On December 4, Mendenhall was hired as the head coach at Virginia. He stayed and coached the Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl. He finished at BYU with an 11-year record of 99–43.
On December 19, Oregon State defensive coordinator and former BYU fullback Kalani Sitake was named BYU's new head coach.[1]
Before the season
After a season in which the entire offensive staff was changed, BYU is expected to have stability in the coaching ranks as every coach is expected to return.
The following Cougars graduated, transferred, or chose to serve two-year church missions after the 2013 season and didn't return to the team in 2015.
Media
Football Media Day
Football Media Day took place on June 24, 2015. It aired live on BYUtv, with a simulcast on ESPN3. The Media Day featured the start time and TV network of all but 2 home games. Player interviews were also conducted on byutv.org.
Cougar IMG Sports Network Affiliates
KSL 102.7 FM and 1160 AM- Flagship Station (Salt Lake City/ Provo, UT and ksl.com) BYU Radio- Nationwide (Dish Network 980, Sirius XM 143, and byuradio.org) KIDO- Boise, ID (football only) KTHK- Blackfoot/ Idaho Falls/ Pocatello/ Rexburg, ID KMGR- Manti, UT KSUB- Cedar City, UT KDXU- St. George, UT KSHP- Las Vegas, NV (football only)[2]
Uniform combination: white helmet, white jersey, blue pants.
BYU entered Lincoln as 6-point underdogs, with Bronco Mendenhall taking back defensive play-calling responsibilities, and with Taysom Hill looking to prove last years Heisman talk wasn't outside the box. The Cougars entered the game with 4 starters being suspended due to last years bowl game: defensive lineman Tomasi Laulile, safety Kai Nacua, wide receiver Trey Dye, and linebacker Sione Takitaki. The revamped BYU defense gave up huge amounts of passing yardage, giving up 180 yards passing in the first quarter alone. On the way they lost 3 defensive starters to injury, including nose tackle Travis Tuiloma 4–6 weeks.[5]
Taysom Hill kept BYU in the game with his scrambling, including a 21-yard run which evened it up at 14. On the 21-yard run though, Hill came to an abrupt stop in the endzone. He was taken into the locker room, where he was diagnosed with a foot sprain of some sort. A Fred Warner fumble recovery gave BYU the ball back quickly. Freshman QB Tanner Mangum came in on BYU's next possession for 2 plays: a 9-yard run and a 9-yard pass, before Hill returned. The Cougars drove the rest of the field before Hill found Mitch Mathews for the first of his 2 receiving touchdowns.
A Hill interception in the third reversed the tide back to Nebraska. After missing 12-of-15 passes in the 2nd quarter Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong, Jr. once again shredded the BYU D for more than 100 yards receiving in the 3rd. Hill would keep in close, driving possession after possession into Nebraska's end of the field, but the interception and a 4th down stop seemed to keep Nebraska with the momentum.
In the 4th Hill limped off the field. BYU sent him back into the locker room and sent Mangum back onto the field. Mangum went on to complete 6/10 in the 4th quarter for 102 yards, but the most memorable play came on the final possession. With only one second left Mangum scrambled right and threw the hail mary to the end zone. Mathews came all the way across the field and caught the 42-yard pass for the touchdown, ending Nebraska's 29-year home opener winning streak.[6]
While Mangum entered the halls of Cougar lore with the touchdown pass, the news wasn't so good for BYU after the game. Hill was diagnosed with a lisfranc injury, which would be season-ending.[7]
Rushing: BYU- Adam Hine 8–33, Franci Bernard 4–30, Nate Carter 3–9, Team 1-(−4), Mangum 6-(−18); MICH- De'Veon Smith 16–125, Rudock 10–33, Derrick Green 10–28, Drake Johnson 5–26, Sione Houma 4–17, Blake O'Neill 1–9, Ty Isaac 2–9, Ross Douglas 3–7.
Receiving: BYU- Devon Blackmon 1–14, Colby Pearson 2–11, Nick Kurtz 2–10, Mitch Juergens 2–6, Hine 1–5, Mitch Mathews 1–4, Carter 1–4, Teremm Houk 1–3, M Laulu-Pututau 1-(−2); MICH- Amara Darboh 4–57, Jake Butt 1–41, Khalid Hill 2–39, Jehu Chesson 2–17, Drake Johnson 1–14, Ian Bunting 1–10, Green 1–7, AJ Williams 1–7, Henry Poggi 1–2.
Rushing: UConn- Arkee Newsome 13–68, Max Delorenzo 1–2, Ron Johnson 1-(−3), Shirreffs 12-(−5); BYU- Algernon Brown 18–95, Francis Bernard 11–69, Nate Carter 8–14, Riley Burt 1–5, Mangum 3-(−9).
Receiving: UConn- Newsome 4–63, Tommy Myers 2–35, Tyraiq Beals 3–33, Delorenzo 3–24, Noel Thomas 2–13; BYU- Terenn Houk 6–129, Mitch Mathews 8–78, Mitch Juergens 10–74, Nick Kurtz 5–52, Devon Blackmon 3–15, Carter 1–7, Brown 1–6, Trey Dye 1–4.
Interceptions: UConn-Jamar Summers 1–26, Jhavon Williams 1–0; BYU- Bronson Kaufusi 1–10, Michael Shelton 1–4.
Rushing: ECU: Chris Hairston 15–77, Summers 10–55, Shawn Furlow 3–4, Kemp 4-(−3); BYU: Algernon Brown 24–134, Francis Bernard 8–30, Jonny Linehan 1–7, Trey Dye 1–5, Riley Burt 1–4, Hoge 3-(−3), Mangum 5-(−10).
Receiving: ECU: Isaiah Jones 10–97, Bryce Williams 5–87, Trevon Brown 6–84, Davon Grayson 5–53, Chris Hairston 3–50, Daquan Barnes 1–8, Anthony Scott 0–5, Christian Matau 0–3; BYU: Devon Blackmon 9–142, Mitch Mathews 4–72, Terenn Houk 4–43, Brown 2–20, Mitch Juergens 1–17, Colby Pearson 2–16, Nick Kurtz 1–12, Kurt Henderson 1–11, Trey Dye 1–8.
Interceptions: ECU: Yiannis Bowden 1–7; BYU: Fred Warner 1–0.
Passing: CIN:Hayden Moore 15–30–0—219, Tion Green 1–1–0—1; BYU: Tanner Mangum 19–32–1—252.
Rushing: CIN: Mike Boone 9–53, Tion Green 9–30, Hosey Williams 8–29, Moore 20–9; BYU: Algernon Brown 20–88, Francis Bernard 4–60, Riley Burt 2–48, Nate Carter 2–5, Trey Dye 1-(−4).
Receiving: CIN: Shaq Washington 5–103, Alex Chisum 2–45, Max Morrison 4–31, Mike Boone 3–25, Nate Cole 1–15, DJ Dowdy 1–1; BYU: Nick Kurtz 6–119, Mitch Mathews 3–54, Devon Blackmon 3–32, Colby Pearson 2–21, Terenn Houk 1–10, Bernard 2–7, Brown 1–5, Mitch Juergens 1–4.
Passing: BYU: Tanner Mangum 23–37–1—293; SJSU: Kenny Potter 18–25–0—147, Tim Crawley 0–1–0—0.
Rushing: BYU: Algernon Brown 12–41, Adam Hiné 3–9, Francis Bernard 2–5, TEAM 4-(−9), Mangum 4-(−10); SJSU: Tyler Ervin 23–80, Kenny Potter 12–20, Hansell Wilson 1–15, Thomas Tucker 2–7.
Receiving: BYU: Devon Blackmon 6–102, Mitch Mathews 4–62, Nick Kurtz 3–33, Bernard 3–33, Terenn Houk 4–32, Remington Peck 1–18, Colby Pearson 1–8, Brown 1–5; SJSU: Billy Freeman 6–67, Shane Smith 2–17, Crawley 2–14, Ervin 4–13, Thomas Tucker 1–13, Hansell Wilson 1–11, Justin Holmes 1–6, Josh Oliver 1–6.
Rushing: BYU: Algernon Brown 7–42, Adam Hine 6–7, Francis Bernard 1–3, Tanner Mangum 1-(−6); MIZ: Russell Hansbrough 26–117, Ish Witter 13–34, Lock 3–26, Tyler Hunt 10–14, Ray Wingo 1–1, Team 2-(−2).
Receiving: BYU: Nick Kurtz 3–67, Bernard 4–56, Remington Peck 3–41, Colby Pearson 4–40, Mitch Mathews 4–20, Devon Blackmon 2–15, Mitch Jurgens 1–4, Brown 2–1; MIZ: Nate Brown 5–65, Witter 2–57, J'Mon Moore 3–49, Cam Hilton 3–36, Sean Culkin 1–16, Jason Reese 1–11, Wesley Leftwich 2–9, Hunt 1–2, Emanuel Hall 1-(−1).
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Sunny, Wind ESE 3 mph
Referee: Mark Klucynnski
TV announcers (ABC/Sports USA): Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer, Maria Taylor (ABC) Mike Morgan, Gary Barnett, Jonathan Von Tobel (Sports USA)
Sources:[19]
Uniform combination: white helmet with royal blue decals and royal blue chromium facemasks, royal blue jersey, white pants.
This was the final game for head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who accepted the same position with the Virginia Cavaliers on December 4,[20] and for assistant coaches Robert Anae, Garett Tujague, Mark Atuaia, Jason Beck,[21]Nick Howell, and Kelly Poppinga[22] who accepted coaching responsibilities for the same positions at Virginia on December 9 & 10.
Passing: BYU: Tanner Mangum 25–56–3—315; Utah: Travis Wilson 9–16–0—71.
Rushing: BYU: Francis Bernard 7–58, Algernon Brown 5–12, Mangum 11–3, Squally Canada 1–1, Trey Dye 1-(−3); Utah: Joe Williams 25–91, Wilson 15–23, Tom Hackt 1–21, Bubba Poole 1–0, Britain Covey 1-(−1), Team 3-(−3), Kendal Thompson 1-(−5).
Receiving: BYU: Devon Blacmkmon 3–97, Terenn Houk 6–68, Nick Kurtz 4–56, Mitch Juergens 5–55, Bernard 2–19, Brown 2–9, Mitch Mathews 2–8, Remington Peck 1–3; Utah: Williams 2–22, Harris Handley 2–16, Tyrone Smith 1–15, Kenneth Scott 1–9, Thompson 1–8, Covey 2–1.
Interceptions: Utah: Tevin Carter 2–61, Dominique Hatfield 1–46.
After the game was completed, Tom Holmoe took time during the post-game press conference to announce that Kalani Sitake would become the BYU head coach beginning with the 2016 season.[23]
Rankings
Ranking movements Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes
^"Ex-player Sitake returning to BYU as head coach". December 19, 2015.
^"BYU Sports Network Affiliates". KSL. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
^"BYU Men's Football Staff". BYU Athletics. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
^"BYU at Nebraska". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^"BYU loses nose tackle Travis Tuiloma for 4–6 weeks in win over Nebraska". Deseret News. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^"BYU beat Nebraska 33–28 as Mangum throws 42-yard Hail Mary to Mathews on game's final play, Hill out for the year". Deseret News. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^"BYU QB Hill out for the season with a foot fracture". KSL-TV. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^"Boise State at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
^"BYU at UCLA". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
^"BYU at Michigan". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
^"UConn at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
^"East Carolina at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
^"Cincinnati at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
^"Wagner at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
^"BYU at San Jose State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
^"BYU vs. Missouri". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
^"Fresno State at BYU". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
^"BYU at Utah State". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
^"2015 Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Utah Stats". Stat Broadcast. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
^Wood, Norm (December 4, 2015). "Virginia keeps Bronco Mendenhall pursuit a secret, taps him to be Cavaliers' new football coach". Daily Press. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
^Harmon, Dick (December 9, 2015). "BYU's Robert Anae leaving for Virginia, taking 3 assistants with him". Deseret News. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
^Welch, Jake (December 10, 2015). "BYU assistants Kelly Poppinga, Nick Howell reportedly following Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia". SB Nation. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
^Mizell, Gina (December 19, 2015). "Kalani Sitake hired as BYU's head coach". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 19, 2015.