Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat. But when I watch our team and talk to our players, hope springs eternal. – BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe
PROVO — As BYU players and coaches prepare this summer for the football season opener in September, they know this will not be just any season-opener.
The Cougars will make their first-ever trip to historic Memorial Stadium on Sept. 5 in Lincoln to take on Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have sold out a staggering 340 consecutive games at Memorial Stadium. How serious do Husker fans take their football? The attendance at the spring game in April was 76,881. It will mark BYU’s first-ever meeting with Nebraska.
If all that weren't enough, the Cougars and Huskers will play on national TV, on ABC, and Nebraska will be going for its 30th consecutive victory in a season-opener. The Cornhuskers haven't lost a season-opener since 1985.
After taking on Boise State in its home opener on Sept. 12, the Cougars visit another storied venue, the Rose Bowl, for a date with UCLA. That will be followed by a showdown with Michigan and BYU's first game at “The Big House.”
Peavler: Summer breakdown of BYU's 2015 schedule
Not only could this be the toughest September schedule in the country, it’s a little like taking a month-long tour of the who’s who of college football.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that both Nebraska (Mike Riley) and Michigan (Jim Harbaugh) are breaking in successful coaches who are in their first seasons at their respective schools.
Another thing to consider — both Nebraska and Michigan are members of the Big Ten Conference. BYU has played only twice at a Big Ten school in the last 35 years — both times at Wisconsin, in 1980 and in 2013. This season, the Cougars get two in one month.
Then, if that weren't enough, on Nov. 14, BYU battles Missouri of the SEC at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, home of the NFL's Chiefs.
It’s the type of schedule coach Bronco Mendenhall envisioned when the Cougars went independent in 2011.
Mendenhall calls this year’s schedule “a step forward,” and he views it with “excitement and optimism. We like it. There’s not only a bunch this year, but a lot the following years as well. That’s the direction we’re going as a program. We want to play as many good teams, as many great stages in front of as many people as possible, wherever that is.”
‘Once-in-an-era opportunity’
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has invested considerable time and effort setting up this schedule. He told BYUtv in April that these road trips are “a once-in-an-era opportunity for our fans.”
Holmoe also knows these aren't just sight-seeing excursions. There's a lot at stake.
“This is a challenging schedule beyond measure for our team. Our kids know it. Our coaches know it. I remind them of it a lot,” Holmoe added. “Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat. But when I watch our team and talk to our players, hope springs eternal. I’m not saying we’re the greatest team in the country. But I love BYU football. And there are lots of fans that love BYU football. This edition is so promising.”
Meanwhile, this year’s home schedule — which features games against Boise State, Connecticut, East Carolina, Cincinnati, Wagner and Fresno State — lacks Power 5 opponents and star power. That’s something Holmoe understands.
“The road schedule is way better than the home schedule. I get that. But, hey, I’m not walking away from a road schedule like that,” Holmoe said. “We’ll get those teams back. Not all of them. We won’t get Michigan back, but we’ll get them back in different years. The reward will come, it’s just spread out.”
Missouri, for example, is scheduled to visit Provo on Nov. 7, 2020.
A road schedule to relish
This year’s road slate resonates with BYU players, recruits and fans alike.
“I have a neighbor back home who loves the Kansas City Chiefs and the Nebraska Cornhuskers,” said Cougar tight end Steven Richards. “We’re playing in the Chiefs’ stadium against Missouri, and we’re playing at Nebraska on opening day. So with him, all of his hype, he’s talking smack. In the locker room, that’s all we’re focusing on — one play at a time, one practice at a time to prepare for our first game. The talk is pretty big about Nebraska, and we’re focused on winning.”
Tight end Tanner Balderree grew up in Detroit and his father used to work at the University of Michigan.
“So in my childhood, Michigan was my favorite team to watch,” Balderree said. “When I found out we were playing at 'The Big House,' I wanted to go there so bad. I have friends from elementary school that go there. Hopefully, we can put a beatdown on Michigan. That would be a dream come true for me.”
Wide receivers coach Guy Holliday, who has coached all around the country the past 22 years, is looking forward to visiting these fabled venues.
“As a coach and as a player, I’ve been to some of these places and we’re in for a treat. I’ve been to Michigan. That’s an exciting atmosphere,” Holliday said. “I’ve never had an opportunity to go to Nebraska, so I’m excited. Obviously, going to the Rose Bowl, that will be really special particularly for me because I haven’t been there before. I’m looking forward to that. Our players need to relish that.”
Nebraska
BYU opens the 2015 season on Sept. 5 with a game at Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1923, against “Big Red.” Memorial Stadium has a seating capacity of 81,067, and Nebraska has sold out 340 consecutive games dating back to 1962.
“Nebraska is the place that has sold out more games than anyone in the country,” Holmoe said. “I’ve been there, and it’s something you have to witness. You have to see it to believe it. (Seeing it) on TV doesn’t count.”
UCLA
On Sept. 19, the Cougars will take on the Bruins at the historic Rose Bowl, which seats 92,542 and of course hosts the Rose Bowl Game, known as "The Granddaddy of Them All” because it is the oldest bowl game.
It will mark the 11th meeting between the two programs, and UCLA leads the all-time series, 7-3. While the Bruins won six straight games against BYU from 1985 to 1995, the Cougars are 2-1 against UCLA under Mendenhall.
For Holmoe, this one is personal. His brother played for the Bruins. “I’ve got something more on this game,” he said. “This is brother vs. brother.”
Michigan
On Sept. 26, BYU makes its first trip to Ann Arbor to face Michigan at Michigan Stadium. With a seating capacity of 109,901, it is the largest football stadium in the country.
“To go to the Big House, to play at Michigan, and play in the biggest stadium — not just of college football but all of football in the United States — it’s the Big House in Ann Arbor,” Holmoe said. “I’ve never been there. For me, it’s intriguing.”
The Cougars and Wolverines have played only one time, but it was a memorable one. BYU rallied to defeat Michigan for a 24-17 victory in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, capping a 13-0 season for the Cougars, who ended up winning the national championship.
One interesting storyline for this one — BYU quarterback Taysom Hill was recruited to, and signed with, Stanford in 2009 when Harbaugh was the head coach of the Cardinal.
Missouri
Former BYU offensive lineman and current Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid played a role in the Cougars’ Nov. 14 matchup against Missouri at 79,451-seat Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs.
Reid and Holmoe are former teammates at BYU, and Reid was involved in negotiations that helped pair up the Cougars and Tigers.
“You’ve got a chance to go to Kansas City and play in an NFL stadium. It’s one of the loudest stadiums in the country when you play Chiefs-49ers,” said Holmoe, who played for the San Francisco 49ers. “To be able to play Missouri on a neutral field? Look, it’s not neutral to them. It’s right in their neighborhood. But they’re coming back to play us in Provo, so it’s a good deal.”
Missouri has played 30 games in Kansas City, including seven times at Arrowhead Stadium, posting a 5-2 record from 2005-11.
“They are a new SEC school with a rich football tradition going back to the Big 12," Holmoe said. "It will also be exciting for our team to play at Arrowhead Stadium in a region of the country where we haven't been in a while.”
Chiefs president Mark Donovan is eagerly awaiting this BYU-Missouri matchup.
“We’ve been focused on bringing FBS football back to Arrowhead Stadium for some time and have investigated a number of ways to accomplish that,” Donovan said. “We want to thank both Missouri and BYU for making this possible. We know that this will be a unique opportunity for the players, coaches and fans of both institutions to experience the iconic Arrowhead atmosphere.”
BYU and Missouri have met once, in the 1983 Holiday Bowl. In that game, Cougar quarterback Steve Young scored a late touchdown to defeat the Tigers, 21-17.
More big road games on the horizon …
As BYU enters its fifth year as an independent, the 2015 schedule is not an anomaly. There are plenty more big games at big-time venues in the near future.
In 2016, the Cougars open the season at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, against Arizona. Weeks later, BYU faces West Virginia at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, followed by a matchup with Michigan State at Spartan Stadium.
In 2017, the Cougars are slated to face Louisiana State at NRG Stadium in Houston, and later that season, they will play at Mississippi State.
… and prominent games in Provo, too
Also in future seasons, some Power 5 programs are scheduled to play at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
In 2016, BYU hosts UCLA and Mississippi State. In 2017 the Cougars host rival Utah. Other scheduled home games include California (2018); Wisconsin, USC and Washington (2019); and Michigan State and Missouri (2020).
“The thing that I love is, we have a special atmosphere here at our stadium,” Holliday said. “It’s special to be playing at home. I don’t want to be in awe of any place we go. If anything, I want people to be in awe of being in Provo, Utah.”