Cougar Clicks: Suspended Huskers, schedule change and a BYU fan's day made


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PROVO — A few items of news came out regarding future BYU opponents, but the football team was a bit busy Thursday with a surprise visit to one fan who was injured "for the team," according to the official BYU football Twitter account.

Here are the bigger news stories of the day, plus 105 football players making one young fan's day.

5 Huskers suspended for season opener

BYU will suspend linebacker Sione Takitaki for the season opener at Nebraska on Sept. 5, and Bronco Mendenhall has confirmed that other disciplinary actions will occur from the fallout of the brawl with Memphis during last year's Miami Beach Bowl.

But the Cougars won't be the only ones with suspended players.

Nebraska coach Mike Riley confirmed a report Thursday that the Huskers will suspend five players for the season opener, according to multiple reports from Lincoln-area news outlets.

"I'm not going to give you their names and I'm not going to give you why," Riley told the Lincoln Journal Star, adding he had hoped the news wouldn't come out like it did, "but it was obviously a team violation, and then we will be anxious to have those guys in the fold after that."

The suspensions were first reported by the Portland Tribune after a writer spent a full day with the Huskers' coaching staff during camp and learned of the move.

Nebraska running back Terrell Newby (34) runs away from Rutgers defensive back Lorenzo Waters (21) in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., in this Oct. 25, 2014 file photo. (Associated Press)
Nebraska running back Terrell Newby (34) runs away from Rutgers defensive back Lorenzo Waters (21) in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., in this Oct. 25, 2014 file photo. (Associated Press)

Mendenhall has not publicly announced any suspensions for the opener, and reiterated Wednesday during team picture day that he does not intend to address it until game week, if at all.

Wisconsin return game moved up

BYU's home date with Wisconsin was moved up two years, from 2019 to Sept. 16, 2017, the school announced Thursday morning.

The move gives BYU five home dates in 2017, along with Utah, Boise State, San Jose State and UMass. The Cougars also do not leave the state of Utah for the first four weeks of the season, as referenced by fbschedules.com.

BYU opens the season against Louisiana State at LRG Stadium in Houston before returning home for back-to-back games in Provo against Utah and Wisconsin, an open date/potential bye week Sept. 23 and a game at Utah State on Sept. 29 and a home game against Boise State on Oct. 7.

The Cougars could also schedule a 13th game because they play at Hawaii on Nov. 25, 2017. BYU does not have an FCS opponent on the schedule in 2017.

The move gives the Badgers a complete 2017 schedule, with Big Ten games and other non-conference opponents in Utah State and Florida Atlantic. BYU is the only non-conference road game in 2017.

BYU football makes injured fan's day

BYU fan Amy Miller broke her arm recently, and she did it while she was running for a #BYU50 giveaway box.

Amy, Heal up fast. We need your 💯% WARRIOR-like mentality in The ROC for our home opener! https://t.co/SzlsnqREYY — Tom Holmoe (@TomHolmoe) August 9, 2015

When the team heard about the incident, they did better than give her a box — they brought the whole team to her front lawn.

THE ENTIRE BYU FOOTBALL TEAM WAS JUST ON MY LAWN & GAVE ME SEASON TICKETS & SANG THE FIGHT SONG AND I MIGHT PASS OUT pic.twitter.com/GnviGd5dXj — Amy Miller (@itsamymiller) August 14, 2015

Players and coaches gave Miller a BYU T-shirt for every day of the week, as well as several other prizes and ticket giveaways, then hoisted her above the crowd — carefully, as can be seen by her cast-and-sling arm — and sang the BYU fight song to her.

It was the least the team could do, wide receiver Mitch Mathews tweeted.

She broke her arm running to the #BYU50 box. Best part, she got it. So we showed up. pic.twitter.com/3EnNECKmxM — Mitch Mathews (@mitchmathews10) August 14, 2015

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