2016 BYU Cougars football team

2016 BYU Cougars football
Poinsettia Bowl champion
Poinsettia Bowl, W 24–21 vs. Wyoming
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–4
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTy Detmer (1st season)
Offensive schemePro-style
Defensive coordinatorIlaisa Tuiaki (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumLaVell Edwards Stadium
Seasons
← 2015
2017 →
2016 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
BYU           9 4  
Army           8 5  
Notre Dame           4 8  
UMass           2 10  
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by first-year head coach Kalani Sitake,[2] played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This was the sixth year BYU competed as an NCAA Division I FBS independent. They finished the season 9–4. They were invited to the Poinsettia Bowl where they defeated Wyoming.

Before the season

[edit]

Coaching changes

[edit]

BYU hired a new coaching staff in 2016. Gone from the program were Bronco Mendenhall, who accepted the Head coach position with the Virginia Cavaliers on December 4,[3] and assistant coaches Robert Anae, Garett Tujague, Mark Atuaia, Jason Beck,[4] Nick Howell, and Kelly Poppinga,[5] who accepted positions on Virginia's new coaching staff.

On December 19, 2015, Kalani Sitake was announced as the new head coach. Sitake is the first Tongan to become a FBS collegiate football head coach.[6]

On December 24, 2015, Ilaisa Tuiaki was appointed the defensive coordinator and Ty Detmer the offensive coordinator.[7][8]

On December 26, 2015, Ed Lamb was appointed the assistant head coach.[9]

In December 2015, Nu'u Tafisi was reported as being named as the strength and conditioning coach.[10] On January 14, 2015 Tafisi was confirmed as a new member of the staff. Steve Kaufusi was also announced as a returning member of the staff, and former BYU offensive line coach Mike Empey, who served as offensive line coach under the legendary LaVell Edwards, was announced as a new staff member.[11]

On January 20, 2016 Ben Cahoon was hired as the wide receivers coach.[12]

On January 25, 2016 Steve Clark was hired as the tight end coach, Russell Tialavea was hired as the director of football operations, and AJ Middleton was hired as the asst. strength and conditioning coach.[13]

On January 28, 2016, the final members of the coaching staff were hired. Reno Mahe was hired as the running backs coach, Jernaro Gilford was hired as the cornerbacks coach, and Tevita Ofahengaue was hired as the director of recruiting operations.[14]

2016 recruits

[edit]
Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown
Kainoa Fuiava DL 6'5" 295 Downey, CA
Alema Pilimai TE 6'4" 205 Tustin, CA
Chris Wilcox DB 6'2" 170 Corona, CA
Britton Hogan DS 6'2" 205 Salt Lake City, UT
Keenan Pili LB 6'2" 205 Provo, UT
Jake Oldroyd K 6'1" 170 Southlake, TX
Jonah Trinnaman WR 6'0" 190 Ephraim, UT Transfer from Snow College
Handsome Tanielu DL 6'2" 300 Ephraim, UT[15] Transfer from Snow College
Troy Warner DB 6'2" 185 San Marcos, CA[16]
Aleva Hifo WR 5'10" 170 Menifee, CA
Hayden Livingston QB 6'1" 185 Rigby, ID
Isaiah Armstrong DB 6'2" 193 Redland, CA Transfer from Riverside City College
Keyan Norman OL 6'3" 305 Cedar City, UT Transfer from Southern Utah University
Andrew Eide OL 6'5" 301 Cedar City, UT Transfer from Southern Utah University
Solomone Wolfgramm DL 6'5" 260 Laie, HI Transfer from BYU-Hawaii
Hunter Marshall TE 6'3" 242 Ephraim, UT Transfer from Snow College

2016 returning missionaries

[edit]
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Notes
Sam Baldwin DB 6'3" 196 Freshman
Austin Chambers OL 6'4" 270 Freshman
Zac Dawe OL 6'4" 275 Freshman
Kavika Fonua LB 6'0" 220 Sophomore
Rylee Gautavai LB 6'1" 238 Freshman
Kyle Griffitts TE 6'3" 240 Freshman
Mitch Harris DS 6'4" 215 Freshman
Chandon Herring OL 6'7" 270 Freshman
Tanner Jacobson DB 5'10" 185 Sophomore Transfer from Texas Tech
Isaiah Kaufusi LB 6'2" 216 Freshman
Taggart Krueger WR 6'3" 190 Sophomore
Hiva Lee DB 5'8" 190 Sophomore Transfer from Willamette
David Lowe DL 6'2" 220 Freshman Transfer from Southern Utah
Uriah Leiataua DL 6'4" 240 Freshman
Kieffer Longson OL 6'7" 295 Freshman
Inoke Lotulelei WR 5'9" 190 Freshman
Austin McChesney DB 6'1" 190 Freshman
Andrew Mikkelsen K 6'0" 200 Sophomore
Trajan Pili LB 6'1" 225 Freshman
Riggs Powell DB 6'2" 205 Sophomore Transfer from Cabrillo College
Addison Pulsipher OL 6'5" 280 Freshman
Mack Richards WR 6'1" 190 Freshman
Thomas Shoaf OL 6'5" 275 Freshman
Merrill Talialuli DL 6'2" 305 Sophomore
Beau Tanner WR 6'0" 188 Sophomore Transfer from Scottsdale Community College
Young Tanner QB 6'0" 190 Sophomore Transfer from Phoenix College
Johnny Tapusoa LB 5'10" 225 Freshman

2016 departures

[edit]
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Notes
Roman Andrus DL 6'4" 270 Freshman Transferred to Snow College
Devon Blackmon WR 6'0" 187 Senior Graduation
Cody Bond RB 5'8" 165 Junior
Austin Brasher K 6'0" 183 Junior Graduation
Nate Carter RB 5'9" 189 Senior Graduation
Tyler Cook LB 6'3" 230 Freshman Medical
Demetrius Davis OL 6'4" 294 Freshman Transferred to Pima Community College
Nathan DeBeikes LB 6'2" 207 Freshman
Darren Denucci OL 6'4" 317 Freshman
Bryan Engstrom RB 5'8" 172 Freshman
B.J. Fifita DB 6'0" 203 Freshman
Travis Frey WR 6'2" 177 Junior Graduation
Jaterrius Gulley OL 6'2" 346 Sophomore Transferred to Alabama State
Kurt Henderson WR 6'1" 190 Senior Graduation
McCoy Hill QB 6'6" 235 Sophomore Transferred to Southern Utah[17]
Adam Hine RB 6'1" 216 Senior Graduation
Toloa'i Ho Ching RB 6'1" 241 Junior Medical
Figgs Hofheins OL 6'4" 280 Sophomore
Terenn Houk WR 6'5" 225 Senior Graduation
Adam Ingersoll DL 6'5" 262 Junior
Ryan Jensen LB 6'4" 216 Freshman
Colby Jorgensen TE 6'7" 228 Sophomore Medical
Mitch Mathews WR 6'6" 215 Senior Graduation
Jackson Kaka TE 6'4" 241 Sophomore
Bronson Kaufusi DL 6'8" 280 Senior Graduation
Teu Kautai LB 6'1" 228 Senior Graduation
David Kessler WR 6'2" 193 Junior Graduation
Theodore King TE 6'3" 265 Junior Graduation
Elliot Knox WR 6'4" 196 Junior
Paul Langi LB 6'1" 228 Freshman
Jherremya Leuta-Doyere LB 6'0" 230 Senior Graduation
Ryker Mathews OL 6'6" 322 Senior Graduation
A.J. Moore RB 5'10" 185 Junior Graduation
Zach Newman LB 6'3" 229 Sophomore
Connor Noe DB 6'2" 192 Freshman
Taylor Parker P 6'3" 193 Freshman Transferred to Southern Utah
Remington Peck TE 6'4" 270 Senior Graduation
Manoa Pikula LB 6'1" 235 Senior Graduation
Jordan Preator DB 6'0" 180 Sophomore Transferred to Weber State
Brian Rawlinson OL 6'7" 305 Junior
Steven Richards TE 6'3" 248 Freshman Medical
Graham Rowley DL 6'4" 280 Senior Graduation
Bryan Sampson TE 6'4" 245 Junior Medical
Trevor Samson K 5'11" 177 Senior Graduation
Zachary Saunders WR 5'11" 180 Freshman
Sione Takitaki LB 6'2" 250 Sophomore Leave of Absence
Michael Wadsworth DB 6'2" 221 Senior Graduation
Jake Ziolkowski WR 6'1" 200 Junior
Josh Weeks WR 6'4" 200 Freshman Transferred to UTEP
Brad Wilcox OL 6'7" 310 Junior
Peter Welsh RB 5'11" 205 Junior
Felesi Tofi DL 6'3" 280 Freshman

Media

[edit]

Football Media Day

[edit]

Football Media Day took place on June 30, 2016. It aired live on BYUtv, with a simulcast on ESPN3. On it Coach Sitake talked about future scheduling, Tom Holmoe discussed BYU's interest in the Big XII Conference, Coach Detmer talked about the switch to the Pro-style offense and how it will rely more on tight ends, and Coach Tuikai talked about the defensive scheme switching from 3–4 to 4–3.[18] Throughout the day multiple players were also interviewed by Spencer Linton, Jarom Jordan, Lauren Francom, Jason Shepherd, Greg Wrubell, and various media members that covered BYU. Topics discussed during the interview included off-season workouts, marital status changes, the coaching changes, the QB controversy (Taysom Hill declared he could play that day if he was needed to), and many other topics. The day ended with a look back at the 1996 team that went 14–1 and won the Cotton Bowl.

During Media Day it was also revealed that Nike is working on a new shoe for Taysom Hill that gives additional support through the arch. It will also include the orthotics as an insole on top of that.[19]

Cougar IMG Sports Network Affiliates

[edit]

[20]

Roster

[edit]
2016 BYU Cougars football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 13 Koy Detmer Jr.  So
QB 7 Taysom Hill Injured (C) Sr
QB 4 Beau Hoge  So
QB 15 Hayden Livingston  Fr
QB 12 Tanner Mangum So
QB 2 Young Tanner So
OL 58 Austin Chambers  Fr
WR 1 Akile Davis  So
OL 54 Parker Dawe Sr
OL 52 Zac Dawe  Fr
OL 79 Andrew Eide Sr
OL 55 Quin Ficklin So
TE 42 Kyle Griffitts Fr
OL 77 Chandon Herring  Fr
OL 71 Austin Hoyt So
OL 70 Jacob Jimenez So
OL 67 Kyle Johnson Sr
OL 78 Tuni Kanuch Jr
OL 56 Tejan Koroma So
OL 73 Ului Lapuaho  Jr
OL 74 Kieffer Longson  Fr
OL 76 Keyan Norman Jr
OL 65 JJ Nwigwe So
OL 72 Addison Pulsipher Fr
OL 59 Thomas Shoaf Fr
OL 57 LeRoy Sitake-Tanoai Fr
RB 24 Algie Brown Sr
RB 34 Riley Burt  So
RB 22 Squally Canada So
RB 6 Trey Dye  Jr
RB 35 Brayden El-Bakri So
RB 20 KJ Hall Fr
RB 30 Colby Hansen Jr
RB 46 Creed Richardson So
RB 21 Jamaal Williams (C) Sr
TE 89 Tanner Balderree Jr
TE 44 Troy Hinds So
TE 96 Hunter Marshall So
TE 45 Alema Pilimai Fr
TE 85 Nate Sampson So
TE 95 Cody Savage Fr
TE 95 David Weekes So
WR 88 Aleva Hifo Fr
WR 23 Garrett Juergens Sr
WR 87 Mitchell Juergens Sr
WR 5 Nick Kurtz Sr
WR 25 Taggart Krueger So
WR 1 Moroni Laulu-Pututau So
WR 83 Inoke Lotulelei Fr
WR 3 Colby Pearson Sr
WR 86 Mack Richards  Fr
WR 27 Rickey Shumway Fr
WR 82 Talon Shumway Fr
WR 19 Micah Simon  So
WR 80 Beau Tanner So
WR 84 Jonah Trinnaman Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 24 Zayne Anderson So
DB 3 Isaiah Armstrong So
DB 17 Chris Badger Sr
DB 45 Sam Baldwin Fr
DB 19 Trevor Brent Fr
DB 15 Michael Davis Sr
DB 36 Caden Dortch Fr
DB 16 Gavin Fowler Injured Jr
DB 10 Kamel Greene Jr
DB 2 Matt Hadley Jr
DB 7 Micah Hannemann Jr
DB 25 Tanner Jacobson So
DB 53 Isaiah Kaufusi  Fr
DB 5 Dayan Ghanwoloku Fr
DB 22 Hiva Lee Fr
DB 27 Austin McChesney Injured Fr
DB 12 Kai Nacua (C) Sr
DB 34 Riggs Powell So
DB 28 Sawyer Powell Jr
DB 18 Michael Shelton So
DB 29 Cody Stewart Jr
DB 33 Eric Takenaka Sr
DB 11 Troy Warner Fr
DB 32 Chris Wilcox Fr
DL 93 Kainoa Fuiava  Fr
DL 90 Corbin Kaufusi Jr
DL 76 Kamalani Kaluhiokalani So
DL 49 Moses Kaumatule So
LB 21 Harvey Langi (C) Sr
DL 48 Tomasi Laulile Jr
DL 58 Uriah Leiataua  Fr
DL 97 Maurice Maxwell Sr
DL 50 Tevita Mo'Unga So
DL 98 Trajan Pili Fr
DL 62 Logan Taele Sr
DL 97 David Low Fr
DL 54 Merrill Taliauli Injured So
DL 92 Handsome Tanielu Jr
DL 94 Kesni Tausinga Jr
DL 91 Travis Tuiloma Injured Sr
DL 99 Solomone Wolfgramm So
LB 22 Phillip Amone Injured So
LB 13 Francis Bernard So
LB 30 Kavika Fonua So
LB 43 Rylee Gautavai Fr
LB 42 Austin Heder Sr
LB 47 Scott Huntsman  So
LB 37 Grant Jones Jr
LB 51 Lene Lesatele Jr
LB 52 Sam Morell Fr
LB 35 Va'a Nuimatalolo Jr
LB 38 Butch Pau'u So
LB 44 Keenan Pili  Fr
LB 41 Adam Pulsipher So
DL 46 Rhett Sandlin So
LB 43 Johnny Tapusoa Fr
LB 31 Sae Tautu Sr
LB 51 Morgan Unga So
LB 4 Fred Warner Jr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
DS 64 Matt Foley So
DS 52 Mitch Harris Fr
DS 60 Britton Hogan  Fr
K/P 26 Rhett Almond So
K 16 Corey Edwards So
K 83 Andrew Mikkelsen So
K/P 39 Jake Oldroyd  Fr
P 31 Jonny Linehan Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

[21]


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Schedule

[edit]

The 2016 schedule was believed to be BYU's hardest schedule to date. It featured Power 5 teams from the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC along with teams that have normally been ranked from the Group of 5 schools. However, at the end of the 2016 season it appeared noticeably weaker than previously predicted, with Sagarin ranking the schedule 75th.[22]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 38:30 p.m.vs. ArizonaFS1W 18–1650,528
September 105:30 p.m.at UtahFOXL 19–2046,915
September 178:15 p.m.UCLAESPN2L 14–1762,904
September 241:30 p.m.vs. West VirginiaESPN2L 32–3538,207
September 308:15 p.m.Toledo
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, UT
ESPN2W 55–5362,230
October 81:30 p.m.at Michigan StateABC/ESPN2W 31–1474,214
October 148:15 p.m.Mississippi Statedagger
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, UT
ESPNW 28–21 2OT62,184
October 208:15 p.m.at No. 14 Boise StateESPNL 27–2834,575
November 51:30 p.m.at CincinnatiCBSSNW 20–337,522
November 121:00 p.m.Southern Utah
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, UT
BYUtv/ESPN3W 37–759,302
November 1912:00 p.m.UMass
  • LaVell Edwards Stadium
  • Provo, UT
BYUtv/ESPN3W 51–951,190
November 268:15 p.m.Utah State
ESPNUW 28–1053,603
December 217:00 p.m.vs. WyomingESPNW 24–2128,114

Game summaries

[edit]

Arizona

[edit]
BYU vs. Arizona
1 234Total
Cougars 0 909 18
Wildcats 0 0313 16
Sources:[23]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.

The Cougar offense and defense dominated for three quarters of the game, but it took a 33-yard field goal from freshman kicker Jake Oldroyd for BYU to prevail 18–16 and give Kalani Sitake his first win as Cougar head coach.

Oldroyd originally wasn't scheduled to be on the road roster. A late Thursday move moved Oldroyd past James Baird on the depth chart and onto the roster. After sophomore kicker Rhett Almond missed the extra point, BYU decided to make the move to Oldroyd showing the kicking battle still hasn't been settled for the Cougars this season.

In his return to the Cougars Jamaal Williams had a fine game, rushing for 162 yards on 29 carries, an average of 5.2 yards per carry, and winning BYUtv's Y-Factor award. Williams would also catch one pass for 10 yards. It was Taysom Hill though who carried much of the team.

Hill threw for 202 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. After BYU fell behind 16–15, Hill took possession of the ball at the 20. He scrambled twice for a first down and went 3-for-3 passing on the series. Overall Hill would carry the ball for 37 yards and four first downs.

A late illegal procedure penalty with :08 seconds left nearly cost the Cougars, but BYU chose to use their final timeout and avoid the 10-second runoff. The ball had been moved from BYU's 20 to Arizona's 16, but the loss of the timeout forced Oldroyd to kick from the left hash instead of dead center. After a failed freeze by Rich Rodriguez, Oldroyd nailed the kick right down the center to give BYU the lead back and ultimately the win.[24]

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 21–29–0—202; Arizona: Anu Solomon 20–30–2—213.
  • Rushing: BYU: Jamaal Williams 29–162, Hill 11–37, Algernon Brown 3–7, Squally Canada 2–6, Brayden Al-Bakri 1–1; Arizona: Nick Wilson 17–138, Orlando Bradford 1–1, J.J. Taylor 1-(−4), Solomon 7-(−20).
  • Receiving: BYU: Jonah Trinnaman 6–49, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 4–49, Colby Pearson 4–37, Hunter Marshall 2–29, Brown 1–14, Williams 1–10, Nick Kurtz 1–9, Tanner Balderdee 2–5; Arizona: Nate Phillips 7–69, Trey Griffey 4–66, Tyrell Johnson 2–28, Shawn Poindexter 1–19, Samajie Grant 3–14, Wilson 2–11, Josh Kern 1–6.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Kai Nacua 1–1, Francis Bernard 1–0.

Utah

[edit]
BYU at Utah
1 234Total
Cougars 6 706 19
Utes 7 733 20
  • Date: September 10
  • Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium
    Salt Lake City, UT
  • Game start: 5:36 MDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:47
  • Game attendance: 46,915
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), Sunny, winds WSW 7 mph
  • Referee: Brad Van Vark • Umpire: Michael Cooper • Linesman: George Gusman • Line judge: Frank LeBlanc • Back judge: Brian Ernest • Field judge: Jason Ledet • Side judge: Gene Semko • Center judge: Brian Alos
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Shannon Spake
Sources:[25]

Uniform combination: white helmet with royal blue decals and royal blue chromium facemasks, royal blue jersey, white pants Turnovers plagued both teams. A pick six on the first play of the game put BYU behind the eight ball and made many people fear it would be the Las Vegas Bowl all over again. BYU rebounded from the pick six though, forcing 6 turnovers (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles, and a muffed punt). The turnovers led directly to 13 of BYU's points.

However a hard hit caused Jamaal Williams to sit most of the fourth quarter, and two questionable targeting calls ejected two of BYU's top defenders, one of which was captain Kai Nacua (the referee couldn't initially get his number right, first saying 32 and 13 before finally correctly saying 12) who had intercepted two passes to that point; Austin McChesney was ejected for targeting as Francis Bernard (the actual number 13) came down with the third pick.

Even with all the questionable calls and forced turnovers, both BYU and Utah found they had ample opportunities to score that they didn't capitalize on. A failed two-point conversion attempt was followed by a failed onside kick attempt and ultimately cost BYU the game.

One game after limiting his rushing, Taysom Hill rushed was 87 yards and 2 touchdowns showing he's as big a threat rushing as ever. BYU now prepares for their home opener against UCLA with a +5 turnover margin. Whether the offense can some of the turnovers into touchdowns though is anyone's guess.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 21–39–3—176, Mitch Juergens 1–1–0—9, Team 0–1–0—0; Utah: Troy Williams 14–23–3—194.
  • Rushing: BYU: Hill 13–87, Jamaal Williams 12–58, Brayden El-Bakri 1–1, Algernon Brown 1-(−3); Utah: Troy McCormick 10–62, Zack Moss 12–58, Joe Williams 10–26, Troy Williams 7–13, Kyle Fulks 2–11, Team 1-(−1).
  • Receiving: BYU: Juergens 8–52, Nick Kurtz 3–35, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 3–31, Jonah Trinnaman 2–27, Colby Pearson 2–10, Williams 1–10, Corbin Kaufusi 1–9, Aleva Hifo 1–7, Ului Lapuaho 1–4; Utah: Tyrone Smith 2–60, Tim Patrick 3–59, Rae Singleton 2–23, Evan Moeai 2–21, Harris Handley 2–21, Demari Simpkins 2–6, Joe Williams 1–4.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Kai Nacua 2–0, Francis Bernard 1–0; Utah: Sunia Tauteoli 2–41, Reginald Porter 1–1.

UCLA

[edit]
UCLA at BYU
1 234Total
Bruins 0 1070 17
Cougars 0 077 14
Sources:[26]

Uniform combination: White helmet, blue jersey, white pants

Game Stats:

  • Passing: UCLA: Josh Rosen 26–40–1—307; BYU: Taysom Hill 26–48–1—250
  • Rushing: UCLA: Nate Starks 15–39, Bolu Olorunfunmi 8–15, Brandon Stephens 5–4, Ishmael Adams 1–1, Jalen Starks 2–1, Team 2-(−2), Rosen 1-(−8); BYU: Jamaal Williams 14–28, Squally Canada 1–2, Hill 10-(−7).
  • Receiving: UCLA: Darren Andrews 4–91, Nate Iese 2–34, Adams 2–27, Mossi Johnson 2–26, Kenneth Walker III 2–25, Jordan Lasley 4–21, Cameron Griffin 2–18, Nate Starks 3–16, Alex Van Dyke 1–7, Caleb Wilson 1–5, Austin Roberts 1–5; BYU: Nick Kurtz 8–83, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 6–51, Williams 2–45, Colby Pearson 3–27, Hunter Marshall 1–16, Jonah Trinnaman 3–12, Mitch Juergens 1–10, Garrett Juergens 1–6, Aleva Hifo 1–0.
  • Interceptions: UCLA: Adarius Pickett 1–0; BYU: Fred Warner 1–0.

West Virginia

[edit]
BYU vs. West Virginia
1 234Total
Cougars 7 6613 32
Mountaineers 7 1477 35
  • Date: September 24
  • Location: FedExField
    Landover, MD
  • Game start: 3:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:32
  • Game attendance: 38,207
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Partly cloudy, winds calm
  • Referee: Matt Austin • Umpire: Rodney Lawary • Linesman: Chris Barney • Line judge: Darren Crawford • Back judge: John Wright • Field judge: P. Davenport • Side judge: Chris Conley • Center judge: Teiresias Jones
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Paul Carcaterra
Sources:[27]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 23–35–3—241, Team 0–1–0—0; WVU: Skyler Howard 31–40–1—332.
  • Rushing: BYU: Jamaal Williams 24–169, Hill 13–101, Squally Canada 2–6, Micah Hanneman 1–4; WVU: Justin Crawford 9–86, Rushel Shell 11–35, Howard 11–27, Kennedy McKoy 1–5, Tyler Orlosky 1-(−2), Team 2-(−2).
  • Receiving: BYU: Nick Kurtz 6–78, Colby Pearson 4–55, Mitch Juergens 5–50, Aleva Hifo 4–26, Morono Laulu-Pututau 2–21, Williams 2–11; WVU: Shelton Gibson 4–144, Ka'Raun White 4–39, Crawford 3–36, Jovon Durante 6–32, Daikiel Shorts 5–22, Shell 4–22, Devonte Mathis 1–13, Kennedy McCoy 2–11, Gary Jennings 1–9, Elijah Wellman 1–4.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Butch Pau'u 1–20; WVU: Rasul Douglas 1–54, Maurice Fleming 1–2, Jeremy Tyler 1–0.

Toledo

[edit]
Toledo at BYU
1 234Total
Rockets 14 71715 53
Cougars 21 01420 55
  • Date: September 30
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
    Provo, UT
  • Game start: 8:26 p.m. MDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:39
  • Game attendance: 62,230
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), winds 6 mph ESE
  • Referee: Larry Smith • Umpire: John Hanneke • Linesman: Daniel Richard • Line judge: Kole Knueppel • Back judge: Tho Riepenhoff • Field judge: Kyle DeBue • Side judge: Matt Kukar • Center judge: Ron Kay
  • TV announcers (ESPN2/BYUtv): Adam Amin, Mack Brown, Molly McGrath (ESPN2)
    Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler, Lauren Francom (BYUtv)
Sources:[28]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: TOL: Logan Woodside 30–38–2—505; BYU: Taysom Hill 11–21–0—248.
  • Rushing: TOL: Kareem Hunt 27–146, Terry Swanson 10–45, Damion Jones-Moore 1–1, Woodside 3-(−5); BYU: Jamaal Williams 30–286, Squally Canada 9–49, Hill 6–3.
  • Receiving: TOL: Jon'Vea Johnson 9–182, Cody Thompson 5–161, Corey Jones 6–56, Hunt 4–49, Michael Roberts 4–36, Swanson 1–11, Darryl Richards 1–10; BYU: Jonah Trinnaman 1–75, Tanner Balderree 3–62, Colby Pearson 2–41, Algernon Brown 2–37, Brayden El-Bakri 1–19, Aleva Hifo 2–14.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Dayan Lake 1–49, Kai Nacua 1–20.

Michigan State

[edit]
BYU at Michigan State
1 234Total
Cougars 0 3721 31
Spartans 7 007 14
  • Date: October 8
  • Location: Spartan Stadium
    East Lansing, MI
  • Game start: 3:36 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:25
  • Game attendance: 74,214
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Sunny, winds 16 mph WNW
  • Referee: Mike Defee • Umpire: Robert Richeson • Linesman: Al Green • Line judge: Derek Anderson • Back judge: Terry Jones • Field judge: Joe Blubaugh • Side judge: Lo van Pham • Center judge: Mike Contreraz
  • TV announcers (ABC/ESPN2): Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Dr. Jerry Punch
Sources:[29]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 18–27–0—138; MSU: Damion Terry 6–10–1—63, Tyler O'Connor 7–11–0—58.
  • Rushing: BYU: Jamaal Williams 30–163, Squally Canada 6–50, Hill 8–47, Colby Pearson 1–3, Algernon Brown 2–1, Team 2-(−4); MSU: Gerald Holmes 15–57, Terry 8–29, LJ Scott 3–9, Madre London 1–4, RJ Shelton 1–2, O'Connor 3-(−7), Team 1-(−9).
  • Receiving: BYU: Jonah Trinnaman 6–55, Nick Kurtz 3–27, Mitch Juergens 2–24, Pearson 3–15, Hunter Marshall 1–6, Brown 1–5, Williams 1–4, Quin Ficklin 1–2; MSU: Josiah Price 2–29, Felton Davis 1–28, Holmes 4–22, RJ Shelton 3–18, Donnie Corley 2–13, Jamal Lyles 1–11.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Michael Davis 1–40.

Mississippi State

[edit]
Mississippi State at BYU
1 234OT2OTTotal
Bulldogs 7 70070 21
Cougars 7 00777 28
  • Date: October 14
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
    Provo, UT
  • Game start: 8:21 p.m. MDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:47
  • Game attendance: 62,184
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Cloudy, winds 12 mph SSE
  • Referee: Hubert Owens • Umpire: Walt Hill • Linesman: Chad Green • Line judge: Chuck Rice • Back judge: Martin Hankins • Field judge: Greg Thomas • Side judge: Chad Hill • Center judge: Steve Marlowe
  • TV announcers (ESPN/BYUtv): Tom Hart, Andre Ware, Cole Cubelic (ESPN)
    Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler, Lauren Francom (BYUtv)
Sources:[30]

Uniform combination: white helmet with royal blue decals and royal blue chromium facemasks, royal blue jersey, white pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: MSU: Nick Fitzgerald 17–36–2—214, Fred Ross 1–1–0—9; BYU: Taysom Hill 16–28–1—165.
  • Rushing: MSU: Aeris Williams 21–82, Nick Fitzgerald 16–41, Malik Dear 3–17, Keith Mixon 3–13, Ashton Shumpert 6–10; BYU: Jamaal Williams 26–76, Hill 17–53, Squally Canada 3–11, Tanner Balderdee 0–7, Team 1-(−1).
  • Receiving: MSU: Fred Ross 5–69, Keith Mixon 4–69, Dear 3–36, Donald Gray 2–17, Ashton Shumpert 1–17, Fitzgerald 1–9, Jordan Thomas 1–6, Dontavian Lee 1–0; BYU: Nick Kurtz 7–62, Colby Pearson 4–36, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 2–34, Tanner Balderdee 1–25, Jonah Trinnaman 1–7, Hunter Marshall 1–1.
  • Interceptions: MSU: Mark McLaurin 1–27; BYU: Kai Nacua 1–10, Micah Hannemann 1–0.

Boise State

[edit]

BYU learned during pregame festivities that Jamaal Williams suffered a knee injury against Mississippi State and would be unable to play. Squally Canada filled in for him rushing for 88 yards, a career-high, but Boise State's defense was able to force BYU to become one-dimensional and focus on passing the ball. Hill would complete only 50% and have a season low in terms of passing yards. Of the 21 incompletions, 12 different balls were dropped by the receivers. BYU's defense kept the Cougars in the game, forcing Boise State to a season high 5 turnovers (3 fumbles, 2 interceptions), a missed field goal, a blocked field goal, and a muffed punt. However, the Cougars found themselves unable to contain Jeremy McNichols, who went for a season high 249 all purpose yards and two touchdowns. BYU has now suffered four losses by a combined 8 points, making them the most dangerous four loss team in the country. Of BYU's four losses, 3 of them are now ranked in the Top 25 after week 8 (Boise State, West Virginia, and Utah).

BYU at Boise State
1 234Total
Cougars 0 1773 27
#14 Broncos 14 707 28
  • Date: October 20
  • Location: Albertsons Stadium
    Boise, ID
  • Game start: 8:21 p.m. MDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:59
  • Game attendance: 34,575
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Partly Cloudy, winds 5 mph E
  • Referee: Brandon Cruse • Umpire: M. Fitzgerald • Linesman: Brad Edwards • Line judge: Quentin Givens • Back judge: Daniel Young • Field judge: Rich Almeroth • Side judge: T Salaam • Center judge: Stephen Baron
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Jason Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Paul Carcaterra
Sources:[31]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 21–42–0—187; BSU: Brett Rypien 25–39–2—442.
  • Rushing: BYU: Squally Canada 21–88, Hill 13–48, Algernon Brown 2–8, Jonny Linehan 1-(−3), Aleva Hifo 1-(−6); BSU: Jeremy McNichols 30–140, Alex Mattison 1–4, Rypien 4(−15).
  • Receiving: BYU: Mitch Juergens 4–57, Tanner Balderree 2–33, Colby Pearson 4–31, Jonah Trinnaman 3–24, Nick Kurtz 2–16, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 2–14, Cana 3–7, Beau Tanner 1–5; BSU: Thomas Sperback 9–109, McNichols 5–109, Sean Modster 4–82, Cedrick Wilson 4–68, Jake Knight 1–46, Mattison 1–15, Chaz Anderson 1–13.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Fred Warner 1–59, Dayan Lake 1–50.

Cincinnati

[edit]
BYU at Cincinnati
1 234Total
Cougars 0 1073 20
Bearcats 3 000 3
  • Date: November 5
  • Location: Nippert Stadium
    Cincinnati, OH
  • Game start: 3:42 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:58
  • Game attendance: 37,522
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Abundant Sunshine, winds 1 mph SSW
  • Referee: Cooper Castleberry • Umpire: Jim Adams • Linesman: Cal McNeill • Line judge: Kelly Deterding • Back judge: Donnie Aultman • Field judge: Scott Gaines • Side judge: Anthony Fleming • Center judge: Chris Tallent
  • TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous, Melanie Collins
Sources:[32]

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Taysom Hill 15–25–1—130; CIN: Gunner Kiel 19–32–1—199.
  • Rushing: BYU: Jamaal Williams 25–96, Hill 12–75, Squally Canada 9–41, Team 1-(−1); CIN: Tion Green 16–86, Mike Boone 2–22, Kahlil Lewis 2–5, Chad Banschbach 2–4, Team 1-(−1), Kiel 2-(−16).
  • Receiving: BYU: Jonah Trinnaman 2–47, Nick Kurtz 4–33, Mitch Juergens 4–24, Colby Pearson 2–16, Algernon Brown 2–11, Aleva Hifo 1-(−1); CIN: Devin Gray 7–105, Tion Green 5–22, Lewis 1–16, Nate Cole 1–15, Thomas Geddis 1–14, Mike Boone 1–11, Tshumbi Johnson 1–9, Banschbach 2–7.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Austin McChesney 1–37; CIN: Zach Edwards 1–6.

Southern Utah

[edit]
Southern Utah at BYU
1 234Total
Thunderbirds 0 700 7
Cougars 14 1706 37
  • Date: November 12
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
    Provo, UT
  • Game start: 1:05 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:16
  • Game attendance: 59,302
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Clear, winds calm
  • Referee: Scott Campbell • Umpire: Joel Bellinger • Linesman: Doug Moore • Line judge: Keith Garmond • Back judge: Joel Wetze • Field judge: Randy Smith • Side judge: Corey Luxner • Center judge: Stacy Hardin
  • TV announcers (BYUtv/ESPN3): Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler, Lauren Francom
Sources:[33]

Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: SUU: Patrick Tyler 19–32–0—144, Raysean Pringle 0–1–0—0; BYU: Taysom Hill 22–29–1—320, Tanner Mangum 11–13–0—121.
  • Rushing: SUU: Malik Brown 8–25, Pringle 3–15, Tyler 7-(−19); BYU: KJ Hall 12–59, Mangum 4–42, Hill 7–29, Algernon Brown 7–28, Colby Hansen 3–8, Sqally Canada 6–5, Team 1-(−16).
  • Receiving: SUU: Pringle 3–63, Steven Wroblews 3–30, Logan Parker 3–26, Mike Sharp 5–15, Brown 2–13, Ty Rutledge 1–1, Isaiah Diego-Wi 1-(−2), James Felila 1-(−2); BYU: Mitch Juergens 6–82, Nick Kurtz 5–69, Brayden El_Bakri 4–69, Hall 3–68, Colby Pearson 4–51, Talon Shumway 2–36, Jonah Trinnaman 3–20, Aleva Hifo 2–12, Garrett Juergens 1–11, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 1–9, Hunter Marshall 1–9, Tanner Balderree 1–5.
  • Interceptions: SUU: Josh Thornton 1–0.

UMass

[edit]
UMass at BYU
1 234Total
Minutemen 6 300 9
Cougars 0 142017 51
  • Date: November 19
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
    Provo, UT
  • Game start: 12:05 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:30
  • Game attendance: 51,190
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Partly Cloudy, winds 10 mph SE
  • Referee: Rick Loumiet • Umpire: Nichol Pergine • Linesman: Todd Riddick • Line judge: Colin Gaynor • Back judge: James E. Downey • Field judge: Jim Smith • Side judge: Matt Waldron • Center judge: Mike Viles
  • TV announcers (BYUtv/ESPN3): Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler, Lauren Francom
Sources:[34]

Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: UMass: Andrew Ford 27–40–2—288; BYU: Taysom Hill 19–31–0—171, Tanner Mangum 2–4–0—19.
  • Rushing: UMass: Marquis Young 10–40, Andy Isabella 3–32, Team 1-(−1), John Robinson-Woodgett 1-(−2), Ford 5-(−29); BYU: KJ Hall 18–101, Hill 13–86, Harvey Langi 14–56, Aleva Hifo 1–6, Colby Hansen 1–2, Algernon Brown 1–2, Team 1-(−1).
  • Receiving: UMass: Adam Breneman 8–79, Bernard Davis 2–76, Isabella 6–57, Jalen Williams 6–50, Robinson 1–10; BYU: Moroni Laulu-Pututau 5–42, Colby Pearson 2–38, Mitch Juergens 4–30, Nick Kurtz 3–20, Tanner Balderree 2–18, Talon Shumway 1–13, Nate Sampson 1–12, Hall 2–10, Garrett Juergens 1–7.
  • Interceptions: BYU: Francis Bernard 1–39, Isai Armstrong 1–0.

Utah State

[edit]
Utah State at BYU
1 234Total
Aggies 3 700 10
Cougars 0 1477 28
  • Date: November 26
  • Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
    Provo, UT
  • Game start: 8:26 p.m. MST
  • Elapsed time: 3:08
  • Game attendance: 53,603
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), Cloudy, winds 20 mph S
  • Referee: David Alvarez • Umpire: Stuart Schake • Linesman: George Shoup • Line judge: Steve Hoslett • Back judge: Micah Aaronian • Field judge: Scotty Melacon • Side judge: Rick Ockey • Center judge: Tim Davis
  • TV announcers (ESPNU/BYUtv): Mark Neely, Dan Hawkins (ESPNU)
    Dave McCann, Blaine Fowler, Lauren Francom (BYUtv)
Sources:[35]

Uniform combination: black helmet with royal blue decals and royal blue chromium facemasks, black jersey, black pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: USU: Kent Meyers 12–23–1—103; BYU: Taysom Hill 10–21–2—101, Tanner Mangum 1–1–0—5.
  • Rushing: USU: Tonny Lindsey 8–47, Myers 12–42, Lajuan Hunt 5–12, Damion Hobbs 2–4, Team 1-(−8); BYU: Jamaal Williams 18–131, Hill 12–46, Squally Canada 10–40, Harvey Langi 6–23, KJ Hall 4–23, Team 1-(−2), Mangum 3-(−12).
  • Receiving: USU: Braelon Roberts 3–27, Wyatt Houston 2–22, Andrew Rodriguez 1–14, Rayshad Lewis 3–13, Ronquavion Tarver 1–12, Kennedy Williams 1–8, Zach Van Leeuwen 1–7; BYU: Nick Kurtz 4–50, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 1–15, Garrett Juergens 1–12, Colby Pearson 2–11, Mitch Juergens 1–10, Hunter Marshall 1–5, Tanner Balderree 1–3.
  • Interceptions: USU: Jalen Davis 1–37, Dallin Leavitt 1–7; BYU: Fred Warner 1–2.

Poinsettia Bowl

[edit]
BYU vs. Wyoming
1 234Total
Cougars 7 377 24
Cowboys 0 0714 21
  • Date: December 21
  • Location: Qualcomm Stadium
    San Diego, CA
  • Game start: 6:10 p.m. PST
  • Elapsed time: 3:17
  • Game attendance: 28,114
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Overcast, occasional rain, winds 5 mph S
  • Referee: Greg Blum • Umpire: Brad Hudak • Linesman: Vincent Winters • Line judge: Ric Hinkamper • Back judge: Doug Warns • Field judge: Raymond Daniel • Side judge: Ryan Flynn
  • TV announcers (ESPN/ESPN Radio): Jaso Benetti, Kelly Stouffer, Paul Carcaterra (ESPN)
    Bill Rosinski, David Norrie, Ian Fitzsimmons (ESPN Radio)
Sources:

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.

Game Stats:

  • Passing: BYU: Tanner Mangum 8–15–1—96; WYO: Josh Allen 17–32–2—207, Nick Szpor 0–1–0—0
  • Rushing: BYU: Jamaal Williams 26–210, Squally Canada 4–17, KJ Hall 1–1, Team 2-(−4), Tanner Mangum 2-(−8); WYO: Brian Hill 26–93, Shaun Wick 13–58, Josh Allen 6–38, Ethan Wood 1-(−20)
  • Receiving: BYU: Nick Kurtz 3–59, Colby Pearson 2–16, Moroni Laulu-Pututau 1–11, Tanner Balderree 1–5, Jonah Trinnaman 1–5; WYO: Tanner Gentry 7–113, Jake Maulhardt 2–33, Brian Hill 1–19, Jacob Hollister 2–15, Josh Harshman 1–9, C.J. Johnson 2–6, Shaun Wick 1–6, Austin Conway 1–6
  • Interceptions: BYU: Kai Nacua 1–20, Dayan Ghanwoloku 1–14; WYO: Andrew Wingard 1–20

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ "BYU Names Sitake new Head Coach". ESPN. December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Wood, Norm (December 4, 2015). "Virginia keeps Bronco Mendenhall pursuit a secret, taps him to be Cavaliers' new football coach". Newport News, VA: Daily Press. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  4. ^ Harmon, Dick (December 9, 2015). "BYU's Robert Anae leaving for Virginia, taking 3 assistants with him". Deseret News. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  5. ^ Welch, Jake (December 10, 2015). "BYU assistants Kelly Poppinga, Nick Howell reportedly following Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia". SB Nation. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  6. ^ Walker, Sean (December 19, 2015). "BYU names Sitake as 13th head football coach in program history". KSL. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
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  8. ^ "Sitake announces hiring of coordinators Ty Detmer and Ilaisa Tuiaki". BYU Cougars. Brigham Young University. December 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Sitake hires SUU's Lamb as assistant head coach". BYU Cougars. Daily Herald. December 26, 2015.
  10. ^ "BYU football coaching staff: USC assistant Nu'u Tafisi reportedly hired as BYU strength and conditioning coach". Vanquish the Foe. December 26, 2015.
  11. ^ "Sitake announces 3 new coaches to BYU's football staff". Deseret News. January 14, 2016.
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  13. ^ "Sitake adds three more to coaching staff". Deseret News. January 26, 2016.
  14. ^ "Sitake hires former Cougars Mahe, Gilford to complete staff". Salt Lake Tribune. January 28, 2016.
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  16. ^ "Troy Warner reaffirms his commitment to play for Cougars". Deseret News. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  17. ^ "Backup BYU quarterback McCoy Hill to transfer to SUU". Deseret News. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  18. ^ Peavler, Lafe (July 1, 2016). "10 takeaways from BYU football media day". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
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  27. ^ "BYU vs. West Virginia". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
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  29. ^ "BYU at Michigan State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  30. ^ "Mississippi State at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  31. ^ "BYU at Boise State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  32. ^ "BYU at Cincinnati". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  33. ^ "Southern Utah at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  34. ^ "UMass at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  35. ^ "Utah State at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved November 26, 2016.