Cougar Tailgate

The Lions of North Alabama are in town this week. Not the actual lions they do have on their campus, but the football team. While the Cougs get ready for an FCS opponent on the gridiron, the basketball team is prepping for its season opener on the hardwood. We've got freshman forward Caleb Lohner to talk about the process that brought him to Provo and Lauren and Jason preview the season. In a crazy year we're thankful every week there's more sports and for the health and safety of the student athletes. Give thanks, and Go Cougs!

While the rest of the college football world gets ready for their Saturday games, BYU fans can relax. Now we can say that the Cougars HAVE won on the blue turf. They HAVE beaten a ranked team. Zach Wilson STILL looks like a Heisman candidate. We recap a convincing 51-17 win and look at some of the reactions from around the country. And we always take time to learn about the opposing team, and this week we talked to former BSU o-lineman and current radio analyst Pete Cavender.

The two teams with the best mascots in college football (according to one Twitter poll) meet on Halloween night. We'll learn about the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, how they got that name, the waving towel logo, and...whatever Big Red is, from longtime member of the athletics staff Paul Just. These two mascots appeared on a virtual pep rally this week put on by ESPNU, and a few more guests showed up, we'll play the highlights for you. And we can't finish a show on Halloween without looking back at some of the scariest players in BYU Football history. Go Cougs!

When you're a top-15 team in the country with a Heisman hopeful at quarterback in the national spotlight every week, you have to look your best. BYU will take the field tonight against Texas State in the all navy get ups for the first time in 10 years. Navy vs. Royal is a hot debate in fan circles so we brought in Billy Nixon of BYU Equipment to explain how the uniform combos get chosen. Also we'll preview Texas State the way we know how by getting the inside scoop on fan traditions and famous alum from the folks that know, and Brant Freeman play-by-play for Texas State knows a lot. The ROC is prepping right now for their first home game with fans, but ROC student president Jason Hulet takes a break on a busy day to join the show too. Go Cougs.

It's always better to be on the air after a win. Jason and Lauren have the first reactions of the weekend after a thrilling win in Houston last night. Spencer Linton of BYUSN was at the game along with fans in the stands for the first time this season. He talks about the city and just how much of Cougar Nation showed up. We'll also take a look inside the Special Teams room with Texas native Jake Oldroyd. Friday night wins make great Saturdays, enjoy yours, Go Cougs!

It’s another home game, and another week in 2020 without fans in LaVell Edwards Stadium, but don’t fret we can get together virtually at the Cougar Tail Gate today. Learn more about the Road Runners with UTSA Associate AD Stefanie Cisneros. And BYU Athletics head of marketing David Almodova explains how Cosmo ended up bowling down the empty stands last week (and how you can get your cardboard cutout sitting next to Karl Malone and Mitt Romney). It doesn’t matter if your stadium seats 100,000 or 10,000 many fans are watching from their couch this year, but we’ll take a look at some of the biggest and smallest stadiums in the FBS. Go Cougs!

It's the first home game of 2020, and since tailgates of more than 10 people are against the law or something, join our virtual tailgate today. Barry McKnight, voice of the Trojans, give us the inside scoop on the history of Troy football, including the story of how they came to their name Trojans after a few detours along the way. It's taken us a while to get into the first home game, and Lauren and Jason will look back to some of the other unique starts to football seasons through the years. Go Cougs!

The tailgate has returned for a new season. It seems like just yesterday, or possibly 20 years ago, that we were talking about shutting down March Madness and looking forward to the football light at the end of a quarantined tunnel. Lauren McClain and Jason Shepherd launch into a new sports year with their expectations for the season, and some of the places they'll look to highlight in the coming weeks on the show. Then we'll check in with the ROC for their thoughts on a unique season. And for a little clarity on what the athletes are going through with testing and training we'll talk to Carolyn Billings the busy Director of Sports Medicine at BYU. No matter what the season holds, we'll go through it together as fans. Go Cougs!

Well that all happened fast. Last Saturday we were still preparing for the WCC Tournament and gearing up mentally for March Madness. Monday BYU lost to St. Mary's and by Thursday afternoon sports were cancelled. And we wish that was hyperbole. In what all of a sudden is the final show of the season today, Sydney Carlson and Cole Wissinger chat about what came of the Cougars' season, how the world is going to react with no sports, and the football light at the end of this long tunnel. We'll miss you for the summer, and Go Cougs!

BYU Basketball got the win against Pepperdine last Saturday and with that the 2019-2020 regular season is in the books. Before the WCC and NCAA brackets capture our attention, we thought we'd look back at how BYU built their tournament resume this season. Go Cougs!