Cougar Sports Saturday

Mitch Harper, Kyle Ireland and Producer Nate Slack wrap up the show with their final thoughts headed into next week. 

The next six weeks could make—or break—BYU Football’s 2025 season. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland set the stage for a critical stretch that features road tests at East Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, and Iowa State, plus home games against West Virginia (on a Friday night) and rival Utah.

Starting in 2026, BYU will reassign season ticket seats annually—a major shift in how fans experience game day. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland share their thoughts on the move, what it means for longtime season ticket holders, and how it could impact the atmosphere and fan loyalty in Provo.

With just five weeks until the BYU Cougars tip off the 2025‑26 season, the stage is set—and the non‑conference slate is nothing short of ambitious. The season officially begins with an exhibition game at Nebraska on October 18, followed by marquee matchups including North Carolina, Villanova, Wisconsin, UConn, and more. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down what’s new: returning stars, early experiments in the lineup, how AJ Dybantsa and others could impact the team, and why this schedule matters more than ever as BYU looks to build on last season’s Sweet 16 run.

In this edition of Cougar Tales, Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland round up the latest news from BYU Basketball that may have flown under the radar. From the loaded 2026 Maui Invitational field—including Arizona, Clemson, Ole Miss, and more—to a Big Monday showdown with Arizona set for January 26 at 7 p.m., there’s plenty to get excited about. Plus, the guys react to BYU’s early tip-off against Nebraska and break down the official visit of top JUCO prospect KJ Perry, a dynamic 6'3" guard with big-time offensive upside who could join Dean Ruckert in the 2026 class. Don’t miss this fast-paced rundown of key hoops headlines.

In this new era of Cougar Sports Saturday, Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland face off in their first Top 5 battle.

A story that dominated headlines this past week came from comments made by AP voter Haley Swayer. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down the reaction and offer their analysis on what was said

Mitch Harper is joined by Ari Temkin of Big 12 Radio for a wide-ranging conversation about BYU Football and its evolving role in the Big 12. Ari shares his insights on how the Cougars have looked so far this season, what’s surprised him about their transition into the conference, and where he sees BYU fitting in the broader Big 12 landscape.

Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down the biggest scores from across the nation, zeroing in on the Big 12 matchups that matter most to BYU fans.

The Cougars are 2-0—but what’s legit, and what still needs work? Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down what’s trending up and what’s trending down for BYU Football after a strong start to the season.

Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down how their expectations for BYU Football have shifted after two dominant wins for the Cougars.

Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland share their plans for the early bye week and speculate as to what BYU fans are going to do on a day with no BYU football.

BYU Football is back under the lights in Provo for a highly anticipated whiteout matchup against Stanford — and we’ve got a loaded show to get you ready for kickoff. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down all the key storylines, starting with what coaches and players are saying ahead of the game and what a sixth-straight 2-0 start would mean for Kalani Sitake’s squad.   Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier reflects on his debut, and we sit down with BYU stars Chase Roberts, Logan Lutui, and Raider Damuni to preview Stanford and share insight from inside the locker room. Stanford insider Ben Parker gives us the lowdown on the Cardinal, while we also take a look around the Week 2 college football scoreboard, dive into BYU’s best (and worst) whiteouts, and bring you this week’s “Cougar Tales” — from Buc-ee’s buzz to NIL deals.   Plus, our gameday 3 & Out segment and score predictions, as well as everything else you need to know before BYU vs. Stanford kicks off in LaVell Edwards Stadium at 8:15 p.m.

It’s prediction time! Mitch, Kyle, producer Nate Slack and intern Jasmine Poppinga give their final score picks for BYU vs. Stanford and share what kind of game they expect under the lights.

Three quick takeaways heading into BYU vs. Stanford — players to watch, key stats to keep in mind, and bold predictions for tonight's contest.

Defensive lineman Logan Lutui spoke with Mitch Harper to reflect on BYU’s 69-0 shutout in the season opener. He also shares his thoughts on Stanford’s offensive line and what it’ll take to control the trenches again.

BYU safety Raider Damuni recaps the Cougars’ dominant defensive performance in Week 1 with Kyle Ireland and previews the challenges Stanford’s offense brings. A behind-the-scenes look at BYU’s defensive mindset heading into Week 2.

In this lighter segment, producer Nate Slack joins Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland to catch up on off-the-field BYU storylines. From Buc-ee’s coming to Utah to a 2028 meeting between BYU and Oregon State — and a new NIL deal for Ryder Lyons — we’ve got you covered.

Stanford insider Ben Parker joins the show to give an inside look at the Cardinal. What are their biggest strengths and weaknesses heading into tonight’s game? And how does this Stanford team compare to years past?

Kyle Ireland spoke with WR Chase Roberts this week to preview tonight’s matchup with Stanford. He breaks down the Cardinal secondary, BYU’s offensive goals, and what the Cougars need to do to start 2-0.

Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland take a quick look around the country with a scoreboard check-in from Week 2 action. From early upsets to key matchups with playoff implications, here’s what’s shaping the college football landscape this weekend.

Mitch Harper was able to catch up with freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier earlier this week. Bear shares his thoughts on making his first collegiate start in BYU’s dominant win over Portland State. Hear what he learned, how he handled the moment, and where he’s aiming to improve.

Hear directly from BYU coaches and players as they preview tonight’s matchup with Stanford. Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland highlight the key quotes and messages heading into tonight's game.

BYU Football is riding high after a dominant 69-0 season-opening win over Portland State — and tonight, the Cougars look to keep the momentum rolling as they face Stanford under the lights. In this segment, Mitch Harper and Kyle Ireland break down the key takeaways from Week 1, preview the matchup against the Cardinal, and talk about what a sixth-straight 2-0 start would mean for Kalani Sitake’s program.

Mitch, Kyle, Nate, and Jasmine give their final score predictions ahead of tonights game. 

Mitch, Kyle, and Producer Nate introduce a new segment where they discuss the following things ahead of the Portland State match-up 1st down(Stat of the day) 2nd down(Playersto watch) 3rd down(Bold predictions) 

Talking with BYU Wide Receiver Cody Hagen. 

Talking with former BYU Quarterback and Offensive Coordinator Brandon Doman. 

Talking with BYU Offensive Tackle Andrew Gentry.

Talking with Portland State associate AD Mike Lund ahead of tonights match-up. 

Discussing BYU's Captains and Co-Captains, as well as final thoughts on BYU vs Portland State. 

Interviewing the brother of BYU Quarterback Bear Bachmeier. 

Mitch and Kyle take a look at other games around the country. 

Examining the expectations for new Freshman Quarterback Bear Bachmeier as he makes his first career start. 

Mitch and Kyle discuss if BYU continue playing FCS teams, as well as other big time games from around the country. 

Mitch Harper and new co-host Kyle Ireland break down BYU vs Portland State. 

In this week's show, Mitch Harper dives into BYU football’s biggest storylines — from SEC scheduling changes and College Football Playoff metrics to fall camp takeaways and game day traditions at Lavell Edwards Stadium. He also previews Bear Bachmeier’s first start, discusses offensive and defensive standouts, and shares listener stories about becoming Cougar fans. Plus, get updates on BYU commits and NFL alumni, and hear their playoff team predictions. The season begins next week!

Looking ahead to Bear Bachmeier’s first career start, Mitch Harper and producer Nate Slack share what they’re most excited to see from BYU in Week 1.

Mitch Harper and producer Nate Slack chat about their favorite game day traditions and share their wish list for the upcoming football season. They also discuss potential new wrinkles at LES, as hinted at by BYU’s Senior Associate Athletic Director of External Operations, David Almodova.

Mitch Harper shares his College Football Playoff predictions, breaking down which teams will earn automatic bids and which he thinks receive at-large selections.

Mitch Harper talks about the SEC moving to a 9-game conference schedule starting in 2026, which will require teams to play at least one Power 5 non-conference game each year—similar to what the Big 12 already does. He discusses what this could mean for BYU, including the chance to face Missouri in 2035 and whether it could lead to more frequent SEC opponents. Mitch also explains the College Football Playoff Committee’s new focus on Strength of Record (SOR) starting this year, noting BYU’s #7 ranking last season and how this metric could have helped the team.

Mitch Harper and producer Nate Slack discuss five-star BYU quarterback commit Ryder Lyons’ upcoming ESPN appearance and updates on former Cougars Kedon Slovis and Tyler Batty in the NFL.