BYU announces 2011 football schedule
Brigham Young University today announced its 2011 football schedule — the first independent schedule in school history. The 12-game schedule includes teams from the Big 12, PAC 12, Southeastern Conference, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conference and Big Sky.
The Cougars will open the 2011 season on the road at Ole Miss of the SEC on Sept. 3. It’s the first time the two schools have met in football. The following week on Sept. 10, BYU will travel to Austin to take on the University of Texas of the Big 12. The schools met in 1987 and 1988, with the Cougars holding a 2-0 series lead.
BYU will return home for its first game of the season at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Sept. 17 to take on rival University of Utah. It will be the first time since Sept. 27, 1958, that the Deseret First Duel will be played during the month of September. BYU will travel to Corvallis, Ore., on Oct. 14 to take on Oregon State in a rematch of the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl.
Six games will be played against WAC schools. The Cougars will play two games on the road at Louisiana Tech and Hawaii, and four at home versus Utah State, San Jose State, Idaho and New Mexico State.
The Cougars also have Idaho State at home on Oct. 22. In all, BYU will play seven home games and five games on the road. The last time BYU played seven games at LaVell Edwards Stadium was the 1996 season. BYU will play 10 of 12 games on Saturday, with two games scheduled for Friday night at home — Central Florida on Sept 23 and Utah State on Sept. 30.
In addition to Ole Miss, BYU will play Central Florida, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State for the first time in school history. The Cougars will play two teams from the Pac-12, six from the Western Athletic Conference, and one team each from the Big 12, Southeastern Conference, Big Sky and Conference USA.