caveat. A B Y U starter went down about twenty minutes in. If that turns out to be a lasting injury, it shapes the postseason run. Watch that one.

Carrie And a name for the future. Tausili Akana, out of Skyridge High School, is a consensus four-star recruit ranked inside the top one hundred nationally. The recruitment was loud, but he is not. He is soft-spoken, laid-back, and proud of his Hawaiian heritage.

Cosmo Love a quiet edge rusher. So, football rolling, volleyball testing itself against the best, soccer banking points.

Carrie A good weekend to be a Cougar. Okay, is Margaret here yet?

Margaret I'm here. Let's do the numbers.

Margaret From the weekend, football: B Y U sixty-three, Utah Tech seven. Women's soccer on Thursday at South Field: B Y U two, Colorado State one. And volleyball on Friday: Pittsburgh three sets, B Y U one, by scores of twenty-five to twenty-three, twenty-four to twenty-six, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty.

Margaret Looking ahead, the closest thing on the calendar is on the golf course. B Y U women's golf opens its new season at The Bruzzy, played Tuesday and Wednesday at Trophy Club Country Club in Trophy Club, Texas. It is the first competitive event of the year for the golf program, and it starts tomorrow.

Margaret That's the board. Cosmo, Carrie, back to you.

Carrie Welcome, Cougar fans.

Cosmo Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Sunday, September sixth, twenty twenty-six, and football is finally back in Provo.

Cosmo Eight months of waiting. On Saturday, B Y U opened the season with a sixty-three to seven win over Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Carrie Bear Bachmeier was surgical. Sixteen of twenty passing, one hundred ninety-eight yards, three touchdowns. On an opening weekend full of nail-biters, this one was over early.

Cosmo Here's the odd wrinkle. B Y U didn't bring a single star player to the media afterward. Not one. And the team never said why.

Carrie That's a storyline all by itself. Meanwhile, the twenty-fourth-ranked women's volleyball team ran into a buzzsaw.

Cosmo Second-ranked Pittsburgh, Friday night, four sets. Claire Little Chambers piled up seventeen kills, and it still wasn't enough.

Carrie The first two sets were genuinely great volleyball, and B Y U took the second one. Pittsburgh just held that intensity longer in sets three and four. The volleyball team also hosted Eastern Illinois on Thursday, though we don't have a final score on that one.

Cosmo Better news on the pitch. Fourteenth-ranked women's soccer beat Colorado State, two to one, on Thursday at South Field.

Carrie Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and Emma Hamberlin scored the goals. One worry, though. A B Y U starter went down about twenty minutes in, and the team hasn't said yet how serious it is.

Cosmo Two names to keep in your pocket. Start with Tausili Akana, a quiet guy who showed up with a very loud recruitment. He came out of Skyridge High in the class of twenty twenty-three as a consensus four-star and a top one hundred prospect.

Carrie And tight end Roger Saleapaga, who has built real chemistry with Bachmeier. Ask him about that connection and he ties himself in knots looking for the right comparison.

Cosmo Don't we all. Three sports, one weekend, and the football team looked ready.

Carrie They did. Margaret has the numbers.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Here are the numbers. Football, Saturday in Provo. B Y U sixty-three, Utah Tech seven. Bachmeier finished sixteen of twenty for one hundred ninety-eight yards and three scores. Volleyball, Friday night. Pittsburgh beat B Y U in four sets. Pittsburgh took the first, twenty-five to twenty-three. B Y U answered, twenty-six to twenty-four. Pittsburgh closed it out, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty. Women's soccer, Thursday. B Y U two, Colorado State one, at South Field. Three results in four days. Football won big, soccer won close, and volleyball lost to the second-best team in the country. I don't have confirmed dates or opponents for the week ahead, so I won't guess at them. Check the official Cougar schedule for kickoff and first-serve times. Football is back, which means the calendar fills up in a hurry from here. That's the scoreboard. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie Go Cougars! [] It's Saturday, September fifth, twenty twenty-six, and football is finally back. []

Cosmo Eight months of waiting ends tonight. [f] Per the Cougar beat report, B Y U opens the season against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium, in front of a sellout crowd, more than fifty thousand strong. [f]

Carrie And a big chunk of this roster has never run through that tunnel before. [f] First time in the blue and white, first time hearing that noise. [f]

Cosmo Worth knowing who is on the other sideline. [] Utah Tech started back in nineteen eleven as Dixie Junior College. [f] The school moved up to Division Two in two thousand six, then went from the Rebels to the Trailblazers in twenty sixteen. [f]

Carrie The connection I want to see is quarterback Bear Bachmeier and tight end Roger Saleapaga. [f] Saleapaga says the two of them go together like corn and butter. [f]

Cosmo That is a new one on me, and I respect it. [] Also watch Tausili Akana. [f] Soft spoken off the field, but he came out of Skyridge High School in twenty twenty-three as a consensus four star and a top one hundred recruit. [f]

Carrie Elsewhere, volleyball ran into a buzzsaw. [f] Number twenty-four B Y U dropped a four set match to number two Pittsburgh on Friday at the Smith Fieldhouse. [f]

Cosmo The two teams traded punches early. [f] Pittsburgh was just steadier the rest of the way. [f]

Carrie Better news on the pitch. [] Number fourteen B Y U women's soccer beat Colorado State two to one at South Field. [f] Senior Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and junior Emma Hamberlin scored the goals. [f]

Cosmo One thing to follow there. [] A key B Y U player went down about twenty minutes into the second half. [f]

Carrie And the golfers are getting some love before they have swung a club. [i]

Cosmo They are. [] B Y U sits number twenty-three in the Bushnell Golfweek preseason coaches poll, with one hundred thirty-one points. [i] That is the second straight year the Cougars have landed in that poll. [i]

Carrie Steady program. [] Let's get to the numbers. []

Margaret Here is where the numbers stand. [] Volleyball. [] Pittsburgh over B Y U, three sets to one at the Smith Fieldhouse. [f] Set by set, Pittsburgh twenty-five, B Y U twenty-three. [f] Then B Y U twenty-six, Pittsburgh twenty-four. [f] Then Pittsburgh twenty-five, B Y U fifteen. [f] And Pittsburgh twenty-five, B Y U twenty. [f]

Margaret Women's soccer, B Y U two, Colorado State one, at South Field. [f]

Margaret Looking ahead, the big one is tonight. [f] B Y U football versus Utah Tech under the lights at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f] The season starts now. [] Enjoy it, and go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. Go Cougars!

Carrie It's Friday, September fourth, twenty twenty-six, and there is a lot moving in Provo today.

Cosmo We start with women's soccer. The Daily Herald reports B Y U beat Colorado State two to one Thursday night at South Field.

Carrie Senior Mattyn Summers-Oviatt and junior Emma Hamberlin scored the goals. There is one cloud over the win, though. B Y U may have lost a key player to injury in that match, and there is no word yet on how serious it is.

Cosmo Volleyball is the story of the week. The Cougars are ranked number twenty-four in the country, they are two and oh, and they are finally home at the Smith Fieldhouse.

Carrie And it is no soft opener. They host Eastern Illinois tonight, and then number two Pittsburgh tomorrow. That is a measuring stick right out of the gate.

Cosmo Football has news too. Kalani Sitake's team has its captains set. The players voted in a twenty-member leadership council, and out of that group came four offensive captains and four defensive captains.

Carrie Players picking players. That tells you something about the locker room. And basketball made a hire. Kevin Young brought in Patrick Mutombo as an assistant coach.

Cosmo Young called him one of the best humans he has met in the game. That is high praise.

Carrie Two more quick ones. Linebacker Tausili Akana is getting a long look this week. He was a consensus four-star recruit out of Skyridge High School, and a top one hundred prospect in the twenty twenty-three class. By every account he is soft spoken and laid back off the field.

Cosmo Tight end Roger Saleapaga is talking up his chemistry with quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Carrie And the golf team is ranked as well. Number twenty-three in the Bushnell Golfweek preseason coaches poll, with one hundred thirty-one points. That is the second straight year they have made that poll. Cougars everywhere. Okay, is Margaret here yet?

Margaret I'm here. Scores first, and thank you to the Daily Herald for the numbers.

Margaret Women's soccer, Thursday at South Field. B Y U two, Colorado State one.

Margaret In volleyball, the most recent result came on the road in Fort Myers. B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one. Twenty-five to seventeen, twenty-three to twenty-five, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty-one. Outside hitter Elli Mortensen led the way with fourteen kills.

Margaret Looking ahead, the big one is tomorrow. Number two Pittsburgh comes to the Smith Fieldhouse. Beat the Panthers, and that number twenty-four ranking climbs in a hurry.

Margaret Football's next opponent is Utah Tech. The Trailblazers started back in nineteen eleven as Dixie Junior College, moved to Division Two in two thousand six, and took the Trailblazers name in twenty sixteen.

Margaret That's the board. Enjoy the volleyball tonight.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans.

Carrie And what a day to be in Provo.

Cosmo Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars!

Cosmo It's Thursday, September third, twenty twenty-six. We are starting with volleyball, because the B Y U women have the biggest week of their young season at home.

Carrie The B Y U Sports Roundup has it. The Cougars are ranked twenty-fourth, they are two and oh, and tonight they take on Eastern Illinois at the Smith Fieldhouse.

Cosmo That's the warm-up. Friday is the real test. Number two Pittsburgh comes to town.

Carrie Number two. In Provo. That is a measuring-stick match in the first week of September.

Cosmo And the Cougars have momentum. They won down in Fort Myers on August twenty-ninth, and they did it in four sets.

Carrie Elli Mortensen led the way with fourteen kills, and a second Cougar hitter reached double digits behind her. When two hitters go off like that, you can beat anybody.

Cosmo Over on the football side, Kalani Sitake has named his twenty twenty-six Team Leadership Council. Twenty players, voted on by the team.

Carrie Four offensive captains, four defensive captains, and a dozen more players filling out the council. Sitake has always let the locker room pick its own leaders, and twenty voices is a big room.

Cosmo Tight end Roger Saleapaga spent part of the week talking up his chemistry with quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Carrie That is a connection worth watching this fall.

Cosmo Basketball news too. Kevin Young has added Patrick Mutombo to his staff as an assistant coach. That came down Monday.

Carrie And Young did not hold back. He called Mutombo one of the best humans he has met in the game, and said the program is thrilled to welcome his family to Provo.

Cosmo Now here's my favorite item of the day. B Y U's own Akina has been selected to the Walker Cup.

Carrie That is the first Cougar in the Walker Cup in thirty-five years. Thirty-five. Akina goes in ranked eleventh in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Cosmo Volleyball ranked, golf on the world stage, football sorting out its leadership. That's a healthy athletic department.

Carrie It is. Margaret, over to you.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Let's talk results and what's next. The one score on the books is volleyball. B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one, out at Alico Arena in Fort Myers. The sets went twenty-five to seventeen, twenty-three to twenty-five, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty-one. That puts the Cougars at two and oh overall. In the Big Twelve they sit at zero and zero, because conference play hasn't started yet. Looking ahead, the near horizon is busy. Tonight, Eastern Illinois visits the Smith Fieldhouse. Then Friday, Pittsburgh comes to Provo. Two home matches, back to back, and the second one is against one of the best teams in the country. And a note from around the conference, this one on the football side. Texas Tech finished last season twelve and two overall and eight and one in the Big Twelve, tied for first. Their year ended with a loss to Oregon, twenty-three to nothing, in the College Football Playoff. That's the standard the Cougars are chasing. That's your rundown. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans.

Carrie Big day in Provo.

Cosmo Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Wednesday, September second, twenty twenty-six, and there is a lot to get to.

Cosmo Let's start with football, because the question on campus right now is simple. Is this the year? According to the Deseret News, head coach Kalani Sitake has named his twenty-member Team Leadership Council heading into the season.

Carrie Twenty members. And the captains come out of that group?

Cosmo They do. Inside the council, the players voted eight captains, four on offense and four on defense. That tells you where the locker room's confidence is.

Carrie It should be high. Last season B Y U went twelve and two overall, eight and one in the Big Twelve, and tied for the conference title. After years of hearing the program didn't get respect, that's a real answer.

Cosmo The storyline to follow is whether the expectation becomes fuel or weight. Sitake has been building this group through spring practice and offseason work.

Carrie And tight end Roger Saleapaga sounds locked in with quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Saleapaga is already talking up that connection.

Cosmo Now, volleyball, and this is the hottest team on campus. Number twenty-four B Y U is two and oh, and held its ranking in the latest poll after a win down in Florida.

Carrie Margaret has the full box score on that one coming up.

Cosmo Worth the wait. It was Elli Mortensen's night.

Carrie Basketball news too. Head coach Kevin Young has hired Patrick Mutombo as a men's basketball assistant. Young called him one of the best humans he has met in the game.

Cosmo That's a strong endorsement from a coach who doesn't hand those out lightly.

Carrie And quietly, one more. The men's cross country program opens ranked in the top ten of the preseason coaches poll.

Cosmo Quietly? That's the tenth straight year the Cougars have started there.

Carrie Fair. Around the league, Texas Tech opens the season ranked number twelve. That's the team B Y U shared the conference title with. The Red Raiders also finished twelve and two, and their season ended with a loss to Oregon, twenty-three to nothing, in the College Football Playoff.

Cosmo So the measuring stick is right there in conference.

Carrie It is. Okay, Margaret, if you're ready.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Here's where things stand. The only recent result on the board comes from women's volleyball. Number twenty-four B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one on Saturday in Fort Myers, Florida. The set scores were twenty-five to seventeen, twenty-three to twenty-five, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty-one. Outside hitter Elli Mortensen led the way with fourteen kills. The Cougars are two and oh overall, and have not yet opened Big Twelve play. Looking ahead, the volleyball team comes home to Smith Fieldhouse for its first two home matches of the season. Eastern Illinois visits on Thursday. Then on Friday, the big one. Number two Pittsburgh comes to Provo. That is a top-five opponent walking into the Fieldhouse, and it is the best measuring stick this team will get in early September. Two home matches, two very different tests, in two nights. If you can only make it to one, make it Friday. Back to you.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans.

Carrie And what a day to be one.

Cosmo Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Tuesday, September first, twenty twenty-six, and Provo is buzzing.

Cosmo Let's start with leadership. Kalani Sitake has named his Team Leadership Council for twenty twenty-six. Twenty players in all, and among them, four offensive captains and four defensive captains.

Carrie And here's what I love about that. The players voted. That's a locker room picking its own voice.

Cosmo Sitake himself is staying measured. He liked what he saw from this group over the offseason, but he's not making promises yet.

Carrie Smart, because the fan base is making them for him. The hottest topic in Provo is a simple one. Is this the year? A Big Twelve title, maybe more.

Cosmo And that's not crazy talk. Bear Bachmeier is back at quarterback after a breakout twenty twenty-five season. He came to Provo from Stanford.

Carrie And running behind him, L J Martin. Third year, and he led the entire Big Twelve in rushing last season. That's a returning one-two punch most programs would trade for.

Cosmo That's the through-line today. Continuity. The pieces stayed.

Carrie Now, volleyball is already playing real matches. Number twenty-four B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast, three sets to one.

Cosmo Elli Mortensen led the way at the net. Margaret has the set-by-set for you later in the show.

Carrie Basketball news too. Kevin Young has added Patrick Mutombo to the men's staff as an assistant coach.

Cosmo And Young was glowing about it. He called Mutombo one of the best humans he's met in the game.

Carrie That's a real endorsement, not a press release line.

Cosmo One more, and it's a good one. B Y U men's cross country opens the season ranked in the top ten of the coaches' preseason poll.

Carrie Tenth straight year they've started there. That is a program, not a season.

Cosmo And circle Friday, September eleventh. The Athletic Hall of Fame banquet, with five former All-Americans going in.

Carrie Among them, Amy Boswell Usevitch from women's volleyball, Jason Buck from football, Wally Joyner from baseball, and Shauna Rohbock.

Cosmo Names that built this place.

Carrie That's the desk for today. Margaret, take us home.

Margaret Thanks, Carrie. Let's talk results and what's next. The one score on the board comes from women's volleyball, and it took four sets. B Y U took the first, twenty-five to seventeen. Florida Gulf Coast answered in the second, twenty-five to twenty-three. Then the Cougars closed it out, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty-one. Elli Mortensen put down fourteen kills, and she wasn't the only Cougar in double figures. That win moves B Y U to two and oh overall, with conference play still ahead. Looking forward, football is next up, with Bachmeier and Martin leading an offense the Big Twelve has to plan around. Cross country opens ranked in the top ten for the tenth year running. And on the calendar, Friday, September eleventh, the Hall of Fame banquet in Provo. Plenty coming. We'll have it all for you.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. It's Monday, August thirty-first, twenty twenty-six, and there's big Monday energy in Provo.

Carrie Go Cougars. Let's get right to it.

Cosmo The biggest news of the day comes from B Y U Athletics. Kevin Young has added Patrick Mutombo to the men's basketball staff as an assistant coach.

Carrie And Young did not hold back. He called Mutombo one of the best humans he's met in the game, and said the staff is thrilled to welcome Patrick and his family to Provo.

Cosmo That's a program telling you what it values. Character first, then basketball.

Carrie Football made news too. B Y U named its twenty twenty-six captains and set up a Team Leadership Council, and the structure is worth hearing.

Cosmo Twenty members in all. Four offensive captains, four defensive captains, and twelve co-captains spread across offense, defense, and special teams.

Carrie The players voted on all of it. That's the part I like. Special teams gets a real seat at the table, which a lot of programs skip.

Cosmo And the talent coming back justifies the optimism. Bear Bachmeier, the quarterback who transferred in from Stanford, is back after a breakout season.

Carrie So is L J Martin at running back, entering his third season in the program. Martin led the entire Big Twelve in rushing last year.

Cosmo A returning quarterback and the league's leading rusher. No wonder the question around Provo this fall is whether this is the year the Cougars break through.

Carrie It's not just football, either. The twenty-fourth ranked women's volleyball team beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one.

Cosmo Elli Mortensen led the way with fourteen kills, and the Cougars are now two and oh overall.

Carrie One more date to circle. On September eleventh, the B Y U Athletic Hall of Fame inducts five former All-Americans. Among them, Amy Boswell Usevitch in volleyball, Jason Buck in football, Wally Joyner in baseball, and Shauna Rohbock.

Cosmo That's a heck of a room.

Carrie It is. Margaret, over to you.

Margaret Thank you, Carrie. Here's where things stand on the scoreboard. Only one result to report, and it comes from volleyball. B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one. The Cougars took the first set twenty-five to seventeen, dropped the second twenty-five to twenty-three, then closed it out twenty-five to fifteen and twenty-five to twenty-one. That leaves them two and oh overall, and zero and zero in Big Twelve play, with conference matches still ahead. Looking forward, football is the headline. The captains are named, the leadership council is set, and Bear Bachmeier and L J Martin are back to run the offense. All eyes are on the opener. And mark September eleventh, when the Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes its five new members. That's the board. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Sunday, August thirtieth, twenty twenty-six, and we have got Cougar news across three sports today.

Cosmo Let's start on the volleyball court, because the twenty-fourth ranked Cougars are rolling. Per the Deseret News, B Y U beat Florida Gulf Coast three sets to one on Saturday night down at Alico Arena in Fort Myers.

Carrie Outside hitter Elli Mortensen led the way with fourteen kills. And she wasn't alone. A second hitter reached double digits in kills as well, which is exactly the balance you want this early.

Cosmo Two and oh to start the year, and Big Twelve play hasn't even begun yet.

Carrie And here's the thread underneath it. This is a first-year program under Rob Neilson, who took over the volleyball job in January. He's a former Cougar player and coach, so the handoff looks smooth already.

Cosmo Which brings us to football, and the question hanging over Provo. The Cougars open the year ranked fourteenth in the country, and people are asking, is this the year?

Carrie Bear Bachmeier is a big reason why. The quarterback transferred in from Stanford and had a breakout season last year.

Cosmo And he has a workhorse behind him. Running back L J Martin led the entire Big Twelve in rushing, and he's entering his third season in the program.

Carrie Plus Sione Moa is back to full health. He came through fall camp cleared, and the staff expects to lean on him heavily.

Cosmo Here's what I love about this. Two years ago, nobody picked B Y U to do anything in the Big Twelve. They turned that season around and earned real respect. Now the expectations are flipped.

Carrie The pressure is the reward. That's the storyline to follow all fall.

Cosmo Two more quick ones. Women's soccer beat Minnesota one to nothing on Thursday at South Field. You could feel the relief in that crowd.

Carrie And mark September eleventh. Five names go into the B Y U Athletic Hall of Fame that Friday. Amy Boswell Usevitch from volleyball, Jason Buck and Kyle Van Noy from football, Wally Joyner from baseball, and Shauna Rohbock rounds out the class. The Cougar Club hosts the banquet.

Cosmo That is a heavyweight class.

Carrie It really is. Margaret, take us to the scoreboard.

Margaret I'm here. Let's talk scores. The headline result from the weekend is volleyball. B Y U three, Florida Gulf Coast one, out of Fort Myers on Saturday night. The set scores were twenty-five to seventeen, twenty-three to twenty-five, twenty-five to fifteen, and twenty-five to twenty-one. The Cougars dropped the second set and answered immediately, which is the encouraging part. That moves them to two wins and no losses. Back on Thursday, women's soccer handled Minnesota one to nothing. The only goal came late, in the seventy-seventh minute, and that was the difference. Looking ahead, the calendar is about to get loud. Football season is here, with the Cougars ranked fourteenth in the country. And on Friday, September eleventh, the Hall of Fame class is inducted in Provo. Check your local listings for exact kickoff and first-serve times. That's your scoreboard. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans.

Carrie Go Cougars! It's Saturday, August twenty-ninth, twenty twenty-six, and Provo is asking one question right now.

Cosmo Is this the year? Expectations for B Y U football are the highest they have ever been.

Carrie That's a big claim, and it's earned. The Cougars struggled in their first year of Big Twelve play, then broke through in twenty twenty-five.

Cosmo Now B Y U is a genuine Big Twelve title contender, with national championship talk attached. That's a long way from where the program started.

Carrie And the reason is the players coming back. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had a breakout season after transferring in from Stanford.

Cosmo He is not doing it alone. Running back L J Martin led the entire Big Twelve in rushing in his third season.

Carrie Sione Moa is healthy again, with the injury trouble behind him and a full workload expected. That's a deep backfield.

Cosmo So the storyline to follow is whether that offense holds up against a full Big Twelve schedule. Talent is not the question anymore.

Carrie Let's get off the football field for a second. B Y U women's soccer beat Minnesota, one to nothing.

Cosmo A late winner, too, in the seventy-seventh minute.

Carrie That was a win the team needed, and it came right down to the end.

Cosmo Looking ahead, the Hall of Fame class is coming. Five former All-Americans go in on Friday, September eleventh.

Carrie Give me the names.

Cosmo Amy Boswell Usevitch from women's volleyball. Jason Buck and Kyle Van Noy from football. Wally Joyner from baseball. And Shauna Rohbock from bobsled.

Carrie That is a serious group. And one more note on volleyball. Rob Neilson took over the women's program back in January.

Cosmo He is a former B Y U player and coach, and he follows Shawn and Heather Olmstead, who had real success there.

Carrie Big shoes to fill. It will be worth watching how he puts his own stamp on the program.

Cosmo That's the rundown. Football's ceiling, soccer's grit, and a Hall of Fame class in two weeks.

Carrie Margaret, take us through the scores and the schedule.

Margaret Happy to. The one score to report from the Cougars is on the women's soccer side. B Y U one, Minnesota nothing, decided by a goal in the seventy-seventh minute. That is the only final worth calling out, so let's look ahead. Football is the story now, and the Big Twelve schedule is what will test those expectations in Provo. The other date circled on the calendar is Friday, September eleventh, the Athletic Hall of Fame induction for the twenty twenty-six class. Five All-Americans in one night, with volleyball, football, baseball, and bobsled represented. Keep an eye on the soccer squad as well. They found a way to win a tight one, and that habit tends to matter later. Those are your scores and your schedule. Go Cougars.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. Go Cougars!

Carrie Go Cougars!

Cosmo It's Friday, August twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six, and the season is almost here.

Carrie It really is. And according to the B Y U Sports Digest, the headline is the backfield. Bear Bachmeier is back at quarterback, and running back L J Martin returns for his third season.

Cosmo Martin led the Big Twelve in rushing. He is the engine of this offense. And Bachmeier came over from Stanford, so the Cougars have a real veteran pairing.

Carrie B Y U starts the year ranked number fourteen in the country. The expectation is a Big Twelve title push, and that is not wishful thinking anymore.

Cosmo Fall camp wrapped up Tuesday. The depth chart is basically set for the opener against Utah Tech on September fifth.

Carrie One name off that depth chart to watch is linebacker Sione Moa. He is fully recovered from a major injury and is expected to play heavy snaps this fall.

Cosmo That is a great story. Justin Kirkland is another good one. He has come into this season in the best shape of his career.

Carrie And LaVell Edwards Stadium got some upgrades. There is a new lounge under the east stands, built to host recruits on game day.

Cosmo Away from football, the women's soccer team beat Minnesota one to nothing on Thursday at South Field. The winner came in the seventy-seventh minute.

Carrie Late goal, clean sheet. I will take that. Meanwhile, women's volleyball has a new voice. Rob Neilson took over the program back in January.

Cosmo He is a former B Y U player and a former B Y U coach. He follows Shawn and Heather Olmstead, so he is inheriting a strong program.

Carrie And mark down Friday, September eleventh. Five former All Americans go into the B Y U Athletic Hall of Fame at the Cougar Club banquet.

Cosmo Big names, too. Jason Buck from football, Wally Joyner from baseball, Amy Boswell Usevitch from volleyball, plus Shauna Rohbock and Kyle Van Noy.

Carrie That is a fun room to be in. Okay, let's bring in Margaret.

Margaret I am here. Let's talk results and what is next.

Margaret The only score on the board from the past day is that women's soccer win over Minnesota, one to nothing at South Field.

Margaret There is one more result worth mentioning. Cougar guard Delaney Gibb suited up for Canada in the F I B A Women's Olympic Pre Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. She dropped seventeen points on seven of thirteen shooting, with a pair of three pointers. Canada beat New Zealand, eighty-six to seventy-one, in the semifinals.

Margaret Looking ahead, the date circled on every calendar is Friday, September fifth. That is football's season opener against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Margaret Eight days out. Get your voice ready.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] Big morning in Provo. []

Carrie It really is. [] Let's take it away. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Thursday, August twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six, and fall camp is officially in the books. [f] The Daily Herald reports camp wrapped Tuesday, and the depth chart is essentially set across every position group. [f]

Carrie Which means the whole building pivots to week-to-week prep. [f] Kickoff is September fifth against Utah Tech. [f] That's nine days away. []

Cosmo And the guy taking that first snap just picked up some national love. [] Bear Bachmeier landed on the Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list, one of thirty quarterbacks in the country. [f]

Carrie He made that list before he's thrown a pass this season. [] Meanwhile, LaVell Edwards Stadium got a facelift. [f] There's a new recruit lounge built under the east stands, plus a handful of other upgrades, all finished ahead of the opener. [f]

Cosmo That's a recruiting weapon as much as a fan perk. [] Speaking of new faces, Stanford transfer Nusi Taumeopeau is turning heads at linebacker. [f] He's a sophomore, six foot two, two hundred forty pounds, and a former four-star. [f]

Carrie His position coach, Chad Kauha'aha'a, is trying to pump the brakes, but even he admits the potential is hard to downplay. [f] And the Herald's writers spent part of the week debating whether expectations for this program have ever been higher. [f]

Cosmo Since the move to the Big Twelve, it's fair to say they haven't. [] On offense, Justin Kirkland is generating buzz of his own. [f] He came back slim and trim after a disciplined offseason, and he's ready to go. [f]

Carrie Let's get off the football field. [] Basketball added a big one. [] Jaxon Kohler committed to B Y U after four seasons at Michigan State, and he played a year of high school ball for Ryan Cuff at American Fork. [f]

Cosmo Coming home. [] And on the women's side, Delaney Gibb is playing for Canada in Olympic pre-qualifying down in Guadalajara. [f]

Carrie She's been terrific. [] A few quick hits elsewhere. [] Volleyball's Kate Prior is back on the roster after stepping away following her junior year, and she logged two kills and two digs in her return. [f]

Cosmo Love that story. [] Gymnastics also posted seventeen Scholastic All-Americans, up two from last season. [i] And women's soccer got a breakout from Emma Hamberlin, who had never played forward before this season. [f]

Carrie Then she scored both goals in a two-nothing win over Southern California. [f] Coach Jennifer Rockwood said Hamberlin unlocked the whole offense. [f] Those were the first two goals of her career. [f]

Cosmo Hamberlin is a junior out of Vienna, Virginia. [f] What a night for her. []

Carrie Now over to the scoreboard. []

Margaret Let's talk results and what's next. [] The headline score comes from Guadalajara, where Canada beat New Zealand eighty-six to seventy-one in the semifinals of the F I B A Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. [f] Delaney Gibb led the way with seventeen points on seven of thirteen shooting. [f] She hit two three-pointers and added three assists in just over nineteen minutes. [f] On the pitch, B Y U women's soccer took down Southern California two to nothing, with both goals coming from Emma Hamberlin in the second half. [f] Looking ahead, the date circled on every calendar in Utah County is September fifth. [f] That's football against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and it's our first look at Bear Bachmeier and a depth chart that was just finalized this week. [f] Volleyball and soccer are already in season, so expect more from both before football even kicks off. [] That's your rundown. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. Big Wednesday for the blue and white.

Carrie It's Wednesday, August twenty-sixth, twenty twenty-six, and camp is officially in the books. Go Cougars.

Cosmo That's the headline, per the Daily Herald. B Y U wrapped fall camp Tuesday, and the depth chart is set. From here it's straight game prep for Utah Tech on September fifth.

Carrie Ten days out. And the building is ready for it too. The upgrades at LaVell Edwards Stadium are finished, including a new recruit lounge under the east stands.

Cosmo Recruits are going to love that.

Carrie That's the whole idea. Better experience for recruits, players, and fans, all in place before kickoff.

Cosmo On the roster side, Justin Kirkland shows up to this season slimmed down. People questioned his conditioning last year. He answered those questions.

Carrie And keep an eye on Nusi Taumeopeau, the Stanford transfer. Six foot two, two hundred forty pounds, a former four star prospect who plays edge and linebacker.

Cosmo Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a is trying to keep expectations low there.

Carrie Trying, and mostly failing. The coach admits it's hard to downplay that kind of ability.

Cosmo One more football note. Bear Bachmeier made the preseason watch list for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. Thirty of the top returning quarterbacks in the country, and he's one of them.

Carrie That is real national recognition. Let's swing to hoops, because this one is a get. Jaxon Kohler has committed to B Y U basketball.

Cosmo He spent four seasons at Michigan State first, right?

Carrie He did. Then a year working with American Fork High School coach Ryan Cuff, training at the school's gym to stay sharp.

Cosmo Experience like that does not walk in the door every year.

Carrie It really doesn't.

Cosmo Elsewhere, B Y U gymnastics landed seventeen Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association Scholastic All-American honors. That's up two from fifteen a year ago.

Carrie Books and beams. Love it. Volleyball's got a story too. Kate Prior is back, the six foot four opposite hitter out of Henderson, Nevada.

Cosmo She stepped away after her junior year.

Carrie She did, in twenty twenty-five, and she says she's rediscovering the love of the game. She's already logging kills and digs.

Cosmo Good to have her back. Okay, Margaret, the scoreboard is yours.

Margaret I'm here. Let's start on the pitch, because women's soccer took down U S C two to nothing, and the story is Emma Hamberlin. The junior from Vienna, Virginia, scored both goals in the second half. Those were the first two goals of her career. And here's the wrinkle, from the Daily Herald. Coach Jennifer Rockwood said Hamberlin had not trained at forward at all this season before that game. She simply went out and did it. Over to basketball, and a Cougar making noise internationally. Delaney Gibb dropped seventeen points for Canada on Saturday in the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament semifinal against New Zealand, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Canada won it eighty-six to seventy-one. Gibb hit seven of thirteen from the field with two three-pointers, added three assists, and did all of it in a shade over nineteen minutes. Looking ahead, the date circled on every calendar is Saturday, September fifth, when B Y U football opens the season against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Camp is closed, the depth chart is set, the lounge is built. Ten days and counting, Cougar fans.

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie And what a day to be one. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Tuesday, August twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-six, and the biggest news in Provo is simple. [] Fall camp is done. [f]

Carrie According to B Y U Sports this Week, camp wrapped up today, and the depth chart is set for the opener against Utah Tech on September fifth. [f]

Cosmo That's the whole offseason narrowing to one page. [] Every rotation question, answered. []

Carrie And the stadium is ready too. [f] The LaVell Edwards Stadium enhancements are finished, including a brand new Recruit Lounge under the east stands. [f]

Cosmo Recruits and fans both get to see that lounge in week one. [f] Good timing. []

Carrie There's quarterback news too. [] Bear Bachmeier landed on the preseason watch list for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. [f]

Cosmo Thirty quarterbacks on that list nationally. [f] That is real preseason respect. []

Carrie Now here's my favorite story of the day, and it isn't football. []

Cosmo Go ahead. []

Carrie Delaney Gibb dropped seventeen points for Canada in Guadalajara, Mexico, as the Canadians beat New Zealand in an Olympic pre-qualifying semifinal. [f]

Cosmo She shot seven of thirteen from the field with two three-pointers, and she did it in just over nineteen minutes. [f] That's efficiency. []

Carrie On the men's side, Jaxon Kohler has committed to B Y U after four seasons at Michigan State. [f]

Cosmo And there's a local thread there. [] He played for coach Ryan Cuff at American Fork High School. [f] That's a homecoming as much as a transfer. []

Carrie Football added a transfer too. [f] Nusi Taumeopeau is a sophomore edge rusher coming in from Stanford. [f] He stands six foot two, weighs two hundred forty pounds, and he was a four-star recruit out of high school. [f]

Cosmo Two more quick ones. [] Volleyball's Kate Prior is back on the roster after sitting out since her junior year in twenty twenty-five. [f] The six-foot-four opposite hitter from Henderson, Nevada, went straight back into the rotation in her return match, with kills and digs on her line. [f]

Carrie And women's soccer beat Southern California two to nothing, both goals from Emma Hamberlin in the second half. [f]

Cosmo Hamberlin is a junior from Vienna, Virginia. [f] Those were the first two goals of her career, and she hadn't even trained at forward this year. [f]

Carrie That's the kind of thread running through today. [] New arrivals, returns, and people showing up out of position and delivering. []

Cosmo One more to follow. [] The Daily Herald columnists are debating whether head coach Kalani Sitake and athletic director Brian Santiago are patching up their working relationship after some recent social media activity. [f]

Carrie Worth watching. [] Okay. [] Let's get to the scoreboard. []

Margaret I'm here. [] Let's talk results and what's next. [] Here's the score to know from the past day. [] Delaney Gibb's Canadian side beat New Zealand, eighty-six to seventy-one, in the semifinals of the F I B A Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. [f] On the pitch, B Y U women's soccer took down Southern California, two to nothing. [f] And on the near horizon, the one every Cougar fan has circled. [] B Y U opens the football season against Utah Tech on September fifth at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f] The depth chart is finalized, and the new stadium improvements are open for business. [f] That's your rundown. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie Right on time. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Monday, August twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six, and we start with national hardware talk. [] Senior running back L J Martin has been named to the preseason Associated Press All-America team. [f]

Carrie That's from the Deseret News, and it landed last week, with the college football season now just days away. [f] Texas led everybody with four selections, and the Southeastern Conference took fourteen of the twenty-seven first-team spots. [f]

Cosmo That makes Martin the returning Big Twelve standout on that list. [f] Real respect for a Cougar back. []

Carrie And he is not the only one collecting preseason love. [] Quarterback Bear Bachmeier made the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award watch list, one of thirty of the nation's top returning quarterbacks. [f]

Cosmo Thirty names from the whole country. [f] Meanwhile, over on the international stage, guard Delaney Gibb is having a summer. []

Carrie Tell me. []

Cosmo Seventeen points for Canada in Saturday's semifinal win over New Zealand, eighty-six to seventy-one, down in Guadalajara. [f] She went seven of thirteen from the field with two three-pointers and three assists, in just over nineteen minutes. [f]

Carrie Nineteen minutes. [f] That's efficient. [] And earlier in the tournament she put up thirteen in a seventy-two to fifty-seven win over Senegal. [f]

Cosmo Good news for B Y U basketball, and there's more of it on the men's side. [] Jaxon Kohler is a Cougar. [f] He committed Thursday night after four seasons at Michigan State. [f]

Carrie And there's a nice wrinkle there. [] He played just one high school season under coach Ryan Cuff at American Fork before he left the state. [f] Now he's back home. [f]

Cosmo Full circle. [] On the soccer pitch, Emma Hamberlin scored the first two goals of her career in a two to nothing win over Southern California. [f]

Carrie Both came in the second half, and here's the kicker. [f] The junior from Vienna, Virginia hadn't even trained at forward this year. [f] Coach Jennifer Rockwood confirmed Hamberlin was untested at the position. [f]

Cosmo Untested, then two goals. [f] Volleyball has a comeback story too. [] Kate Prior is back on the roster. [f]

Carrie The six foot four opposite hitter from Henderson, Nevada stepped away after her junior year in twenty twenty-five. [f] She's rediscovering the game, with a pair of kills and a pair of digs in her return. [f]

Cosmo Two more football names to file away. [] Nusi Taumeopeau, a six foot two, two hundred forty pound former four-star recruit, transferred in from Stanford and has looked sharp at both edge rusher and linebacker. [f]

Carrie Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a is not ready to hand out full credit yet, but he sees the potential. [f] And on the offensive line, Sonny Makasini looks like the glue guy. [f] Six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds, born and raised in Provo, and back from a two-year mission. [f]

Cosmo That fits the program's whole identity. [] About half of any B Y U roster has served missions around the world, and there's a new partnership with B Y U Pathway Worldwide. [i][j] The World is our Campus, as the saying goes. [i][j]

Carrie One storyline to keep an eye on. [] There was social media noise this past week around head coach Kalani Sitake and Brian Santiago, and nobody has pinned down yet what it amounts to. [f] We'll keep watching. []

Cosmo Fair enough. [] Let's get to the scoreboard. []

Margaret Thanks. [] Scores first, and there are two worth your time, both from the women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. [f] Canada beat New Zealand eighty-six to seventy-one in Saturday's semifinal. [f] In group play, Canada handled Senegal seventy-two to fifty-seven, leading for more than thirty-six of the forty minutes. [f] Delaney Gibb scored in double figures in both. [f] Closer to home, B Y U women's soccer took down Southern California two to nothing, and volleyball is underway with Kate Prior back in the rotation. [f] Looking ahead, the college football season is right at the doorstep. [f] That's the one circled on every Cougar calendar, with L J Martin and Bear Bachmeier carrying preseason expectations into it. [f] Soccer and volleyball keep rolling in the meantime. [] We'll have scores as they come. []

Carrie Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie It's Sunday, August twenty-third, twenty twenty-six, and the preseason honors are stacking up. [] Running back L J Martin made the Associated Press preseason All-America team, earning his spot as a returning Big Twelve award winner. [f]

Cosmo That is a big deal. [] Texas led everybody with four first-team picks, and the Southeastern Conference took fourteen of the twenty-seven spots overall. [f] Martin is in rare company. []

Carrie And he is not alone. [] Quarterback Bear Bachmeier landed on the Davey O'Brien watch list, one of thirty top returning quarterbacks in the country. [f]

Cosmo Up front, Sonny Makasini has been named the leader of the offensive line. [f] Six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds, born and raised in Provo, and back from two years of mission service. [f]

Carrie Love that. [] On defense, keep an eye on Nusi Taumopeau, the Stanford transfer linebacker. [f] Six foot two, two hundred forty pounds, a former four-star recruit, now a sophomore. [f] Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a is being careful not to oversell him. [f]

Cosmo Smart. [] Basketball news too. [] Jaxon Kohler committed Thursday night. [f] He is a transfer from Michigan State after four seasons, and he once played for Ryan Cuff, the head coach at American Fork High School. [f]

Carrie Volleyball gets a lift as well. [] Kate Prior is back after stepping away at the end of her junior year in twenty twenty-five. [f] The six foot four opposite hitter from Henderson, Nevada is on the roster again. [f]

Cosmo One storyline still unsettled. [] Daily Herald writers are debating a social media flare-up involving Kalani Sitake and Brian Santiago. [f] Nothing resolved there yet. [f]

Carrie And a nice feature on what makes this program different. [] About half the roster has served missions around the world, and many players speak a second language. [i] The world really is their campus. [i]

Cosmo Well said. [] Let's get to the rest of the scoreboard. []

Margaret Happy to take it from here. [] Scores first. [] In Guadalajara, Mexico, Canada beat New Zealand eighty-six to seventy-one in the Olympic pre-qualifying semifinals, and B Y U guard Delaney Gibb was excellent. [f] Seventeen points on seven of thirteen shooting, two three-pointers, and three assists in just over nineteen minutes. [f]

Margaret Earlier in that tournament, Canada handled Senegal seventy-two to fifty-seven and led essentially wire to wire. [f] Gibb chipped in thirteen points in that one. [f]

Margaret On the pitch, B Y U soccer beat U S C two to nothing. [f] The story there was Emma Hamberlin. [f] The junior from Vienna, Virginia had not trained at forward all year. [f] She scored both goals in the second half, the first two of her career. [f]

Margaret Coach Jennifer Rockwood said the move to forward was exactly what unlocked her. [f]

Margaret Looking ahead, football season is nearly here, and we will bring you kickoff details as they firm up. [] That is your Sunday. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie Big Saturday of news out of Provo, and we've got a lot to get to. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Let's get into it. []

Cosmo It's Saturday, August twenty-second, twenty twenty-six, and the headline comes from the Daily Herald. [] Jaxon Kohler is coming to B Y U basketball. [f]

Carrie He spent four years at Michigan State, and now he lands in Provo. [f] The news came Thursday night. [f]

Cosmo And here's the local thread. [] Kohler played a season for American Fork High coach Ryan Cuff, and Cuff opened the gym for him whenever he needed to work. [f]

Carrie That's a real full-circle story. [] Meanwhile, on the football side, Bear Bachmeier is on the Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list. [f]

Cosmo That watch list is thirty of the nation's top returning quarterbacks. [f] That's company you want to keep. []

Carrie And L J Martin made the Associated Press preseason All-America first team. [f] He's a senior running back, and he's the only Cougar on that first team. [f]

Cosmo Big deal, especially when you look at the field. [] Texas put four players on that first team, and the Southeastern Conference claimed fourteen of the twenty-seven spots. [f]

Carrie So Martin is punching through a crowded room. [] Now, fall camp. [] The offense won the first scrimmage decisively. [f]

Cosmo That was one hundred and two plays at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and Kalani Sitake liked what he saw from the offense. [f]

Carrie Two names to watch in the trenches. [] First, Nusi Taumeopeau, the Stanford transfer. [f] Six foot two, two hundred forty pounds, a former four-star recruit who plays linebacker and edge rusher. [f]

Cosmo Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a is being careful not to oversell him, but the tools are there. [f] The second name is Sonny Makasini, the leader of the offensive line. [f]

Carrie Six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds. [f] He grew up right there in Provo, he served a two-year mission, and his teammates call him the glue guy of that line. [f]

Cosmo Glue guy is the best compliment a lineman gets. [] Volleyball, too. [] The women's team is ranked twenty-fourth, and they opened with a Blue and White scrimmage. [f]

Carrie Seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each had seventeen kills, and freshman Brooke Hardy stood out as well. [f]

Cosmo Depth everywhere you look. [] That's the through-line today. []

Carrie It really is. [] So what's on the scoreboard today? []

Margaret Let's talk results. [] The score that matters comes out of Guadalajara, Mexico. [f] B Y U junior guard Delaney Gibb is playing for Canada at the twenty twenty-six F I B A Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. [f][i][j] Canada beat Senegal, seventy-two to fifty-seven, and led the whole way. [f] Gibb scored thirteen points. [f]

Cosmo So what does that set up? []

Margaret That win closed out group play, and Canada finished at three wins and no losses. [i][j] It earns Canada a spot in the semifinal, so Gibb's run is not over. [i][j] That's the next Cougar event worth circling on your calendar. [] Back home, football is still in fall camp, so the next thing on the field is more scrimmage work. [f] And volleyball has moved past the tune-up and into the real schedule. [] Keep an eye on Guadalajara. [] That's your rundown. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] You're listening to B Y U Cougar Sports Daily. [] Go Cougars! []

Carrie It's Friday, August twenty-first, twenty twenty-six, and there is a lot on the board today. []

Cosmo Start with basketball, because this one is big. [] Per the B Y U Sports Digest, Jaxon Kohler is a Cougar. [f] Four seasons at Michigan State, and now he's coming home to Provo. [f]

Carrie Love that story, and there's a nice detail in it. [] Kohler transferred to American Fork High School, where coach Ryan Cuff handed him the keys to every facility in the building. [f]

Cosmo Kohler spent one year under Cuff, and he used that gym access for everything it was worth. [f]

Carrie Now flip to football, because Bear Bachmeier just got some national love. [f] The Cougar quarterback is on the Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list. [f]

Cosmo That is the nation's top quarterback honor, and the longest-running award of its kind. [f][j] Thirty of the best returning quarterbacks in the country, and Bachmeier's name is right there. [f]

Carrie He's not the only Cougar collecting hardware talk. [] Senior running back L J Martin was named to the preseason Associated Press All-America team. [f]

Cosmo A Big Twelve returner earning national recognition. [f] That is a great sign for the backfield. []

Carrie And up front, Sonny Makasini anchors the offensive line this season. [f] Six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds, born and raised in Provo, back after two years of mission service. [f]

Cosmo He's the glue guy, and every good line has one. [f] On defense, keep an eye on Nusi Taumeopeau, a sophomore Stanford transfer. [f] Six foot two, two hundred forty pounds, and a former four-star recruit. [f]

Carrie What's the coaching read on him? []

Cosmo Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a sees high potential, but he's holding back the full praise for now. [f] Show me, don't tell me. []

Carrie Fair. [] And camp is heating up. [] Kalani Sitake liked what he saw in a one hundred and two play scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium, where the offense won the day. [f]

Cosmo Volleyball is rolling too. [f] The Blue and White scrimmage opened the season, and seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each put down seventeen kills. [f]

Carrie Seventeen apiece. [f] Freshman Brooke Hardy showed out as well. [f] That is a deep team. []

Cosmo Here's the through-line for the whole athletic department right now. [] Returning production everywhere, with newcomers pushing. [f]

Carrie Okay. [] Over to the scoreboard. []

Margaret Let's talk scores. [] The headline result comes from Guadalajara, Mexico, at the F I B A Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. [f] Canada seventy-two, Senegal fifty-seven. [f] Cougar guard Delaney Gibb, a junior, scored thirteen points in that game. [f] Canada led for thirty-six minutes and thirty-two seconds, so this one was under control nearly the whole way. [f]

Margaret That result finished group play, and Canada came through undefeated at three and oh. [i] They advance to the semifinals of the pre-qualifier, with Gibb representing B Y U on the international stage. [i]

Margaret Looking ahead, the football team is still in fall camp, coming off that one hundred and two play scrimmage. [f] Volleyball has its Blue and White scrimmage behind it and the regular season in front of it. [f]

Margaret So the near horizon is simple. [] Watch Guadalajara for Gibb and Canada in the semifinals, and watch Provo as Sitake's group sharpens up. [] That's the scoreboard. []

Carrie Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! [] It's Thursday, August twentieth, twenty twenty-six, and Provo is buzzing. []

Cosmo Start with the quarterback. [] Per the Weekly Cougar Email roundup, Bear Bachmeier is on the Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch list. [f] Thirty quarterbacks nationwide. [f] The Davey O'Brien is the longest-running national quarterback award. [i]

Carrie Big name recognition. [] And he is not the only one. [] Senior running back L J Martin landed on the Associated Press preseason All-America first team. [f]

Cosmo First team. [f] Wow. []

Carrie Texas led everybody with four selections, and the Southeastern Conference took fourteen of the twenty-seven first-team spots. [f] So Martin is in rare company. []

Cosmo He is. [] Now, on the field. [] The offense won a scrimmage of one hundred and two plays at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and Kalani Sitake liked what he saw. [f] Most of that started with the offensive line. []

Carrie Who is holding that line together? []

Cosmo Sonny Makasini. [f] Six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds, a Provo kid who stayed home, served a two-year mission, and is now the glue guy up front. [f]

Carrie Love that story. [] On defense, watch Nusi Taumeopeau. [f] He is a Stanford transfer and a former four-star prospect, six foot two and two hundred forty pounds, and he is only a sophomore. [f]

Cosmo Is the staff hyping him? []

Carrie Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a is trying not to. [f] He admits it is hard to downplay this one. [f]

Cosmo Quick volleyball note. [] At the Blue-White scrimmage in the Smith Fieldhouse, seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each put down seventeen kills, and freshman Brooke Hardy showed out too. [f]

Carrie Depth everywhere. [] The theme this week is simple. [] Returning talent and national recognition are arriving at the same time. []

Cosmo One quieter storyline to follow. [] Cougar media is still asking whether Sitake and athletic director Brian Santiago have patched things up. [f]

Carrie We will leave that one alone. [] Let's head over to the basketball desk. []

Margaret Happy to. [] One score to give you, and it comes from national team duty. [] Junior guard Delaney Gibb is playing for the Canadian senior national team at the Olympic pre-qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. [f] Canada seventy-two, Senegal fifty-seven. [f]

Cosmo How did she do? []

Margaret Gibb scored thirteen points. [f] Canada led for thirty-six minutes and thirty-two seconds and never gave the lead back after the opening minutes. [f] That win is step one toward qualifying for the twenty twenty-eight Olympic Games. [f] The tournament runs through Sunday, the twenty-third, and Gibb should be right in the middle of it. [f]

Margaret Everything else on the Cougar calendar is still preseason. [] Football is scrimmaging, volleyball has finished its Blue-White tune-up, and the real games are coming. [f] That's your rundown. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie And what a Wednesday to be one. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Wednesday, August nineteenth, twenty twenty-six, and the headline belongs to L J Martin. [] The Daily Herald reports the senior running back landed on the preseason Associated Press All-America team, announced Tuesday. [f]

Carrie That is rare air in Provo. [] It puts him in company with Luke Staley, who won the Doak Walker Award back in two thousand one. [i][j]

Cosmo And he earned it in a crowded field. [] Texas led all schools with four selections, and the Southeastern Conference took fourteen of the twenty-seven first-team spots. [f]

Carrie So a B Y U player claiming one of those first-team spots is a statement. [] Up front, the Herald calls Sonny Makasini the glue of the offensive line. [f] He is six foot four, three hundred fifteen pounds, a Provo native, and a returning starter. [f]

Cosmo Love that. [] And that line is getting tested. [] Kalani Sitake said the offense won the fall camp scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium, a long day that ran one hundred two plays. [f]

Carrie Depth is the theme. [] This roster brings back talent at almost every position, and the veterans are bringing the younger players along. [f]

Cosmo It's not all quiet, though. [] Sitake and athletic director Brian Santiago had a dust-up on social media, and Daily Herald writers spent much of this week debating it. [f]

Carrie Worth following. [] Meanwhile, one of our basketball players is representing her country. [] Junior guard Delaney Gibb scored thirteen points for Canada in Guadalajara at the international women's Olympic pre-qualifying tournament. [f]

Cosmo Volleyball opened up too. [f] In the Blue-White scrimmage, seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers had seventeen kills apiece, and freshman Brooke Hardy showed flashes of what she can do. [f]

Carrie And golf. [] Drake Harvey beat William Love two and one at Merion in Pennsylvania to reach the Round of Thirty-Two at the United States Amateur. [f] He said it feels great to get through. [f]

Cosmo Cougars everywhere you look. []

Carrie Everywhere. [] Let's send it over for the scoreboard. []

Margaret I'm here. [] Let's get to the scoreboard, because it was a good one. [] The headline result comes from women's soccer. [] B Y U opened the twenty twenty-six season on the road and beat ninth-ranked U C L A, two to one. [f] Mattyn Summers-Oviatt struck first. [f] Then true freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored the game-winner in her very first college game. [f] Beating a top ten team away from home in game one is the kind of result that shapes a season. [] Back in Guadalajara, Canada handled Senegal, seventy-two to fifty-seven, and led for more than thirty-six minutes of that game. [f] The pre-qualifying tournament runs through the twenty-third, so there is more of Delaney Gibb to watch this week. [f] And keep an eye on Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where Drake Harvey plays on in the Round of Thirty-Two at the United States Amateur. [f] That's your rundown. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie Big day in Provo, and I mean big. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Tuesday, August eighteenth, twenty twenty-six, and B Y U just landed at number fourteen in the Associated Press preseason Top Twenty-Five. [j]

Carrie Number fourteen! [j] That is the second-highest preseason Associated Press ranking in program history. [j]

Cosmo And it's not just the poll. [] Senior running back L J Martin was named today to the preseason All-America team. [f] Texas led the way with four selections, and the S E C took fourteen of the twenty-seven first-team spots. [f]

Carrie So Martin is in rare company. [] And the offensive line has a story of its own. [] Sonny Makasini stands six foot four and weighs three hundred fifteen pounds. [f] He was born and raised in Provo, and he's back from two years of mission service. [f] Teammates are calling him the glue guy up front. [f]

Cosmo Glue guy is the right phrase. [] And the line got a real test in fall camp. [] Coach Kalani Sitake ran a scrimmage of one hundred and two plays at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and he said the offense came out on top. [f]

Carrie A hundred and two plays! [f] That is a full day's work. [] Sitake said he saw some really good things from an offense that returns most of its starters. [f]

Cosmo Speaking of coming back, this roster is loaded with returning production, and there are young players pushing for snaps at nearly every position. [f]

Carrie One new face worth watching is Kyler Kasper, six foot six, transferring in from Oregon. [f] He called his last four years in college football downright frustrating. [f] He is looking for a fresh start, and Provo might be it. []

Cosmo Outside of football, junior guard Delaney Gibb is playing for Canada at the International Basketball Federation Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. [f] It runs through August twenty-third, and it's the first step toward the twenty twenty-eight Olympics. [f]

Carrie And she is producing. [] Thirteen points against Senegal. [f] On the golf course, Drake Harvey advanced to the Round of Thirty-Two at the United States Amateur at Merion. [f] He beat William Love two and one, after the lead changed hands on the front nine. [f]

Cosmo Volleyball opened with the Blue-White scrimmage at the Smith Fieldhouse. [f] Seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each put down seventeen kills, and freshman Brooke Hardy looked sharp. [f]

Carrie Loving all of it. [] Okay, let's get to the scoreboard. []

Margaret Happy to take it. [] Let's talk results. [] The headline score belongs to B Y U women's soccer. [] The Cougars went on the road and beat ninth-ranked U C L A, two to one, to open the twenty twenty-six season. [f] Mattyn Summers-Oviatt scored first. [f] Then true freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored the game-winner in her very first college match. [f] B Y U is now one and oh, with conference play still ahead. [f] In basketball, Canada beat Senegal seventy-two to fifty-seven at the Olympic pre-qualifier, and Delaney Gibb was one of the leading scorers. [f] That tournament runs through Sunday, so expect to hear her name again this week. [f] Two more to keep an eye on. [] Drake Harvey is on the course right now at the United States Amateur, and volleyball has its scrimmage behind it with the real season coming up fast. [f] And one bit of history for the road. [] The Doak Walker Award has gone to college football's best running back every year since nineteen ninety, and B Y U has one. [i] Luke Staley, a consensus All-American, took it home in two thousand one. [i] Something for L J Martin to chase. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] Go Cougars! []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo It's Monday, August seventeenth, twenty twenty-six, and we start at the very top of the polls. []

Carrie The Associated Press released its preseason Top Twenty Five today, and B Y U lands at number fourteen. [i] That is the second-highest preseason ranking in program history. [i]

Cosmo Second-highest ever. [i] That is a real expectation now. [] And the timing could not be better, because the football team just held its first fall camp scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f]

Carrie One hundred and two plays. [f] Kalani Sitake said the offense won the scrimmage, and he was not shy about praising it. [f]

Cosmo Sitake has also been vocal lately about needing more resources for this program. [f] When your team is ranked fourteenth in August, that conversation gets a lot louder. []

Carrie One name to watch on that offense, transfer receiver Kyler Kasper, six foot six, in from Oregon. [f] He has talked openly about the frustration of his last four college seasons. [f] He wants this one to feel different. []

Cosmo Volleyball is rolling too. [] The women's team opened with its Blue and White scrimmage, and seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each put down seventeen kills. [f]

Carrie The Big Twelve picked the Cougars seventh in the preseason, which feels low to me. [f] And three players made the preseason all-conference team: Alex Bower, Claire Little Chambers, and Brielle Kemavor. [f]

Cosmo On the basketball side, guard Delaney Gibb has been selected for Canada's senior national team. [f][j] She is in Guadalajara, Mexico, this week. [f][j]

Carrie That is the first step toward qualifying for the twenty twenty-eight Olympics. [f][j] Huge for her, huge for the program. []

Cosmo A ranked football team, a volleyball opener, and an international call-up. [] Not a bad Monday. []

Carrie Not bad at all. [] Now over to the rest of the results. []

Margaret Let's talk results. [] The women's soccer team opened the regular season on the road against ninth-ranked U C L A, and won it, two goals to one. [f] Mattyn Summers-Oviatt struck first. [f] True freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored the game-winner. [f] A road win over a top ten opponent in your opener is a statement. []

Margaret On the golf course, Drake Harvey is still alive at the U S Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club. [f] He beat William Love in the round of sixty-four, two up with one hole to play. [f] The lead changed hands several times, and Harvey moves on to the round of thirty-two. [f]

Margaret Kihei Akina finished the Wyndham Championship at three over par. [f] That left him tied for eighty-first. [f]

Margaret Looking ahead, Delaney Gibb and Canada begin Olympic pre-qualifying today, running through August twenty-third. [f][j] And football's fall camp rolls on. [f] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. [] It's Sunday, August sixteenth, twenty twenty-six, and Brigham Young University has been busy in just about every sport on the calendar. []

Carrie Go Cougars! []

Cosmo Let's start with the upset. [] B Y U women's soccer went on the road and beat number nine U C L A, two to one, to open the season. [f] That is a statement in game one. []

Carrie And listen to who scored. [] Mattyn Summers-Oviatt got the first goal. [f] Then true freshman Brynnli Tolbert scored the game winner in her very first match. [f]

Cosmo Her first match. [f] You cannot script that. []

Carrie According to the Deseret News, football held a one hundred and two play scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium. [f]

Cosmo Kalani Sitake says the offense won that scrimmage. [f] One hundred and two plays is a real workload, and Sitake liked what he saw from his team. [f]

Carrie Sitake also made a hire. [f] Marc Hill, a longtime figure in Kentucky athletics, comes on board. [f] Sitake has been vocal that the program needs more resources to compete in today's college landscape, and this is him going out and getting those resources. [f]

Cosmo Speaking of new faces, transfer receiver Kyler Kasper spoke candidly this week. [f] He stands six foot six, he spent four seasons at Oregon, and he was clearly frustrated with how those years went. [f] Now he gets a fresh start in Provo. []

Carrie Volleyball opened up too. [f] At the Blue and White scrimmage in the Smith Fieldhouse, seniors Sophia Callahan and Claire Little Chambers each put down seventeen kills. [f]

Cosmo Seventeen apiece. [f] Freshman Brooke Hardy looked strong as well. [f] The team was picked seventh in the Big Twelve, and three Cougars earned preseason honors. [f] Alex Bower, Brielle Kemavor, and Little Chambers again. [f]

Carrie Seventh feels like a number this team would enjoy proving wrong. [] Over on the golf side, Drake Harvey advanced to the round of thirty-two at the United States Amateur. [f]

Cosmo He beat William Love, two and one, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. [f] There were several lead changes on the front nine before Harvey pulled away. [f]

Carrie Kihei Akina played the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. [f] He shot rounds of seventy-one and seventy-five, and finished tied for eighty-first. [f]

Cosmo Tough week, but that is a Cougar on a P G A Tour leaderboard. [] We will take it. []

Carrie We will. [] Let's get the wrap-up. []

Margaret Thanks. [] Here is where things stand, and what comes next. []

Margaret The headline result is women's soccer. [] B Y U two, U C L A one, on the road against the ninth-ranked team in the country, with a freshman scoring the winner. [f] The other two big numbers today came from inside the program. [] Volleyball's Blue and White match was an intrasquad scrimmage, so there is no official result, just those seventeen kills apiece. [f] Football's one hundred and two play scrimmage was internal as well, and Kalani Sitake gave the win to the offense. [f]

Cosmo And looking ahead? []

Margaret The date to circle is tomorrow. [] Delaney Gibb suits up for Canada's senior national team at the twenty twenty-six women's Olympic pre-qualifying tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. [f][i][j] That tournament runs August seventeenth through the twenty-third, and it is Canada's first step toward the twenty twenty-eight Olympic Games. [f][i][j]

Margaret Drake Harvey is also still alive, in the round of thirty-two at the United States Amateur at Merion. [f] It is match play, so one bad hole ends the day. [] That is your scoreboard. [] Go Cougars. []

Cosmo Welcome, Cougar fans. []

Carrie Big Saturday for B Y U sports. []

Cosmo Go Cougars! [] It's Saturday, August fifteenth, twenty twenty-six, and we're starting on the pitch, because B Y U women's soccer just did something loud. []

Carrie They beat number nine U C L A, two to one, on the road, in the season opener. [f] B Y U's own recap gives the first goal to Mattyn Summers-Oviatt. [f]

Cosmo And the game-winner came from a true freshman. [f] Brynnli Tolbert. [f] First college road trip, and she put the dagger in a top ten team. [f]

Carrie That's one and oh to start, and oh and oh in the Big Twelve. [f]

Cosmo Here's the part that gives it weight. [] This is Jennifer Rockwood's last season. [f] Thirty-two years running that program, and she retires when it ends. [f]

Carrie Thirty-two seasons. [f] She has been on that campus longer than most of these players have been alive. [f] Knocking off a top ten team in game one is a loud way to start the goodbye. []

Cosmo Over to basketball. [] Delaney Gibb is going international. [f][i]

Carrie She's with the Canadian Senior National Team at the F I B A Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. [i] That's in Guadalajara, Mexico, August seventeenth through the twenty-third. [f][i]

Cosmo Step one toward the twenty twenty-eight Olympics. [f] Having a B Y U guard on that floor matters for this program. []

Carrie Football now. [] Kalani Sitake keeps adding to the staff. [f] Marc Hill is coming over from Kentucky Athletics, where he spent a long stretch of his career. [f]

Cosmo And Kyler Kasper is the transfer to watch. [f] A six foot six receiver out of Oregon. [f] He spoke candidly this week about four frustrating years in college football. [f]

Carrie That kind of size gives a quarterback a real target near the goal line. [] The broader read on this roster is depth. [f] Production returning almost everywhere, and newcomers ready to push for time. [f]

Cosmo Golf, quickly. [] Drake Harvey is into the Round of thirty-two at the United States Amateur Championship. [f] He beat William Love, two and one, at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, after a front nine that swung back and forth. [f]

Carrie Volleyball too. [] The league picked B Y U seventh in the Big Twelve, which feels low for a team ranked twenty-fourth. [f] Three Cougars made the preseason team. [f]

Cosmo Who? []

Carrie Alex Bower, Claire Little Chambers, and Brielle Kemavor. [f] Seventh place with three preseason honorees is a chip on the shoulder waiting to happen. []

Cosmo That's a real storyline for October. []

Carrie It is. [] And now here's the board. []

Margaret Scores first. [] Women's soccer took down number nine U C L A on the road, two to one. [f] That's the result of the week. [] On the golf side, Kihei Akina wrapped the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. [f] He finished three over par, at two eighty-three, tied for eighty-first, in his fourth start on the P G A Tour. [f] Looking ahead, the marquee date is Monday. [] Delaney Gibb and Canada open the Olympic pre-qualifier in Guadalajara, and it runs through the twenty-third. [f][i] Drake Harvey plays on at the United States Amateur at Merion. [f] Match play now, win and advance. [] And women's soccer carries that one and oh record into the rest of Jennifer Rockwood's farewell season. [f] That's your board. [] Go Cougars. []