It's game day, Cougar fans! Time to avenge last season's loss to the Aggies and restore order to the universe. This year BYU is at home and has been struggling on offense but the players haven't forgotten what happened last time. I believe they are ready for some serious payback. It's up to us fans to support the team as best as we can today! If you are going to the game, dress up in royal blue (you don't want to be confused with the USU supporters, do you?) and cheer loud. If you are watching on TV from the comfort of your home, tune in early and enjoy. If you are not able to watch or listen, keep a prayer of victory in your hearts.

I won't be able to be on here much since I'll be at LES but I will try to hop on every once in a while from my phone if I have service. Leave your comments below!

During Week 3 in the NFL, only two former BYU players contributed to their teams:

As for the others on active rosters, John Beck was on the sidelines all game long (again) while Rex Grossman performed decently in a defensive battle between the Redskins and Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Dennis Pitta was shut out on receptions during the Ravens win against St. Louis. Bryan Kehl, Chris Hoke, and Brett Keisel also didn't record any stats.

Although it was a slow week for ex-Cougs, who was your Player of the Week?

First off, I want to apologize for not having a game thread up for last week's game vs Utah. It was a crazy week for me that included having to work the day of the game and I totally spaced opening the game thread. I was originally planning on watching my DVRed version of the game after work and recapping it but when I heard the score I had absolutely no desire to put myself through that.

That being said...TODAY IS ANOTHER BYU HOME GAME!!!!!!!! Now is the time to shake off last week's embarrassment and Rise Up as fans. We need to show up in force at LaVell Edwards Stadium and show our boys the support they deserve. I will be at the game so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to stop by here on my phone but I will try to leave comments whenever I can.

P.S. There is a tailgate, hosted by the Cougar Center guys, at the Marriott Center parking lot starting at noon and going up until right before the game starts so if you are going to the game, stop by and say hi.  GO COUGS!!!!!

After last Saturday's debacle against Utah, I was looking forward to the NFL weekend to see some former-BYU stars excel on the gridiron. Unfortunately, Sunday and Monday didn't bring too much success for them either. Out of the Cougars who recorded stats, only Brett Keisel's Pittsburgh Steelers won on the weekend. 

John Beck did not play again as he watched Rex Grossman start out horribly but in the end the Redskins came back on his two TD passes and great team defense. Vic So'oto is still injured for the Green Bay Packers and among those that are on teams but did not play or did not record any stats are John Denney, Chris Hoke and Bryan Kehl.

After the jump are stats for those that did record stats this week. Who do you think was the ex-BYU Player of the Week in Week 2? Vote at the end.

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With the NFL finally back its time to see how former BYU players are doing. This will be a new weekly feature on Tuesdays, once the NFL week has ended. If I missed anybody or if you hear of any injuries to any former BYU player, please bring it to my attention.

Don't forget to leave comments below if there was a special performance by a BYU player that you enjoyed or just to talk trash about the players that are ahead of them on the depth chart that isn't allowing them to get playing time.

Stats after the jump:

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Ok VTFers, its time to rise up again and support our Cougars as they take on the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Come say hi and stay to talk about the game as it goes on. Don't forget to use the hashtag #BeatTexas and #BYUFootball if you are on Twitter.

Cougar Captions is back! So leave your creative caption in the comment section below and don't forget to vote for your favorite by 'rec'-ing it.

Mine after the jump:

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Well its finally that time again! College football kicks off tonight with some of the marquee games as UNLV travels to take on #11 Wisconsin, #20 Mississippi State goes up against Memphis, and Utah starts the season off in difficult fashion against Montana State. While its all fine and dandy that these other teams begin tonight, we all know that the real start of the season occurs on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi as the Cougars travel to meet up with the Ole Miss Rebels. This is the first time ever that BYU and Ole Miss will play each other on the gridiron. This is also BYU's first game as football Independents so lot's of history is ready to be made. 

We have asked our friends over in SEC country, Red Cup Rebellion, to answer 5 questions about the upcoming game and they have kindly obliged. In return, we answered 5 of their questions and those are posted over on their respective SBN blog. So read through what they have to say below and then head over to RCR to see how I answered their questions.

Oh, and leave your comments below. Let's get a good discussion going!

1. We have heard that some people are calling for Houston Nutt to be fired. How hot would you say is Houston Nutt's hot seat? Is it mainly fans or school administration?

We ask ourselves that question every day. If Houston only wins five this year, will he be fired? The answer is, we're really not sure. I guess that means his seat isn't piping hot, but I think that there's a good segment of our fanbase who, if faced with another season without a bowl, would opt for firing Nutt. In 2009, when the Rebels opened preseason polls as the #8 team in the country, Nutt really let us down. We finished 8-4 with a bowl win, and a lot of fans gave up on him then. Next came.... the Jacksonville State loss. That was the last straw for many.

The administration appears to be behind him (mostly because his buyout would be something like six million dollars this year). That could all change if big time boosters come forward willing to pay. As it stands, it appears that the administration would like to keep him around (assuming he wins more than four). If we only win four again, he's gone.

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I don't know how many of you are following Cowboys Ride For Free's NCAA Conference Re-Draft or have even heard about it. Basically it was an idea that they came up with during the whole NCAA conference apocalypse of all the conference swapping that started last summer. Six SBNation college blogs were chosen to be the commissioners of the new conferences. The rules (which can be found in their entirety here) basically state that the commissioners must draft their conference based on the best overall school until each new conference has at least 12 schools and up to 16 if they chose to go that high.

As things progressed though the rounds, no mid-majors had been chosen (with the exception of Notre Dame, if you can call them mid-major) but the commissioners were starting to rank BYU, Utah and TCU up near the tops of their draft boards. Finally with the second pick in the 8th round, the House of a Thousand Sanctions Conference run by House of Sparky chose BYU to join their conference. With the very next pick, Utah was chosen and then TCU was selected two picks after that.

I think its a pretty big honor that we were the first mid-major selected in the Re-Draft and I am proud to be part of House of Sparky's conference even though I don't think the name of the conference is fitting. (BYU and PSU are the only CFB schools that have won a National Title and never received a major violation.) One of the coolest things about our new conference is the fact that Notre Dame is also in the conference and we have the rivalry with them as huge religious schools.

Other schools currently in the House of a Thousand Sanctions Conference are (in order of draft): USC, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, Syracuse, Kentucky and Pittsburgh. I'd say that's a pretty legit conference.

For House of Sparky's story about drafting BYU, go here and maybe leave a comment or two.

Tonight is the NBA Draft and Jimmer has been invited to the "green room" as one of the 15 players expected to go in the lottery. There are lots of rumors swirling right now with trades and who will pick whom but one thing is for sure...this years draft is going to be an exciting one.

Come join in on the conversation. Cheer (or boo) for you team when they come up to draft. Cheer (or boo) for whoever picks Jimmer. Have fun and good luck to all the draftees especially Jimmer!

UPDATE: I don't have time to link it in but  Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has Sacramento, Charlotte and Milwaukee in a three-way trade. Players included are Stephan Jackson, John Salmons, etc. Regarding the draft, #7 would go to Charlotte, #19 to Milwaukee and #10 to Sacramento. Smells like Jimmer to the Kings to me. -Lars.on

Finally it is NBA Draft Week! I, for one, have been waiting for this week for so long. The countless mock drafts and arguments about if it is better to draft for need or to draft best player available are so old that I am just ready to get it all over with. This college and NBA offseason have been of particular interest to us here at VTF because of the one and only James Taft Fredette. Over the past few months, Jimmer has been linked to teams picking anywhere from 7th to 17th. Jimmer's stock has risen in the past month or so as a direct result of his great workouts with each team that he visits. In his latest mock draft (version 5.0), Chad Ford now has Jimmer going to the Pacers at 15. I find this odd that he suddenly drops two spots in the week before the draft.

Here's a quick overview of what teams in Jimmer's range of picks are saying about him. The teams reportedly interested in him are the Kings (7), Bobcats (9), Bucks (10), Jazz (12), Suns (13), Pacers (15) and Knicks (17).

Lots of buzz has been generated about Jimmer to the Kings, most of it by our own Lars.ON, but during his workout with the team he really impressed the coaches and media with his toughness, energy, shooting and his interviews after the workout. If Jimmer goes to the Kings, most pundits will think it was a huge stretch for them but I have no doubts that Jimmer can be a solid contributor in the NBA.

The Bobcats haven't had Jimmer in for a workout and in fact their outlook on The Jimmer is completely different than most other teams. It appears that Michael Jordan in wary about making the same mistake in drafting Jimmer as he made in his first draft where he drafted Adam Morrison. Many comparisons have been made between the two and it appears the Bobcats won't touch Jimmer with a ten-foot pole.

Jimmer reportedly turned down a workout with the Bucks a few weeks ago and this may force the Bucks to not target him anymore.

Since day 1, Jimmer to the Jazz has been thrown through the wringer and scrutinized from all sides. It is true that the Jazz need a PG of the future but is Jimmer that guy? Are any of the other PGs in this draft not named Kyrie Irving that guy? Who knows what the future holds for any of these guys but one thing is for sure, Jimmer would definitely sell tickets and merchandise on the Jazz. Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune points out a side of the story that not everyone is talking about. If Jimmer goes to the Jazz, will he be able to deal with the pressure of playing in a fishbowl market like Salt Lake?

If the Jazz pass on Jimmer, the Phoenix Suns might take him. With Steve Nash going into his 15th year in the league and Dragic traded to the Rockets last season, Jimmer might be a perfect fit here. Jimmer could learn the NBA game behind one of the greatest PGs ever and then take over for him in a year or two.

The Indiana Pacers love The Jimmer and he had a great workout with them. I don't know if Jimmer is available here but if he is I doubt the Pacers pass on his unique skill set.

Last but not least, the Knicks sit at an awkward spot with the 17th pick. Jimmer is a home state hero and would fit in great with Mike D'Antoni's uptempo offense and with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudamire gettting most of the opposing team's attention, Jimmer could have a big impact for the Knicks. Unfortunately for the Knicks, there is almost zero chance Jimmer is available. There are rumors that the Knicks are now looking to trade up so they don't miss out on Jimmer.

After the jump I will provide a few more links about Jimmer and also news on a new BYU WR that will start school later this week and may be able to make a quick impact on the football team this year!

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Hey everybody, Sabbi had the brilliant idea to have each of us site contributors write a 'get to know me' post on each day this week. We have only had control of the site for about 3 months and we are trying to get it hopping again like it has been in the past. Letting you all know who we are is a good way to kick-start the process. Hopefully, you have already read Sabbi's introduction. If not, check it out here and then come back to read about me after the jump.

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Tomorrow is the 2011 NCAA National Championship game for rugby and BYU will meet Cal for the sixth straight time in the championship game. BYU has only won one time (in 2009) but this is our year. Post your caption in the comments section and rec the best ones.

My caption and last weeks winner after the jump:

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Let's go basketball again but this time we'll go a little old school since I just think this photo is pretty awesome. If anybody doesn't recognize this polarizing BYU player, it is Jonathan Tavernari. You know the drill: leave your caption in the comments section and recommend those you like.

My caption and last week's winner after the jump.

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Hey everybody, its time again for Cougar Captions. As stated in Tracking the Cougars the other day, BYU Rugby is in the quarterfinals against Navy this Saturday. To honor them, this week's photo is of the rugby team. You know the rules: put your caption in the comments section and if you like someone else's caption rec it or comment on it. So here you go:

Opposing player: "My physics professor taught me that an object in motion stays in motion. Crap!"
BYU player: "I am Juggernaut!" 

After the jump, last week's photo and winning caption.

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We have to start out with a Jimmer story, right? Apparently, over 50 agents and agencies were vying for the right to represent Jimmer as he transitioned into the NBA and a few weeks ago he had narrowed his choices down to five. Now, according to a family member and also by a tweet from the agency, Jimmer has chosen the Octagon agency to represent him. The Octagon also represents current NBA stars Wes Mathews, Stephen Curry and Chris Paul among others.

Since this is a sports blog, we don't like to get too political if we can help it but this is too funny not to share. Everybody now knows that Osama Bin Laden was killed on Sunday by US Navy Seals in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Somebody (most likely a BYU student) got creative and made a sign out of plastic Dixie cups on an overpass in Provo claiming that Jimmer was the one actually responsible for the ultimate demise of the terrorist leader.

In a roundup of other BYU sports from this past week, No. 2 ranked BYU mens volleyball team lost at home to UCSB to end their season on a disappointing note.

BYU rugby finished their regular season undefeated and will now play Navy in the quarterfinals of the College Premier Division playoffs this Saturday at 1 pm at home. The game costs $2 for students and $5 for everyone else or can be viewed online at www.byurugby.com. If you have a chance, get out there and support our men in their quest to win the NCAA title this year.

BYU Baseball upset No. 6 Arizona State 6-4 on Tuesday to even their record at 21-21 while ASU fell to 32-11. Next, BYU faces Seattle University in a three-game series starting on Thursday.

Last, and least (since its kind of embarrassing), the 2011 NFL draft came and went with no BYU players being selected in the 7 round event for the first time since 1994. This doesn't necessarily mean that none of the players who entered their names in the draft will make it to the NFL but with the lockout, none of them can sign as free agents with teams. If the lockout is lifted before the season gets underway, it will be tough for undrafted free agents to beat out veterans in a shortened training camp/preseason. Here's to hoping some of our guys can make it eventually though.

We are going to start a new feature here at VTF. My hope is that this will be something that will give a bit of comical relief to get us ready for the weekend after a long week of work, school, or whatever else we may have. So, may I introduce to you Cougar Captions. Each Friday I will post a picture here that has to do with BYU sports. There may occasionally be a photo that doesn't deal directly with sports but it will be BYU related.

The rules are simple: look at the photo and write your caption in the comments section. If you like what someone else put as their caption, recommend it. The comment with the most recs wins. As for now, the prize for best caption is just bragging rights but maybe in the future we can give something away for special occasions.

Now without further ado:

My caption after the jump (if you like mine best, rec the story):

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According to BYU spokesperson Carri Jenkins, center Brandon Davies has withdrawn from school after completing final exams for winter semester. Now before everybody starts to freak out, keep in mind that withdrawing from school is just a step in the process that Davies must follow to be eligible to return to school in the future. BYU's Honor Code has strict guidelines that Davies must follow in order to come back.

"Our hope is that these conditions will be met by fall semester, 2011," said BYU spokesperson Carri Jenkins. "If so, he will be able to return to school. Our hope is that he will be able to suit up for the 2011-12 season. Again, that's if he has met the conditions to return to the university."

More after the jump:

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This is going to be a tough one to write about. Its always hard to see a player of Jimmer's caliber finish his college career. Also Jackson Emery had a great career here and Logan Magnusson was a good role player. I'll never forget those guys and I'll never forget this season and all the craziness that has gone on during this great year. Thanks Jimmer for all the memories. This season Jimmer Fredette  scored 1068 points, recorded 160 assists, grabbed 127 rebounds, swiped 49 steals and made 301 three pointers. Those are some pretty hefty stats. POY? Definitely. No doubt about it.

Now about the game:

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