http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/players/kelly_poppinga/33055 Recent articles about Kelly Poppinga en-us Everyone knew that some coaching changes would be made to the Brigham Young Cougars coaching staff when the 2012 football season was over. The entire offensive staff was replaced in a prolonged process. With the BYU football team fully staffed again, head coach Bronco Mendenhall has tinkered with some of the responsibilities. There were already questions about how the coaching changes would impact the team. Now, Mendenhall has introduced more questions with the new assignments.In a press release from the BYU Athletics Department, Mendenhall announced that offensive coordinator Robert Anae would also serve as assistant head coach. Secondary coach Nick Howell would also be the defensive coordinator, a function that Mendenhall had been performing for the last two and a half seasons. As such, Howell would no longer be the special teams coordinator; therefore, Kelly Poppinga, outside linebackers coach, would assume those duties. Mendenhall strongly endorsed each coach in their new roles.... Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:12:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/mendenhall_continues_to_tinker_with_byu_coaching_staff_raises_more_questions/13035958 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/mendenhall_continues_to_tinker_with_byu_coaching_staff_raises_more_questions/13035958 Mendenhall continues to tinker with BYU coaching staff, raises more questions http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/mendenhall_continues_to_tinker_with_byu_coaching_staff_raises_more_questions/13035958 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Two years ago Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah didn’t even know how to put on football pads. Now, he is popping pads like a pro.Ansah came to BYU in 2008 from Accra, Ghana, with hopes of being a track star. Despite being a complete novice to the game, his 6-foot-6, 270 pound frame and sprinter speed earned him a spot on the team as a project player at linebacker and on the defensive line. It also helped that team leaders liked his attitude and told the coaches they wanted him on the team.Once word about Ansah got out, it was impossible for fans not to conjure up in their imaginations that one day he would be an one-man wrecking crew on defense. A guy with his combination of size and speed would create all sorts of mismatches for opposing offenses. It turns out, fans weren’t the only ones drooling over Ansah’s possibilities.Ansah was limited mostly to special teams play as a sophomore in 2010, but as the 2011 season approached, his position coach Kelly Po... Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:33:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/ezekiel_ansah_is_becoming_a_monstah/11823316 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/ezekiel_ansah_is_becoming_a_monstah/11823316 Ezekiel Ansah Is Becoming A Monstah http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/ezekiel_ansah_is_becoming_a_monstah/11823316 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Editor's Note: To prepare for the BYU-Utah rivalry game, each day this week BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL will take a look back at one of the Cougars' great wins against Utah. To read additional installments of this feature, visit the “Remembering the Rivalry” page.In 2007, when the Brigham Young Cougars faced their archrival Utah, BYU was clearly the better team. The stat sheet said it, and any unbiased fan in the stands would have said it. With 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, the scoreboard did not say it. Missed opportunities by BYU had allowed Utah to stay close enough to take a 10-9 lead late in the game. Early on, this game was a defensive slug fest. Neither offense could get much traction. Utahcouldn’t even score after an interception set them up at the BYU 16-yard line. Unheralded senior cornerback Corby Hodgkiss intercepted a Utahpass at the 5-yard line to get the ball back for BYU. Following the Hodgkiss interception, the BYU offense finally broke through. Harvey Unga ripp... Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:08:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/remembering_the_rivalry_magic_trumps_missed_opportunities/11713324 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/remembering_the_rivalry_magic_trumps_missed_opportunities/11713324 Remembering the Rivalry: Magic Trumps Missed Opportunities http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/remembering_the_rivalry_magic_trumps_missed_opportunities/11713324 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Mention some of BYU's greatest teams, and star quarterbacks come to mind - Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer. Yet even with so much focus on the QBs again during rivalry week, what with Riley Nelson playing well and Jordan Wynn's abrupt retirement from the Utes, the Cougars defense could steal the headlines. It certainly is the biggest reason No. 25 BYU has climbed into The Associated Press rankings for the first time since 2009. BYU (2-0) enters Saturday night's game against Utah (1-1) ranked 10th nationally in total defense, allowing 239 yards per game. That included holding Mike Leach's vaunted Air Raid attack without a touchdown in the opener against Washington State, and limiting the Big Sky's Weber State to 85 yards total offense in the first half before the Cougars began substituting liberally in the blowout win. ''I'll put our defense up against any offense in the country,'' linebacker Brandon Ogletree said after the season-opening win. The C Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:10:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/top_10_defense_powering_byu_as_rivalry_game_nears/11693773 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/top_10_defense_powering_byu_as_rivalry_game_nears/11693773 Top 10 defense powering BYU as rivalry game nears http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/top_10_defense_powering_byu_as_rivalry_game_nears/11693773 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Updates. By LYNN DeBRUIN AP Sports Writer The one-time quarterback of the future is now in Kansas, replaced by a free-spirited Utah native living the Life of Riley on a Brigham Young campus known for its stone-cold-sober image and pressed khakis. While Riley Nelson may be a breath of fresh air at BYU, he is intent on playing to the standards of previous senior quarterbacks for the Cougars. The last three were a combined 33-6 in their final seasons, and nothing less is expected of the 6-foot, 203-pound Riley, who added 11 pounds of muscle to withstand an independent schedule built around six key games - Pac-12 foes Washington State, Utah and Oregon State, plus No. 24 Boise State, Georgia Tech, and for the first time since 2005, Notre Dame. ''He's our leader and he knows it,'' said offensive coordinator Brandon Doman, 12-2 as BYU's senior QB in 2001. ''A leader has truth in his purpose and willpower in his character. It's seen by his teammates. We haven't had that the Fri, 24 Aug 2012 05:00:42 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/gritty_qb_nelson_eager_to_lead_independent_byu/11536417 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/gritty_qb_nelson_eager_to_lead_independent_byu/11536417 Gritty QB Nelson eager to lead independent BYU http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/gritty_qb_nelson_eager_to_lead_independent_byu/11536417 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png It is sounding more and more likely that the Brigham Young Cougars and the Utah Utes will not continue their rivalry on the football field after the 2012 season. While the Cougars and Utes will continue to be rivals off the field, BYU and Utah can’t be considered archrivals if they don’t play each other every year. Who will become BYU’s new archrival? Three schools quickly come to mind: Boise State, Hawaii, and Utah State. The Cougars do have an annual game scheduled with Hawaii for several years, and the Polynesian ties for each school raise the stakes, but the geography makes it too difficult for BYU and Hawaii to be archrivals. That cuts the list down to two. Utah StateThe Utah State Aggies are the obvious first choice. BYU has played the other in-state school 81 times dating back to 1922—the first year BYU played football. History is a very important element to a rivalry. The history between BYU and Utah State goes way beyond the final score of the football game. Two of the most... Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:02:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/who_replaces_utah_as_byus_new_archrival/10955594 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/who_replaces_utah_as_byus_new_archrival/10955594 Who Replaces Utah as BYU’s New Archrival? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/who_replaces_utah_as_byus_new_archrival/10955594 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Following the Brigham Young Cougars’ second consecutive year without a single player selected in the NFL Draft, the natural reaction is to question, “What will happen next year? Will BYU go three years without an NFL draft pick?"The 2012 Cougars are a senior laden group, and several are rated in the top 15 at their position. Nevertheless, it is difficult to say with any degree of confidence that one of them will be drafted. After all, Matt Reynolds was supposed to be the most “sure thing” BYU has had in the last decade. Therefore, without trying to over hype or excessively downplay the odds, here is the BYU scouting report for the 2013 NFL Draft.Ezekiel Ansah, OLB/DE, 6’6”, 270 lbs.Before balking, keep in mind that the Seattle Seahawks just used their first round pick (15th overall) to select Bruce Irvin from West Virginia to fill the role of a pass rushing specialist. Irvin won’t be an every down player, but he was still drafted in the first round. If Irvin was drafted in the ... Thu, 03 May 2012 12:42:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/will_byu_go_three_years_without_an_nfl_draft_pick/10712234 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/will_byu_go_three_years_without_an_nfl_draft_pick/10712234 Will BYU Go Three Years Without an NFL Draft Pick? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/will_byu_go_three_years_without_an_nfl_draft_pick/10712234 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png BYU linebacker coach Kelly Poppinga arrived in Oregon on Monday to hit the recruiting trail and visit a number of schools. One school he plans on visiting has an outside linebacker that supposedly is one of the Cougars’ top targeted prospects. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:34:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_targeting_oregon_linebacker/10581208 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_targeting_oregon_linebacker/10581208 BYU targeting Oregon linebacker http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byu_targeting_oregon_linebacker/10581208 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Welcome to the Friday Mailbag where once a week I answer your questions and respond to your comments about Brigham Young Cougars football. As a quick reminder, there are three ways to submit a question:1. Email: bluecougarfootball@gmail.com2. Twitter: @BlueCougarFball and use #BCFmailbag3. Leave a comment at the end of a BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL article.On to the mailbag.In the True Blue Spring Football Special, Max Hall said some teams were interested in signing him. For me, it was a foregone conclusion that his career is over. I keep asking myself, “Who are these suitors and how serious are they?”I was glad to hear that Hall is getting some interest from NFL teams. I don’t have any inside sources on who his next team might be. My opinion has always been that Hall could do well in the New Orleans Saints’ system. Accuracy is much more important for Drew Brees than his arm strength. When the Saints won the Super Bowl a few years ago, Brees averaged less than 10 yards a completion. The Ba... Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:33:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/friday_mailbag_max_halls_suitors_pendletons_quitter_comment_poinsettia_bowl_date_and_more/10551496 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/friday_mailbag_max_halls_suitors_pendletons_quitter_comment_poinsettia_bowl_date_and_more/10551496 Friday Mailbag: Max Hall’s Suitors, Pendleton’s “quitter” comment, Poinsettia Bowl date, and more http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/friday_mailbag_max_halls_suitors_pendletons_quitter_comment_poinsettia_bowl_date_and_more/10551496 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/4/24875fbf8c6f7966d3063ba54b2866a9a1f913bf/mini/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f82743651.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF193B60283B7BB243DFBE5109AFA67784F9A.jpg Cougar assistant Coach Kelly Poppinga has been busy. He’s been evaluating and searching for athletes across the country that can fit in with BYU’s unique program. In the state of Rhode Island, there is one that could possibly fit the bill and that has an interest in learning more about the Cougars of BYU. Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:43:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/rhode_island_athlete_interested_in_byu/10512251 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/rhode_island_athlete_interested_in_byu/10512251 Rhode Island athlete interested in BYU http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/rhode_island_athlete_interested_in_byu/10512251 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The best assistant coach for the Brigham Young Cougars football team is Lance Reynolds with 43% of the vote. Steve Kaufusi was second with 16%, followed by Ben Cahoon (12%), Brandon Doman (11%), Kelly Poppinga (8%), Joe DuPaix (5%), Paul Tidwell (3%), and Nick Howell and Mark Weber (1% each). There was also one write in vote for Bronco Mendenhall for his work as defensive coordinator.Not to diminish the quality of work that any of these coaches does, but my vote would be for Reynolds as well.Reynolds has an advantage over all the other assistants because he has been at BYU for so long (since 1983). However, he has produced great results in this time. Most of his years he has been the running backs coach. The list of backs he has coached and their achievements are impressive. Four of his backs have become the career rushing leader, six running backs have rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season, one has won the Doak Walker Award, and several have played in the NFL.Reynolds has ... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:58:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/poll_results_who_is_byus_best_assistant_coach/9900910 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/poll_results_who_is_byus_best_assistant_coach/9900910 Poll Results: Who is BYU's best assistant coach? http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/poll_results_who_is_byus_best_assistant_coach/9900910 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL is home to the most comprehensive season review for BYU football. It will include five parts. Part 1: A general assessment of the season.Part 2: Position GradesPart 3: End of the Year AwardsPart 4: 2011 Season HighlightsPART 1: WAS 2011 A SUCCESS?Events surrounding the Brigham Young Cougars football program promised a historical season in 2011. Win or lose, it was going to be a year of monumental transitions. TRANSITIONSAs the calendar changed from 2010 to 2011, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was changing his staff. Longtime offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Robert Anae and receivers coach Patrick Higgins left for opportunities at Arizona and Purdue, respectively. Quarterback coach Brandon Doman was promoted to offensive coordinator; Lance Reynolds switched from coaching the running backs to the tight ends. Navy assistant coach Joe Dupaix was brought on board to coach the running backs, and former BYU standout receiver Ben Cahoon was hired to coach th... Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:30:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_2011_season_review_was_2011_a_success/9124762 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_2011_season_review_was_2011_a_success/9124762 Brigham Young Cougars 2011 Season Review: Was 2011 A Success? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/brigham_young_cougars_2011_season_review_was_2011_a_success/9124762 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png