http://www.yardbarker.com/colleges/brigham_young_cougars/329 Recent articles about Brigham Young Cougars en-us If you are a BYU football fan, you have probably heard by now that Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Kyle Van Noy will grace one of the 11 covers of Phil Steele's 2013 College Football Preview magazine. What you probably have not heard is why Mr. Steele and his team decided to put Van Noy on the cover.Van Noy will appear in an inset box on the Pac-12 cover with the three other players on the cover from Pac-12 affiliated schools. It was revealed on the PhilSteele.com Daily Blog on May 8. While BYU is not a member of the Pac-12 conference, it is the regional cover that is geographically closest to the Provo, Utah based school. BYU's unaffiliated status with the Pac-12 is not the only deviation from the norm with this cover.Via email, BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL was told by Brandon Pertner, Assistant Editor, Phil Steele Publications, "We usually only put three players on a cover, but we boxed Van Noy just because of the overwhelming support on our site."In the days and weeks ... Mon, 13 May 2013 10:56:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/fan_support_lands_byus_van_noy_on_the_cover_of_football_preview_magazine/13605680 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/fan_support_lands_byus_van_noy_on_the_cover_of_football_preview_magazine/13605680 Fan support lands BYU's Van Noy on the cover of football preview magazine http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/fan_support_lands_byus_van_noy_on_the_cover_of_football_preview_magazine/13605680 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Going back over 30 years, outstanding tight end play has gone almost hand-in-hand with outstanding quarterback play for the Brigham Young Cougars. Dennis Pitta caught a touchdown in the most recent Super Bowl, and Gordon Hudson was inducted into the college football hall of fame less than five years ago. However, as BYU fans have waited the last three years for the next great quarterback to emerge, they have also been waiting for the next great tight end to manifest himself.In 2010, the Cougars had possibly the most star studded group of tight ends the school has ever seen. Austin Holt was a U.S. Army All-American in high school and rated by Scout.com as the no. 5 tight end in the class of 2008. Richard Wilson was rated even higher by ESPN.com (no. 4, class of 2009). Devin Mahina came to BYU after being the nation's no. 11 tight end (Rivals.com) in the class of 2007.A little bit of a logjam was created since all three of these very highly rated prospects were freshmen that year,... Fri, 10 May 2013 10:46:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brett_thompson_byus_next_great_tight_end/13589831 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brett_thompson_byus_next_great_tight_end/13589831 Brett Thompson -- BYU's next great tight end? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/brett_thompson_byus_next_great_tight_end/13589831 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars could have back-to-back years of first round NFL draft picks. Ezekiel Ansah was selected by the Detroit Lions with the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy has a shot at being a first round pick in 2014.Everybody in Cougarland knows that Van Noy is a much more developed player than Ansah, and if they had to pick only one they would probably go with Van Noy. However, it was not a sure thing that Van Noy would have been a first round pick if he had left school this year. That has caused many to speculate on what is holding back Van Noy from locking up a first round spot.Van Noy is listed at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds on the current BYU roster, however, a year ago at BYU's football media day he said in an interview that he was 242. A CBSsports.com article last week said Van Noy was 240 pounds. Size seems to be the popular opinion among fans, draft analysts, and others who pretend to know what NFL decision makers are thinking.One ... Mon, 06 May 2013 10:44:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/myth_buster_kyle_van_noy_is_too_small_to_be_a_1st_round_nfl_draft_pick/13558928 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/myth_buster_kyle_van_noy_is_too_small_to_be_a_1st_round_nfl_draft_pick/13558928 MYTH BUSTER: Kyle Van Noy is too small to be a 1st round NFL draft pick http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/myth_buster_kyle_van_noy_is_too_small_to_be_a_1st_round_nfl_draft_pick/13558928 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png PHOENIX -- Last month, Arizona announced a three-game football series with Brigham Young University that included a neutral site game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale in 2016, and UA athletic director Greg Byrne said Thursday the Wildcats could keep coming back if the game goes well. "If it works well, we'll give it another try," Byrne said. "It's got to make sense to where it doesn't hurt Tucson, but it makes sense for us from a recruiting standpoint, which this does, (and) from a fan standpoint." Byrne said scheduling games in the Phoenix area must not detract from the team's schedule in Tucson. The 2016 BYU game might not turn out to be Arizona's first venture into the Phoenix market. The Las Vegas Review Journal reported Thursday that UNLV is in talks with UA to move this season's Sept. 7 game, scheduled for Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The move would involve a substantial financial payoff to UNLV, w Fri, 03 May 2013 16:34:55 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wildcats_to_consider_more_games_in_phoenix_market/13545833 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/wildcats_to_consider_more_games_in_phoenix_market/13545833 Wildcats to consider more games in Phoenix market http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/wildcats_to_consider_more_games_in_phoenix_market/13545833 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Though absent from BYU’s spring game because of precautionary measures, Taysom Hill was believed to be the Cougars’ starting quarterback for 2013. Unless something changes in preseason camp, that’s going to be the case. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall named Hill the team’s starting quarterback, ahead of Ammon Olsen. Continuing reading at collegefootballtalk.com… Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:48:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_football_cougars_name_taysom_hill_starting_qb/13384294 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_football_cougars_name_taysom_hill_starting_qb/13384294 BYU Football: Cougars name Taysom Hill starting QB http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byu_football_cougars_name_taysom_hill_starting_qb/13384294 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars defense was ranked no. 3 in the nation for the 2012 campaign. A defense led by Ezekiel Ansah and Kyle Van Noy not only shut down opposing teams’ run game with ferocity but also was a driving factor in BYU’s offense in many instances. A new linebacking recruit hopes to add his name to the growing legacy of Cougar defenders.New recruit Fred Warner is a 6-foot-3, 205 pound outside linebacker from San Marcos, California that has really shown off some major skills in high school as a Mission Hills Grizzly. The junior and member of the 2014 graduating class, Warner has shown some big potential in his ability to break past the defensive line and harass quarterbacks and running backs across the Avocado East League conference. His lightning speed combined with ability to read the offense gives him a big advantage against opponents.Watch highlight videos of Fred Warner hereThe Mission Hill Grizzlies boasted a 10-3 record in their 2012 season, including a 4-0 record i... Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:57:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/fred_warner_byus_defense_to_gain_lightning_linebacker/13316299 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/fred_warner_byus_defense_to_gain_lightning_linebacker/13316299 Fred Warner: BYU’s Defense to Gain Lightning Linebacker http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/fred_warner_byus_defense_to_gain_lightning_linebacker/13316299 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars open spring football practices today, March 4. It is the first time the majority of the 2013 football team will be able to meet with the new coaching staff and start preparing for next season. The start of anything new brings a lot of questions. Here are BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL's six burning questions for BYU spring practices.1. Will a starting quarterback be named?Two senior quarterbacks graduated. The entire offensive coaching staff is new, and a new system will be installed. That leaves the starting quarterback position wide open. Taysom Hill started two games last year and saw spot duty in four more, but his season ended early with an injury. Where he is at in the recovery process, and how the injury has impacted his ability to play makes the QB race interesting. The new coaching staff makes the open position race even more interesting. Jason Munns is the only one of the top four to have any experience with offensive coordinator Robert Anae. He also ha... Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:07:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_cougars_spring_football_burning_questions/13048690 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_cougars_spring_football_burning_questions/13048690 BYU Cougars Spring Football Burning Questions http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byu_cougars_spring_football_burning_questions/13048690 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars will start spring football practices next week. This is the first real preparation for the 2013 season. While kickoff is still six months away, here is a sneak peak at how the 2013 Cougars will look. The 2013 season will be a major year of transition for the offense with an entirely new coaching staff on that side of the ball, and with a new signal caller under center. The defensive coaching staff is still in tact, but several key players will have to be replaced. Following the format used last year, this sneak peek looks at the key losses, returning contributors, new players to watch, and goals for each position group in 2013. It also includes on a scale of 1 to 10 how ready each position is, today, for the 2013 season. The "video" below, provides additional commentary on each position group to compliment the information below. OFFENSEQuarterbackKey Losses: Riley Nelson, James LarkReturning Contributors: Taysom Hill  Players to Watch: Ammon Olsen... Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:00:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/a_sneak_peak_at_byu_football_2013/12997024 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/a_sneak_peak_at_byu_football_2013/12997024 A Sneak Peak at BYU Football 2013 http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/a_sneak_peak_at_byu_football_2013/12997024 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png While everyone is closely watching Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Ezekiel Ansah at the NFL Draft Combine, there is another BYU player in Indianapolis who is standing out, especially when compared head-to-head with Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel. Many experts project Joeckel to be the first player taken in the NFL Draft at the end of April. Joeckel has been evaluated by the NFL as "an impact player with the ability/intangibles to become a Pro Bowl player. Expect to start immediately except in a unique situation (i.e. behind a veteran starter)."BYU's offensive guard Braden Brown isn't considered such a valuable commodity to the NFL. The scouting report on Brown rates him as "a prospect with the ability to make team as a backup/role player. Needs to be a special teams contributor at applicable positions. Players in the high range of this category might have long-term potential." Brown is not in the high range of this category, while Joe... Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:00:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byus_braden_brown_runs_the_40_faster_than_the_projected_no_1_overall_pick/12987514 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byus_braden_brown_runs_the_40_faster_than_the_projected_no_1_overall_pick/12987514 BYU's Braden Brown runs the 40 faster than the projected no. 1 overall pick http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byus_braden_brown_runs_the_40_faster_than_the_projected_no_1_overall_pick/12987514 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars extended their school record for most consecutive bowl wins to four last week when they won the Poinsettia Bowl. BYU also continued its streak record setting play in bowl games. BYU set or tied six official Poinsettia Bowl records.Ezekiel Ansah was the first to enter the record books when he intercepted a pass on San Diego State's first drive of the game. He tied the record for most passes intercepted. Later in the game, Kyle Van Noy and Alani Fua would tie that same record with interceptions of their own. Van Noy and Jordan Johnson tied the record for most fumbles recovered with one each.Just as BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL said it was possible a week before the game, Cody Hoffman broke the record set in 2005 of nine pass receptions by catching 10 passes from James Lark.  Early in the fourth quarter, Lark tied the dubious record for most interceptions thrown with two. By the end of the game, the San Diego State quarterback overtook Lark and held the record all... Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:23:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_set_three_poinsettia_bowl_records_tie_three_others/12511567 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_set_three_poinsettia_bowl_records_tie_three_others/12511567 Brigham Young Cougars set three Poinsettia Bowl records, tie three others http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/brigham_young_cougars_set_three_poinsettia_bowl_records_tie_three_others/12511567 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png For the better part of three seasons, the quarterback position has been unsettled for the Brigham Young Cougars. Quarterback play has often been inconsistent, which caused Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU offensive coaching staff to face a lot of heat from fans and in the media. These problems are expected to end next year with Taysom Hill as the heir apparent to the quarterback position.Hill came off the bench at Boise State and nearly led BYU to victory. He got his first career start in the fifth game of this season against Hawaii. In that game, Hill completed 12 of 21 passes for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception. He also added 143 yards and one touchdown on the ground as he rushed 15 times. His touchdown run was 68 yards, which is the longest run from scrimmage by any BYU player this year and all of last year. In fact, only two players, both in garbage time situations, since 2003 have had longer runs than Hill's 68-yard jaunt. Hill also became the first BYU player i... Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:54:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_coaches_fortunate_that_lark_is_a_senior/12332713 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_coaches_fortunate_that_lark_is_a_senior/12332713 BYU coaches fortunate that Lark is a senior http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byu_coaches_fortunate_that_lark_is_a_senior/12332713 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png After four consecutive 10-win seasons from 2006-09, the Brigham Young Cougars have won just 24 games the last three seasons. During the last three seasons, BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall has made several decisions that have caused some fans to question him, and even put him on the proverbial hot seat. Has Mendenhall lost the support of the BYU fan base, or is this just a vocal minority that is really out numbered by the silent majority? BLUE COUGAR FOOTBALL tried to figure out how much fan support Mendenhall still has. In this week’s poll question, site visitors were asked: “What is your current level of support for Bronco Mendenhall?” Based on poll results, only 24 percent of fans support Mendenhall less than 50 percent. Well over half of poll respondents (57%) said their support for Mendenhall was greater than 50 percent.  A fraction of fans (17%) said their support was right at 50 percent, and just 2 percent of fans were undecided. The complete breakdown of poll results are as ... Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:13:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_fans_still_strongly_support_head_coach_bronco_mendenhall/12306280 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/brigham_young_cougars_fans_still_strongly_support_head_coach_bronco_mendenhall/12306280 Brigham Young Cougars fans still strongly support head coach Bronco Mendenhall http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/brigham_young_cougars_fans_still_strongly_support_head_coach_bronco_mendenhall/12306280 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The BYU Cougars turned to quarterback Taysom Hill to help them pick up a few wins while Riley Nelson recovers from a back injury, but after what the BYU coaching staff is saying is their fault, Hill will now be lost for the rest of 2012 after suffering a season ending knee injury on the third to last play of the Cougars’ 6-3 win over the Utah State Aggies on Saturday.BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall and offensive coordinator Brandon Doman are both taking responsibility for allowing Hill to suffer the injury that will end his season after surgery to repair his knee will put him through a rehab process expected to last 4-6 months.“It is our fault as coaches for not communicating clearly,” Mendenhall said.Head athletic trainer Jeff Hurst confirmed that the hit Hill took on the third-to-last play of the game, when he could have taken a knee, caused damage to the LCL in his left knee, hyper-extended the joint and damaged a hamstring tendon.From what we have seen from players recently, an... Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:43:36 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/cfb_rumors_byu_cougars_coaches_take_blame_for_losing_qb_taysom_hill_for_season/11915797 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/cfb_rumors_byu_cougars_coaches_take_blame_for_losing_qb_taysom_hill_for_season/11915797 CFB Rumors: BYU Cougars Coaches Take Blame For Losing QB Taysom Hill For Season http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/cfb_rumors_byu_cougars_coaches_take_blame_for_losing_qb_taysom_hill_for_season/11915797 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The 2011 season saw Brigham Young Cougars linebacker Kyle Van Noy emerge as the playmaker of the Cougar defense. He showed great versatility by piling up strong numbers in several different statistical categories. Did you know that Kyle Van Noy ranked in the top 50 of five different statistical categories in 2011?Those five categories were: tackles-for-loss, forced fumbles, punt/kick blocks, sacks, and interception return yards. #35 Tackles-for-loss (15)#39 Forced fumbles (3)#39 Punt/kick blocks (1)#50 Sacks (7)#50 Interception return yards (79)In four of these five categories, Van Noy was the team leader for BYU. Only Uona Kaveinga’s four forced fumbles was better, which was tied for 16th most in the nation for 2011. The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:26:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_football_did_you_know_kyle_van_noys_national_rankings/11472043 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/byu_football_did_you_know_kyle_van_noys_national_rankings/11472043 BYU Football: Did you know? (Kyle Van Noy’s National Rankings) http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/byu_football_did_you_know_kyle_van_noys_national_rankings/11472043 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Brigham Young Cougars recently received a commitment from quarterback Billy Green. He plays for King’s High School in Shoreline, Washington. Green also receives training from the Barton camp; the same camp former BYU quarterback Jake Heaps attended. Speaking of the recruiting process, Green was quoted by Brandon Gurney on DeseretNews.com as saying, “BYU coaches let me know that they were impressed with my performance and liked that I could play four or five straight years for them.”Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute. Did I read that right? The BYU coaches, namely offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman are talking to Green about the possibility of him starting for four years?Green will be a senior this fall. He is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; therefore, delaying his football career to serve a two-year mission is not going to happen. That means he could arrive at BYU as early as January 2013 and will be able to compete for th... Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:25:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/will_byu_qb_commit_billy_green_be_jake_heaps_20/11206147 http://network.yardbarker.com/college_football/article_external/will_byu_qb_commit_billy_green_be_jake_heaps_20/11206147 Will BYU QB commit Billy Green be Jake Heaps 2.0? http://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/will_byu_qb_commit_billy_green_be_jake_heaps_20/11206147 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png