Go Cougs! Aug. 30 can't come soon enough.

BYU is barely starting summer workouts?! Max Hall in Mexico?! Man, they are going to get slaughtered by Utah this year. While Hall was sitting poolside in mexico sipping leche, Bryan Johnson was already lifting weights on the bench press, looking for large staircases and sprinting up them, and holding football throwing contests where you throw a ball as far as you can and the winner is the guy who throws is the longest.

The summer is almost over, BYU. What's up?

is a leader. No question he plays in the NFL someday.

Way to be a leader Max. And please no haters need to comment here.

I'm liking more and more the attitude and hard work this team has engaged. Luck favors the prepared. Sounds like Hall and company are going to be more than prepared.

Here in just a minute some Utah fan will hyperventilate over this article. He will then post the link to their message board and all 5 of their fans will discuss how dumb the writer is for even writing an article on BYU when they could have written in painful detail, just how good Utah should have been had they won the games they could have in the past. There will be at least 4 references to luck playing a role in BYU's past 2 seasons as well as a handful of penalties the referees missed which would have changed the outcome of the last 2 rivalry games. This discussion will somehow include pirates and beer, as well as some reference to a porn star only a Utah fan would know existed. In the end BYU fans will feel some measure of sympathy toward those 5 fans since they obviously had a sub-standard upbringing in order to suffer from their delusions. They will then link this comment on their message board to demonstrate just how arrogant BYU fans are. OOhhh how I hate the off season!

I'm a student at the Y who knows many of the player's and have been privy to the talk around Provo. This is going to be a "magical" year, and the city can't wait for the season to begin. This team is dedicated and has the maturity to do great things. Can't wait for the Utah game. No matter what the records are, that game is always exciting to watch. Go Cougs.

Ya baby, Ya baby! I cannot wait to plop my tail down in my seat at LE Stadium for the greatest sports experience available: COUGAR FOOTBALL! This article pumps me up, and I have often stated to my peers that BYU fans are to docile. Lately (I have had season tickets for...ever!) thought we have been flat out RAUCOUS! I have been to many other stadiums in my long life, and COUG fans, we are getting there! Even without alcohol, we can become one of the better 12th man in the nation. So lets be as good of fans as our MIGHTY COUGARS are a team! Remember that we have to beat the refs too, so don't boo them, they aren't dropping balls or missing tackles. Just cheer on your COUGS, they will prevail. Great Job Bronco, you have made us old timers young again. 49 days and counting. I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! GOOOOOO COUGARS!!

PS: I'm a BYU Football Fan

this time of year makes me want to move back to utah for six months. but since i am so use to the balmy weather in Brasilia, Brazil I do not think I could handle the cold. take it all this year cougars and thank the Lord for sling box.

no team will be within 2 tds of the team down south this year, including my mighty utes

What a torturous time of year. Thanks for busting it everyday guys. It gives us all something to look forward to when the summer comes to an end. Utes suck.

Imagine (for the Utes)

Imagine there's no Cougars
It's easy if you try
No Collie scoring touchdowns
No summer EFY

Imagine there was coverage
on fourth and nineteen
Oh no, some guy is open
in the endzone is Johnny Harline.

Imagine if only Bronco coached us,
Beating the MWCeee,eeeEEE
You may say, I'm a dreamer
I wish it were only true
Then I wouldn't being whining all time,
Cause the Cougs own the Utes

Imagine there's no Max Hall,
Or an Unga too,
No Touch Down School,
No yearly winning blue,

Imagine if only Bronco coached us,
Beating the MWCeee,eeeEEE
You may say, I'm a dreamer
I wish it were only true
Then I wouldn't being whining all time,
Cause the Cougs own the Utes

(with apologies to John Lennon)

We had such a good team back in 1984...The spirit of 1984 truly runs in Max Hall's veins. It shows in his work ethic, his attitude, and even the way he smiles. Go cougs, bring back the '84 feelings!

Like dad always said, "Hard work and perseverance bring reward - and BCS trophies!"

So if byu loses, would that be Max Hall’s fault for eating too many tacos?

Way to go Cougars! I admire your hard work and dedication during the summer break. I'm looking fowrard to an exciting season.

Summer conditioning, workouts, film sessions???

Will the inspired inovations that Coach Mendenhall brings to B.Y.U. football never end?

The next thing you know every college team will start voluntary summer workouts.

if byu does not make the bcs it will be a dissapointment to all. at least we have a lot better chances that the utes to do it. just think about it.....

I cant wait till cougar kick off on haws field!

For crying out loud, is it football season yet???? This is the longest time of the year.

Mendenhall has made these practices (mandatory) which is against NCAA rules, then the NCAA need to get involved with sanctions.

If Mendenhalldoesn't have enough players he can get missionaries out of the mission field to play with a phone call to the mission presidents.

I am the first to comment on this story

Are going to get spanked this year. November can't come soon enough!

Let's get going, I'm ready for this season to start right now!

Seems to me the Cougars are go to roll this year. While the u of u seems to be going to parties and getting stabbed. Wonder which team really wants to win?

Over the last week or so, the D-News has done FIVE stories/columns exclusively about byU football in addition to a couple of other columns where both byU and Utah football are covered. Meanwhile, there have been ZERO stories/columns written exclusively about the Utes.

Why can't the D-News give the Utes even just half the coverage they give byU?

Given the byU bias the D-News displays, byU fans should never complain about the 'East coast bias' again.

It's great to see the dedication of these guys. They have some tough games this year with UCLA, Utah and TCU, but if they can pull them all off and go to a BCS game, considering they return a strong core of players the next year, they could start the next year with a high enough ranking that they could conceivably get into the BCS championship. Wouldn't that create a stir.

I think the players understand what is at stake. If dedication and commitment were the only criteria, these guys would be there each year. It will be interesting to see how much talent they really have.

What if anything does the NCAA hope to accomplish by not allowing coaches to be present while the players are practicing during certain time restraints.

What does the NCAA hope to accomplish with its rule that within certain time restraints players practice time must be toally voluntary officially, even if everyone knows that it is not totally voluntary unofficially.

I believe that if the troops are in the fox holes, they have the right to have their comanding officer with them giving direction.

none of this matters.

Another article about BYU giving the impression that they have an "edge" somehow or that their players are more motivated than the rest of the other programs in the country.

This article might make good reading for the BYU fan but it is laughable. Most college football players stick around their campuses year round now to stay in shape and focus on their sport. One only has to look at how specialized youth sports has become to understand the dedication.

BYU fans should be concerned if Mad Max is having to call players to ask why they aren't at practice.

Maybe this is BYU's attempt to look like a PAC 10 program because from Tucson to Pullman, it is common practice for players to stick around campus and have unofficial "self starter" workouts with their teammates.

Hey Max,

Better get comfortable in the call center, you may be there awhile.

Cougars don't have to work hard, as long as they are doing the right thing on and off the field!.

Let the yardage maching rev up! It chews up lawn, opponents and scores touchdowns! I'm ready for Cougar football!!!!

To R. Noel: Clearly you are clueless about what's going on in Provo. But thats ok keep thinking BYU is being lazy and that a contest as to who can throw the football the longest is going to help. Are the receivers at the U playing 500 too? Just keep up your delusion cuz I want to see your face when reality hits.

BYU continues to dominate a weak conference. The Mountain West is as strong as its television contract. Heck the Baggies atleast played on KJAZZ:) BYU is very overrated and as long as they play in the Mountain they will remain that way. Really they would get squashed in any reputable conference. 11-2 great work, look at your lame schedule. Sorry Boogars you stink.

Maybe you should record that song and sell it to the Utes! anyway, best song i've never heard!

I love that the Cougar's goal is to follow big brother's footsteps to the Fiesta Bowl.

Baby steps little brothers, baby steps. Beat a BCS team on the road first, then we'll see what happens.

Go Utes.....

Stick to posting to only YEWT based articles PLEASE!

How are they going to prove that this voluntary work out is mandatory it's going to be a 'he said she said' type of arguement.

So like I said before stick to commenting to articles about the team up north.

Richard Noel,

Your comment proved you don't know anything about football.

What you are explaining that Brian Johnson has been doing is individual workouts and Max Hall has been doing that since the season ended. The cougars are now starting "team workouts." That is different.

I promise that Max's workouts are far more difficult than just bench press, "looking for large staircases and sprinting up them," and having throwing competitions..

Brian needs to work on the mental aspect of the game, staying healthy and he needs to work on his accuracy. Maybe Max could lend him a copy of his workout?

I swear that some people posting on here did not even read the story. Mr Noel and If you know who you are.

I am truly happy for you cougar fans. It makes reading this article that much better when you know that your team is going to have a great season. I sure know that my team will have a great season.

Go UTES…

Beat a BCS team (Boise St) on your own turf, then we'll call you relevant. Michigan and Oregon State are going to trash you, Wyoming will flip you off all over the field as they beat you, and we're going to stop all over your U in front of the Muss.

at least you can beat Weber at Utah state....

Its boring, but at least its unoriginal.

BYU may indeed have a magical year which means losing to Washington and UCLA. BYU can only beat BCS teams in the Vegas Bowl when these clubs just want their season's to end. BYU's lack of athleticism in the secondary will doom them against BCS foes. Utah looks to be a more complete team and the Utes are working just as hard in SLC. TCU and Utah on the road? Looks like two more losses.

This isn't about Utah's relevance. That has already been established by being the original BCS busters with a perfect season and a BSC Fiesta Bowl victory.

This is about BYU's relevance, or quest for perfection, or perfect season, or magical season, or BSC bowl, or national championship, or whatever you call it.

It just seems that you might want to beat a BSC team on the road before you claim Bronco's Cougars as the bestest team ever.

I'm just sayin....

By the way, we don't play Weber at Utah State. We play them at RES.

We don't always play our games at the time scheduled, like Bronco does, but it is one of our "core philosophies" to play them at the location as scheduled.

"Beat a BCS team on your own turf"?

What do you call #11 UCLA 44-6 last year? The very week after UCLA beat byu by 10 points! Since 2000, Utah has more wins over BCS programs than ANY(including byu) non-Bcs team in the country. Check ESPN for reference.

Talk about Weber State? Utah has had them scheduled for 3 years. Byu on the other had; the minute Nevada backs out of their game byu goes and schedule a 1AA team! "Tone done" the schedule byu is doing, that is why bronco has played 1AA teams almost ever year he has been coach. Byu could have scheduled to play Florida or Rutgers because they were both looking for a game the same time byu was(Rutgers to this day still needs a game).

So love it,

I love that the Cougar's goal is to follow big brother's footsteps to the Fiesta Bowl.

Baby steps little brothers, baby steps. Beat a BCS team on the road first, then we'll see what happens.

Go Utes.....

Maybe Max Hall can be Beck's backup for the Dolphins?

I love how you yewtards come and try to rain on BYU's parade. Yeah you had one good season and went to the fiesta bowl with your coach who will never ever come back. Woopdee freakin do.

We are in the middle of buiding a dynasty and you have to brag about winning OOC games. Try preparing for teams in your own conference retards.

Oh, and just in case you have forgotten.
Scoreboard.
:D
It's good to be a Cougar.

Just beat University of WA, and UCLA and even if they loose a conference game or two, (TCU/Utah), I can live with that...it's very unrealistic to think that the Cougs will beat Utah every year...let's be considerate of their team's efforts as well...they want to beat us so bad, that's about all they can think about during the offseason...the hatred has built up to such a level that they are not going to rest until they beat BYU...this may be the year, but even so, I'll be happy with a win over the UofW Huskies and home against UCLA!!!!

I guess Joseph B Wirthlen is one of those 5 fans and must have had a horrible upbringing to end up and apostle of the LDS church.

BYU may be overrated, but they are better than any other MWC team, including that team up north. Wherever BYU is, the ewe is beneath them.