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PROVO -- The 2009 BYU football season kicks-off with a doozy against one of the top teams in college football featuring one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
The #3 ranked Oklahoma Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, look at 2009 as a year for redemption. The Sooners, #1 at the time, were blown out in the BCS Championship game by Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. Bradford returned to the Stillwater campus with one goal in mind, win a national championship.
The #20 ranked Cougars present a formidable foe and tough test with a quick-strike offense and improving defense. Senior quarterback Max Hall may also look at 2009 as a year of reparation. Hall struggled in BYU's three loses (TCU, Utah, Arizona) leaving some fans questioning Hall's stability and pocket presence against top competition.
Both teams have something to prove. And, their opportunity at a second chance begins Saturday, September 5 in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
KSL takes a look back and a look ahead as we prep for game day.
What did we learn about BYU during Fall camp?
Win or lose, Bronco Mendenhall says BYU needs to play teams like Oklahoma if the Cougars are to someday compete for a national championship. The Sooners may be more than BYU can handle, but they said the same thing when Boise State battled and beat OU in the BCS. BYU's front-line stars are good enough to put a dent in the Sooners' veneer, and Bronco says most games are decided by only a handful of plays. If enough of those plays go BYU's way, the Cougars can stage the upset.
