2015 BYU Cougars football team


The 2015 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars, led by 11th-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This was the fifth year BYU competed as an NCAA Division I FBS independent. They finished the season 9–4. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl, where they lost to rival Utah.
On December 4, Mendenhall was hired as the head coach at Virginia. He stayed and coached the Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl. He finished at BYU with an 11-year record of 99–43.
On December 19, Oregon State defensive coordinator and former BYU fullback Kalani Sitake was named BYU's new head coach.

Before the season

After a season in which the entire offensive staff was changed, BYU is expected to have stability in the coaching ranks as every coach is expected to return.

2015 recruits

2015 returning missionaries

2015 departures

The following Cougars graduated, transferred, or chose to serve two-year church missions after the 2013 season and didn't return to the team in 2015.

Media

Football Media Day

Football Media Day took place on June 24, 2015. It aired live on BYUtv, with a simulcast on ESPN3. The Media Day featured the start time and TV network of all but 2 home games. Player interviews were also conducted on byutv.org.

Cougar IMG Sports Network Affiliates

- Flagship Station
BYU Radio- Nationwide
KIDO- Boise, ID
KTHK- Blackfoot/ Idaho Falls/ Pocatello/ Rexburg, ID
KMGR- Manti, UT
KSUB- Cedar City, UT
KDXU- St. George, UT
KSHP- Las Vegas, NV

Roster

Schedule

Game summaries

Nebraska

Sources:
''Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
BYU entered Lincoln as 6-point underdogs, with Bronco Mendenhall taking back defensive play-calling responsibilities, and with Taysom Hill looking to prove last years Heisman talk wasn't outside the box. The Cougars entered the game with 4 starters being suspended due to last years bowl game: defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile, safety Kai Nacua, wide receiver Trey Dye, and linebacker Sione Takitaki. The revamped BYU defense gave up huge amounts of passing yardage, giving up 180 yards passing in the first quarter alone. On the way they lost 3 defensive starters to injury, including nose tackle Travis Tuiloma 4–6 weeks.
Taysom Hill kept BYU in the game with his scrambling, including a 21-yard run which evened it up at 14. On the 21-yard run though, Hill came to an abrupt stop in the endzone. He was taken into the locker room, where he was diagnosed with a foot sprain of some sort. A Fred Warner fumble recovery gave BYU the ball back quickly. Freshman QB Tanner Mangum came in on BYU's next possession for 2 plays: a 9-yard run and a 9-yard pass, before Hill returned. The Cougars drove the rest of the field before Hill found Mitch Mathews for the first of his 2 receiving touchdowns.
A Hill interception in the third reversed the tide back to Nebraska. After missing 12-of-15 passes in the 2nd quarter Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong, Jr. once again shredded the BYU D for more than 100 yards receiving in the 3rd. Hill would keep in close, driving possession after possession into Nebraska's end of the field, but the interception and a 4th down stop seemed to keep Nebraska with the momentum.
In the 4th Hill limped off the field. BYU sent him back into the locker room and sent Mangum back onto the field. Mangum went on to complete 6/10 in the 4th quarter for 102 yards, but the most memorable play came on the final possession. With only one second left Mangum scrambled right and threw the hail mary to the end zone. Mathews came all the way across the field and caught the 42-yard pass for the touchdown, ending Nebraska's 29-year home opener winning streak.

While Mangum entered the halls of Cougar lore with the touchdown pass, the news wasn't so good for BYU after the game. Hill was diagnosed with a lisfranc injury, which would be season-ending.
Game Stats:
----

Boise State

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
1–42014BSU, 55–30

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

UCLA

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
3–72008BYU, 59–0

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
Game Stats:
----

Michigan

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
1–01984BYU, 24–17

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
Game Stats:
----

UConn

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
1–02014BYU, 35–10

Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

East Carolina

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

Cincinnati

Sources:
Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

Wagner

Sources:
Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

San Jose State

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
6–102012San Jose State, 20–14

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
Game Stats:
----

Missouri

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
1–01983BYU, 21–17

Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

Fresno State

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
4–51998Fresno State, 31–21

Uniform combination: white helmet, blue jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

Utah State

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
46–35–32014Utah State, 35–20

Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, white pants.
Game Stats:
----

Las Vegas Bowl

Sources:
Overall recordLast meetingResult
31–54–42013Utah, 20–13

''Uniform combination: white helmet with royal blue decals and royal blue chromium facemasks, royal blue jersey, white pants.
This was the final game for head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who accepted the same position with the Virginia Cavaliers on December 4, and for assistant coaches Robert Anae, Garett Tujague, Mark Atuaia, Jason Beck, Nick Howell, and Kelly Poppinga who accepted coaching responsibilities for the same positions at Virginia on December 9 & 10.
Game Stats:
After the game was completed, Tom Holmoe took time during the post-game press conference to announce that Kalani Sitake would become the BYU head coach beginning with the 2016 season.
----

Rankings