Cougar Tracks - Daily BYU Cougars Football, Basketball Podcast

BYU football players Legend Glasker, Siale Esera, Devaughn Eka, and Cannon DeVries spoke with the media after No. 14 BYU's 63-7 win over Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 5, 2026.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake spoke with the media after No. 14 BYU defeated Utah Tech 63-7 on September 5, 2026, in Provo, Utah.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

The long wait is over. BYU football is back to kick off the 2026 season. The 14th-ranked Cougars open the 2026 season against the Utah Tech Trailblazers from the Big Sky Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper previews the matchup. Gives his thoughts on the game. The value of FCS games moving forward. The "Family Reunion" vibe of Saturday's game between BYU and Utah Tech.

Mitch also shares what he's excited to watch for on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Then, finally, he gives his score prediction and players of the game for the 2026 lid-lifter.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper is loaded with content to get you ready for the 2026 BYU football season.

Mitch opens the show with a deep dive into the biggest on-field storyline of Saturday's opener: Kelly Poppinga calling a defense for the first time as BYU's defensive coordinator. "K-Pop" takes over for Michigan-bound Jay Hill, inheriting a unit that ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense each of the past two seasons and produced eight defensive touchdowns over three years.

Poppinga, a former BYU linebacker star and 18-year coaching veteran, has promised to keep the foundation Hill built while adding his own flavor — swapping Hill's word "chaos" for his own mantra of havoc.

His first depth chart features 13 defensive positions, signaling a multiple-front approach with five-DB packages and a nickel look.

Kalani Sitake has praised Poppinga all camp, calling him "probably the hardest-working coordinator I've ever been around".

Next, Mitch is joined by KSL colleague Alex Kirry for a conversation about BYU football heading into the season. Kirry, the host of "KSL Brightside" on KSL NewsRadio and former Cougar Tracks host, joined the show to preview the season and play a game of "Bear or Bull."

To close the show, Mitch goes around the Big 12 Conference with his Week 1 picks. From Colorado at Georgia Tech to Baylor vs. Auburn in Atlanta, and every other game in between around the league.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

BYU football defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga spoke with the media on September 2, 2026.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

The 2026 BYU football season opener is days away and the buzz in Provo is electric. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper opens today's show by making the case for why this could be the year BYU football finally breaks through.

Mitch lays out three compelling reasons.

Next, Mitch recaps a powerful moment from the season premiere of BYU Football with Kalani Sitake, the weekly coaches show filmed live in Studio C at BYU Broadcasting with Voice of the Cougars Greg Wrubell. Sitake showed genuine emotion while discussing what this players mean to him.

Then, finally, Mitch caught up with BYU wide receiver Jojo Phillips after practice in preparation for week one against Utah Tech. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound redshirt junior from Lancaster, California, enters 2026 as a starter and he discusses the upcoming season ahead.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

BYU football offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick spoke with the media on September 1, 2026, previewing the upcoming matchup against Utah Tech.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

Game week is here for No. 14 BYU, and KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper delivers a jam-packed episode to get Cougar Nation fully locked in ahead of Saturday's season opener against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium (6 p.m. MT, ESPN+ and KSL NewsRadio).

Mitch opens the show with the biggest off-the-field headline of the week: the BYU athletic department has been restructured, with AD Brian Santiago no longer overseeing football operations directly. The move comes after weeks of public tension between Santiago and head coach Kalani Sitake, who turned down Penn State last winter and has been vocal about BYU needing to invest more resources into the football program. Sitake addressed the restructuring during his Monday press conference, sharing his thoughts on the changes and what they mean for the program moving forward. Mitch breaks down Sitake's comments and wonders: Will this be a distraction for BYU football in 2026? As it was last year leading up to the Big 12 Championship Game?

Mitch Harper sits down with a familiar voice in the Utah sports broadcasting world — Rod Zundel, the "Voice of the Trailblazers" and Director of Broadcasting and Multimedia Content for Utah Tech Athletics — for a special game-week conversation previewing Saturday's BYU-Utah Tech season opener at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Before becoming the play-by-play voice calling Utah Tech football, men's basketball, and baseball on FM 99.5 in St. George, Zundel spent nearly 24 years at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City as a sports anchor and reporter. He hosted SportsBeat Saturday and Sunday, KSL 5 Golf Utah, and KSL 5 Outdoor Adventures.

He's been calling Trailblazer games since 2022, when Utah Tech made its transition to Division I and the WAC, and now enters his first year covering the program in the Big Sky Conference. In the interview, Zundel gives Cougar Nation the insider view from St. George. He shares what Utah Tech looked like in its Week 0 season opener — a 54-0 loss to No. 1 Montana State at Greater Zion Stadium — and what third-year head coach Lance Anderson's team is working on as it prepares to travel to Provo for its first game against an FBS opponent this season. Zundel discusses the Utah Tech quarterback situation, and the players and schemes BYU fans should keep an eye on Saturday. He also touches on the state of Utah Tech athletics as the Trailblazers embark on their first season in the Big Sky, what the program's long-term trajectory looks like, and the unique challenge of preparing an FCS squad to walk into a packed LaVell Edwards Stadium and face the No. 14 team in the country.

To close out the show, Mitch dives deep into BYU's first official depth chart of the 2026 season. Among the notable takeaways: true freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker is listed as a starter — the first true freshman to open as a starting wideout under Sitake. Cal transfer linebacker Cade Uluave has earned a starting nod at linebacker despite not yet playing a snap in a BYU uniform, and Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper slots in at another receiving spot. Bear Bachmeier returns as the unquestioned QB1 with Treyson Bourguet behind him. On defense, Kelly Poppinga's first depth chart as defensive coordinator features Faletau Satuala back at safety after recovering from his fractured foot, alongside Evan Johnson at corner and Keanu Tanuvasa anchoring the defensive line. Mitch goes position by position, highlighting the starters, the competition, and the names to watch Saturday night.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

BYU football head coach was asked for his thoughts on the athletic department shakeup at Brigham Young University, which changes who the football program reports to.

Instead of reporting to AD Brian Santiago, Sitake and the BYU football program will report to Vice President Keith Vorkink.

This is a news update that aired on KSL NewsRadio. You can listen to the daily Cougar Tracks updates on KSL NewsRadio at 5:55 a.m., 7:55 a.m, 3:55 p.m., and 5:55 p.m. on 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, and the KSL NewsRadio app.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.

BYU running back LJ Martin, quarterback Bear Bachmeier, and nose tackle Justin Kirkland spoke with the media on August 31, 2026, over Zoom to preview the 2026 season opener against Utah Tech.

Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast sponsored by Zions Bank to stay up-to-date with all the daily episodes.

Cougar Tracks is on YouTube every weekday at Noon (MT), and KSL NewsRadio at 6:30 p.m. (MT).

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609

YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NCF1KecDsE2rB1zMuHhUh

Download the KSL Sports app

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id143593

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up-to-date on all your favorite teams.