Ben Criddle

Host: @espnthefan BYU SPORTS
Owner: @OrthoProsofUtah MED DEVICE (801-400-5318)
Partner: @royalarmybrand BYU APPAREL

[Ben Criddle @BenCriddleShow]

🏈 Heading to BYU vs. TCU on October 3?

Stay with fellow Cougars at Atrium Hotel & Suites DFW, owned by BYU alumni.

Use promo code COUGARSPORTS to save 15% off your stay.

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[Ben Criddle @BenCriddleShow]

A SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO PATRICK FLANAGAN AND HIS SON WADE 💙🤙

I received a message from Wade Allman, a longtime listener and big supporter of our show, who asked if we could give a shoutout to his good friend Patrick Flanagan and Patrick’s son, Wade.

Wade and Patrick met when they were deployed together in Iraq in 2002-03. Patrick is about as die-hard a Cougar as you’ll ever find, but he married into a Utah family.

While Patrick was deployed, his father-in-law started taking his then 3-year-old son Wade to Utah football games, buying him Utah helmets and jerseys.

Much to Patrick’s horror, his little boy became a die-hard Ute. 😂

For years, Patrick would go to Wade Allman’s house to watch BYU games, while his son wanted nothing to do with the Cougars.

Then his son served a mission and decided to attend BYU.

The prodigal son returned. 😂

He became a full-blown Cougar, which, as you can imagine, brought his dad a lot of joy.

Last year, though, Wade began having pain in his side and was eventually diagnosed with cancer. He’s only 26 years old and has been undergoing chemotherapy since just after Christmas.

Even while battling cancer, he continued watching the Cougars last season. Some games he’d be on the couch cheering, fall asleep from everything his body was going through, then wake back up and keep watching.

So as another BYU football season approaches, we’re sending some Cougar love to Patrick, Wade and their entire family.

And a big thank you to Wade Allman for reaching out and sharing their story with us.

Wade, keep fighting. Cougar Nation is pulling for you. 💙🤙

[Treyson Bourguet @treysonbourguet]

My Day 12 Fall Camp Standouts 🏈

Offense: Sonny Makasini
One of the smartest guys on the field at all times. Hard worker who will do whatever it takes.

Defense: Raider Damuni
One of those guys who always seems to be around the football. He reads the game very well.

#GoCougs

[jake murphy @Jak3Murphy]

This is dumb. Move on @Utah_Football

[Hans Olsen @GBSHansO]

Had a chance to catch a BYU football media observation opportunity.
Yeah.
The things you’re reading are true.
The things coach ARod are saying about Bear Bachmeier are true.
Players I was most impressed with:
#1 a. Bear Bachmeier
#1 b. Walker Lyons
#2 Andrew Gentry (dominant)
#3 Justin Kirkland (his build more than anything) dude got serious.
#4 Reggie Freshneck (I like this name)
#5 Isaiah Glasker (moving well, loved his coverages)

This camp is right on track.
This team loves each other.
This staff coaches hard.
My expectations remain the same. A Big12 Championship game return is the standard.

[Ben Criddle @BenCriddleShow]

#BYU #BYUFootball #GoCougs #ESPN #ESPNTheFan

[Ben Criddle @BenCriddleShow]

Do you want Weylin Lapuaho back at BYU?

[Matt Zenitz @mzenitz]

Former BYU offensive guard Weylin Lapuaho is entering the transfer portal, a source tells @CBSSports.

Was a three-year starter and an All-Big 12 selection at BYU.

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

. @day_braiden of Odion Menswear joins us next, to get into:

🏈: Reaction to 'offense winning the scrimmage'

🏈: Fall Camp Week 3

📻: https://t.co/fsIrDxeAHu
📷: @BYUfootball @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

Jake Crain of Crain and Cone joined @espnthefan to break down Texas Tech being the villains of the Big 12:

"Yeah, it just seems like they're the rich kid that drives by when you're walking home next to the lake and flips you off. That's just what they're like.

They think they're great because they drive a Range Rover and you drive an old beat-up F-150. I just think that naturally breeds a little bit of anger.

But listen, they're spending their money. At least they're spending their money on college football. I respect that. And now they've embraced it. Good.

It's like Harvey Dent in Batman: "You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain."

And they are. They embraced the villainry.

I feel like Cody Campbell is public enemy number one as well because he's the leader of the disruption. I'm just wondering when he gets bored and tries to go fight the Avengers."

Full interview: https://t.co/62xnpIaD73

📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

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[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

Former BYU QB Riley Nelson joined @espnthefan to react to Bear Bachmeier cutting his har to avoid getting 'honor coded':

Q: Number one: did you see Bear Bachmeier's hair at Big 12 Media Days?

Riley: It was probably like four inches on whatever mine was! But listen, I believe it was Elder Bednar—or it might have been Elder Christofferson—who said that the gospel is currently being revealed. It wasn't fully restored in 1820; it's been in the process of being restored since 1820. And along with it is BYU's Honor Code and dress and grooming standards. So I'm happy to see that as revelation has begun, we have fewer distractions. We've got plenty of distractions, but they no longer have to be the quarterback's hair length or grooming style.

Q: Yes, indeed. Look, I sent you a video of Bear Bachmeier's hair during Big 12 Media Days, and then after the scrimmage, and apparently he didn't want to get Honor Coded. That's why he cut his hair. Did you get Honor Coded when you were at BYU, and is that why you had to cut the luscious mane?

Riley: No, so keep in mind, I did not get Honor Coded by any means. I got a recommendation from someone in the athletic administration that I was maybe pushing it. Just to educate everybody, the standard was off the collar, off the ear, and well-groomed. That hairstyle looked so long, but if you look at it again, it was really just long on top. The reason was I was doing a slick-back. I would put a bunch of goop in it and push it all back, so it sat on the top of the head. Because I didn't want to get in trouble in the Testing Center, I kept it off the ear and the collar.

The suggestion I got from a member of the athletic administration was that maybe I'd let the back get a little bit long, depending on the collar of the shirt. So I just trimmed that up a little bit. That was midway through my junior season. I kept relatively the same haircut throughout the rest of my time. It was the same length on top, I just kept the back a little tighter, and kept the sides tucked behind my ear. At the Utah State game—the debut of the hair—it maybe got a little loose and long in the back, but I trimmed it up. I didn't make a whole lot of major adjustments.

Full interview: https://t.co/eEGosm9qjC

📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

BACHMEIER NAMED TO DAVEY O’BRIEN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST

FORT WORTH, Texas — BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was today named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, a list that includes 30 of the nation’s top returning college quarterbacks.

The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. The preseason watch list candidates were selected based on previous career performance as well as expectations heading into the 2026 college football season.

In 2025, Bachmeier was named a semifinalist for both the Davey O'Brien Award and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the Davey O'Brien Award weekly Great 8 list twice and was a candidate for the Manning Award.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore from Murrieta, California, completed 251 of 387 passes (64.9 percent) for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025. He averaged 216.6 yards per game passing and was second on the team in rushing, with 147 carries for 527 yards and 11 scores.

Bachmeier was honored as conference freshman of the week seven times in 12 weeks during the 2025 regular season, on his way to earning the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Award and being named Big 12 Honorable Mention. As an offensive co-captain, Bachmeier helped lead No. 12 BYU to an 11-2 record in 2025, a trip to the Big 12 Championship and an invitation of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Recently, Bachmeier was named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Maxwell Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the most outstanding player in college football. He was also named Preseason All-Big 12 by Phil Steele and Pro Football Network.

The 2026 Davey O’Brien QB Class will be officially announced on Nov. 10 with semifinalists named a week later on Nov. 17. The Davey O’Brien Foundation will then announce the three finalists on Nov. 24 with the winner of the 2026 Davey O’Brien Award unveiled live on ESPN on Dec. 11, during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

The 50th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner honoring the 2026 winner will be held Monday, March 8, 2027, at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

BYU Hall of Fame quarterback Jim McMahon won the inaugural Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award in 1981. Since then, two other BYU signal callers have won the prestigious award, including Steve Young (1983) and Ty Detmer (1990 and 1991). Only Oklahoma, with five, has won more Davey O'Brien Awards than BYU. Detmer is one of only four players to have won the award more than once.

BYU kicks off the 2026 football season against Utah Tech on Saturday, Sept. 5 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT.

Full details: https://t.co/KrgopJxcRm

📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

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Use the “ESPN” coupon code for 10% off your order.

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[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

ESPN College Football analyst Trevor Matich joined @espnthefan to break down the climb to the top for the SEC to get on par with the Big 10:

Q:We're in the midst of fall camps. We're about two weeks out before kickoff. Where have you been allocating your bandwidth? What are the storylines of 2026?

Trevor: Oh, it seems like every year for the last five, six years, it felt like we were heading into the most exciting and dramatic season ever, and every year the season held up. As a matter of fact, it surpassed expectations. And this year seems like it will still be the best ever. I mean, some of the big-picture things going on out there is the wailing and gnashing of teeth among SEC fans and programs because the SEC has not played in a national championship game in the last three years. The Big Ten has won the national championship each of the last three years with three different teams, including last year with the most surprising program in the history of college football, Indiana, who rose up above all SEC teams to win the national championship.

And now your top two teams in the preseason AP Poll are Ohio State and Oregon—Big Ten teams. Three different Big Ten teams have first-place votes in the AP preseason poll, and not a single SEC team has a single first-place vote. Oh, the SEC, the wailing and gnashing of teeth! I'm so interested to see what they do to try to reclaim their former position as kings of college football.

Ben: Do you think they've fallen from grace? Do you think they can get back on top of the game, or do you think this is just the way it is? The new landscape, the new—I call it the collegiate college football capitalistic platform that we're consuming now.

Trevor: They can get back on top, but they've got problems because the Big Ten is legit at the top, and then you've got programs like Miami and the ACC who are legitimate contenders for it as well. At the same time, the SEC has dropped down a little bit. Now, that's just at the top. They will tell you that it's harder for the SEC because they're so much deeper than every other conference, and so to get through the gauntlet of the regular season in conference play, they get beat up, making it more difficult for them to finish strong in the playoffs against elite programs.

But here's the thing: when it was the SEC winning the national championship year after year with multiple different programs before the Big Ten took over three years ago, the SEC also told you that they were the deepest conference in college football. That didn't seem to stop them from winning at all. And the Big Ten will tell you, by the way, that in the last head-to-head matchups with the SEC, the Big Ten teams are 8-2. So, can they get back? Yeah, they can. There are a couple of specific things they need to do, but it will be an uphill battle, not only because they've fallen off, but because NIL and the portal have given programs around the country the opportunity to overcome some of the SEC's previous advantages.

Full interview: https://t.co/oJUynvmmzl

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

SEVEN COUGARS NAMED TO POLYNESIAN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST

HONOLULU — The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame today announced the 2026 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.

The list includes seven members of the BYU football team — Tausili Akana (defensive end), Raider Damuni(safety), Paki Finau (offensive line), Jaron Pula (receiver), Faletau Satuala (safety), Keanu Tanuvasa (defensive tackle) and Cade Uluave (linebacker).

The Award is presented annually to the outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity both on and off the field. The 2026 watch list is composed of 69 players from 36 different FBS schools. BYU leads all college football teams with seven candidates, followed by Oregon with six and Hawaii with five. 

Candidates for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award are selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list may be made as the 2026 season progresses.

Finalists for the 2026 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award will be unveiled on Dec. 8, with the winner being announced on Dec. 15. The presentation of the Award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner on Jan. 16, 2027, and will also be recognized during the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 15.

Former BYU All-American and current New Orleans Saints quarterback, Zach Kapono Wilson, received the award in 2020 after leading the Cougars to a 11-1 record and a No. 11 final ranking. The junior passed for 3,692 yards and 33 touchdowns, while completed 73.4 percent of his passes — good for a new BYU record, eclipsing the previous mark held by NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on Jan. 19, 2025, at an enshrinement ceremony held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawai'i.

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia’s greatest players, coaches and contributors. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawai’i and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Ma’a Tanuvasa.

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee is comprised of Jack "The Throwin' Samoan" Thompson (chairman, former NFL player), former coaches Ron McBride and Dick Vermeil, former NFL player Olin Kreutz, past NFLPA president Kevin Mawae, sportscaster Neil Everett, NFL network chief national reporter Steve Wyche and former NFL player Manti Te’o.

Full details: https://t.co/Lk7tlp6egr

📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

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[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports projects BYU to make the College Football Playoffs as a 10-seed taking on defending national champion Indiana

Full projections: https://t.co/BbLfNTYFtH

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

THOUSANDS OF BYU FANS SHOW OUT FOR COUGAR KICKOFF

Thousands of Cougar fans showed up to BYU's Helaman Fields Wednesday night to meet the student-athletes, participate in activities and giveaways and grab some food and swag.

Full details: https://t.co/cd4ich9o1Y

📸: @BYUFOOTBALL @BYUphoto

[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

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[Cougar Sports Media @CougSportsMedia]

Today's Starting Lineup on @espnthefan:

Cohost: @bhammertimeshow

Executive Producer: @ronthe3manweav

-- @day_braiden of Odion Menswear at 3:05

-- Vic's interview with Hunter Clegg at 3:30

-- Handy & Handy Sports Court at 4:05

-- Ron's interview with OLB Coach Chad Kauha'aha'a at 4:30

-- CFB Analyst @CFB_Dalton at 5:05

-- @Harmonwrites of the Deseret News at 5:30

📻: 960 AM, 103.9 FM, 98.3 FM
📻: https://t.co/yejPOyxdzh
📻: @espnthefan app
📸: @BYUfootball @BYUphoto

[Ben Criddle @BenCriddleShow]

Haven't really commented on this yet, so wanted to lay down some thoughts about the article that Dick Harmon penned in the Deseret News.. We will have @Harmonwrites later on the show today @espnthefan @ @CougSportsMedia

As many of you know, Kalani hopped on our show and discussed resources a few weeks ago.

The catalyst/question from me that elicited his response that went viral was "I see resemblances between 2022 and 2026 for BYU football... How are you staying humble and hungry this year" (essentially to avoid a dip akin to 2022)

So let me level set a bit..

Kalani Sitake has built BYU football through his vision and culture.

Love and learning. Humble and hungry. A relational and transformational approach to life and football.

BYU has historically done more with less. Go back to LaVell Edwards taking over in 1972 and look at what BYU has accomplished compared to the resources available. Lavel was making what? 120k when he retired in 2000? That's insane.. Since 1972, BYU football has averaged 8.6 wins per season over 54 years.

I would argue BYU football has won more per dollar spent than any program in America from 1972 to present day. I don't think it's even close.

That's something to be proud of for certain... we take pride in proper stewardship and fiscal responsibility within what I deem...a very complicated love/hate relationship with the filthy lucre..

But doing more with less can't become an excuse for providing less than promised..

When Kalani's vision and culture have been given the resources, we've seen what BYU can become, but culture and grit without resources may be shaky ground to build on when football is supposed to "Drive The Ship"

1. WINNING ON THE MARGINS

Since joining the Big 12 in 2023, BYU has played 14 one-score games and gone 10-4 (.714).

2023: 2-2
2024: 4-2
2025: 4-0

BYU has learned how to win close games.
Special teams. Turnover margin. Situational/complimentary football. Finding ways to finish.

And let's acknowledge it, the oblong ball has bounced BYU's way a few times too. I can't say the same for my 06-07 squads that fell just short in big one score games against P4/5 foes..

That's football.

Kalani's culture deserves credit for putting BYU in position to win those games and for having players who believe they're going to find a way when the game gets tight.

But you can't build a long-term strategy around assuming you're going to keep going 10-4 in those situations.

The turnover bounces can change. The special teams margin can shrink. An injury can expose a position without enough depth. A couple plays go the other direction.

10-4 can become 6-8 pretty quickly.

The goal isn't to take away what has made BYU so good at winning on the margins.

It's to give Kalani enough resources that BYU doesn't have to live on those margins every week.

2. 2022 WAS THE WARNING

After the 2020 season, BYU lost Jeff Grimes and Eric Mateos to Baylor. Aaron Roderick was promoted to offensive coordinator, and BYU needed a new offensive line coach.

My understanding is TJ Woods was the guy they really wanted in February 2021.

They couldn't afford him.

The budget necessitated a more budget-conscious hire at a critical coaching position.

That's not a criticism of the coach they hired. That's the point. Kalani didn't have the resources to hire his first choice.

Fast forward to Notre Dame in 2022.

Jaren Hall was injured. A year earlier BYU had Baylor Romney behind him, a proven quarterback who had already shown he could step in and win games. By 2022, Baylor had moved on to his professional career.

Would he have stayed another year if staying at BYU had been financially competitive with the professional opportunity in front of him?

I don't know, but it's worth asking.

That's about resources, retention and proven depth.

Then BYU gets the ball late against Notre Dame with a chance to potentially tie the game.

3rd-and-1. Stopped.

4th-and-1. Stopped.

Maybe it's execution. Maybe its coaching, maybe its technique... That's football.

But zoom out.

BYU wanted TJ Woods in 2021 and couldn't afford him. After 2022, BYU made a change at offensive line coach.

Who did Kalani eventually hire?

TJ Woods.

That's a tangible example of what resources can mean.

It's not about spending recklessly. It's about giving your head coach the ability to hire and retain the people he believes he needs.

When BYU put more resources and infrastructure around Kalani, the results followed.

23 wins over the last two seasons.

Same Kalani. Same vision and culture. More resources around it.

3. "WE ARE THIS CLOSE"

When I interviewed Kalani a few weeks ago, he held his fingers just a few inches apart and said:

"We are this close."

This close to taking the next step.

Winning a Big 12 championship and making the College Football Playoff.

That's why this conversation matters.

BYU isn't rebuilding. The culture is established. The program has won 23 games over the last two seasons.

They're knocking on the door.

So the question becomes:

Is football driving the ship when it comes to resources?

Kalani doesn't believe it is right now, for whatever reason.

If football is this close to winning the Big 12 and making the CFP, BYU needs to look at whether its organizational structure and resource allocation match the opportunity in front of it.

4. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

I'd imagine Kalani wants more resources. What successful head coach doesn't?

But I don't think this is simply about wanting a bigger football budget.

I think he probably wants transparency and accountability.

Where is the money going?

How is it being allocated throughout the athletic department?

What's the strategy behind those decisions?

And is football, as BYU's largest revenue-generating sport, being resourced in a way that allows it to continue growing the pie for everybody else?

Kalani mentioned Bronco Mendenhall in my interview and said BYU fans should give Bronco more credit for what he built here.

I agree.

And I can tell you Bronco wanted many of the same things: transparency and accountability.

That doesn't mean football gets everything it wants.

It means the people responsible for producing results understand the strategy, know what resources are available and have visibility into how those decisions are being made.

If you're telling your head football coach that something can't be funded, it's reasonable for him to want to understand why.

Especially when he believes the program is "this close."

5. NOW WE GET TO THE PROMISES

When Penn State came after Kalani, BYU wanted him to stay.

Kalani loves BYU and wanted to stay.

But from everything we understand, this wasn't simply about increasing his salary. It was about what he believed the football program needed.

Players. Coaches. NIL. Personnel. Support staff. Infrastructure.

BYU made commitments.

Kalani stayed.

Now BYU needs to deliver.

If the money wasn't available, say so.

If something couldn't be provided, say so.

If a timeline wasn't realistic, don't promise it.

But don't overpromise when Penn State is at the door and under deliver after Kalani stays.

BYU has spent decades doing more with less. That's part of what makes the program special.

But doing more with less can't mean asking Kalani's culture to continually cover resource deficiencies.

BYU is 10-4 in one-score games since 2023. They've earned those wins through culture, special teams, turnover margin and finding ways to finish. The oblong ball has bounced their way a few times too.

Those margins can flip.

Kalani believes BYU is "this close" to winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff.

So this isn't simply about spending more money.

It's about resources, transparency, accountability and organizational design.

Where is the money going? BYU's athletic department revenue generated 154 million in 2024-2025. That will go up now that they are full members of the BIG12.

What's resource allocation strategy?

Is football driving the ship?

And if commitments were made to Kalani when Penn State came calling, are those commitments being honored?

One thing is for certain.. we never want to overpromise and under deliver.

Especially at BYU.

[Deseret News Sports @DeseretSports]

Kalani Sitake built BYU’s success on culture, relationships and persistence. Now, he needs the resources promised

Story by @Harmonwrites
https://t.co/0tcmxOAGB4