BYU Cougars

2007 SCHEDULE

Date Opponent

Sept. 1 Arizona

Sept. 8 at UCLA

Sept. 15 at Tulsa

Sept. 22 Air Force

Sept. 29 at New Mexico

Oct. 13 at UNLV

Oct. 20 E. Washington

Oct. 27 at San Diego St.

Nov. 3 Colorado St.

Nov. 8 TCU

Nov. 17 at Wyoming

Nov. 24 Utah

2006 record: 11-2, 8-0 (1st)

Predicted 2007 finish: 3rd (DMN staff poll), 2nd (MWC preseason poll)

Starters returning: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)

Starters lost: 9 (5 offense, 4 defense)

Key offensive players: RB Manase Tonga, RB Fui Vakapuna, WR Matt Allen, WR Michael Reed, WR Austin Collie, QB Max Hall, OL Dallas Reynolds, OL Ray Feinga, OL Sete Aulai, OL Travis Bright

Key defensive players: LB Bryan Kehl, LB Kelly Poppinga, LB David Nixon, DL Jan Jorgensen, DL Ian Dulan, DB Quinn Gooch, CB Ben Criddle

Top newcomers: RB J.J. Di Luigi, DB G Pittman, DB Steve Thomas, DB Gary Nagy, OL Matt Reynolds, QB Jason Munns

What we learned from MWC media days: BYU is hopeful that injured players Criddle, Brandon Bradley and Vakapuna will be ready for the opener against Arizona in Provo. Bradley's knee is healed, but he is not 100 percent. Vakapuna's extra weight may set him on a special program designed to get him to lose weight by the end of August. Deep snapper duties will go to John Pace and Chris Muehlmann.

Best-case scenario for 2007: The Cougars can repeat as champions if they get on a roll after playing Pac-10 opponents Arizona and UCLA with league challengers TCU and Utah making the trip to Provo, where the Cougars were the most dominating home team in the country a year ago. Another MWC title and a 10-2 mark is optimistic.

Worst-case scenario for 2007: The Cougars could start slow with losses to Arizona and UCLA and any setback in league play could end hopes of defending the league crown — or set the Cougars up for a shared championship, putting a return to the Las Vegas Bowl in jeopardy. Going worse than 8-4 — with no title — would be a slip for Bronco Mendenhall in his third season.