BYU vs. Ole Miss: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, Radio, Game Time and More

This will be the first season for the BYU Cougars as an independent team, and they will put that status to the test on the road against the Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday.

It's a big game for the Cougars, no doubt about that. They ended 2010 on a strong note, but Saturday's contest against Ole Miss will be just the first in what is a pretty tough stretch of games out of the gate. If they start hot, they're going to earn some national attention.

That's something that Houston Nutt's Rebels would love to have this season, but it's going to be much tougher for them to earn it. They went 4-8 last season, and their prospects for the 2011 season campaign are not much better.

But for now, let's take a closer look at what we can expect to see in this game.

Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

When: September 3 at 4:45 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN, streaming live on ESPN3.com

Listen: KSL 102.7 FM, KSL 1160 AM and Sirius XM 143 for BYU; WQLJ-FM and Sirius XM 218 for Ole Miss. 

Betting Line: BYU -3

Who Might Not Play for BYU

We certainly know that Bronco Mendenhall's team will be without sophomore tight end Devin Mahina, as he is out for the season with a fracture in his neck.

Elsewhere on offense, fullback Zed Mendenhall is dealing with an ankle injury and wide receiver Jordan Smith has a tailbone injury. On defense, defensive lineman Hebron Fangupu is also dealing with a bad ankle, linebacker Austen Jorgensen has a quadriceps problem and defensive back Jray Galea'i has a knee injury.

Who Might Not Play for Ole Miss

Tight end Alex Williams is out for the season with a knee injury, but Nutt's team is relatively healthy as they prepare to embark on their 2011 campaign. Defensive end Kentrell Lockett should be good to go despite a sore knee, but defensive end Jason Jones and wide receiver Melvin Harris may not be so lucky. Jones is also battling a bad knee, and Harris has a bad back. 

Key Storyline

This is going to be a pretty big game for Nutt and the Rebels. After guiding the Rebels to nine wins in each of his first two seasons at the helm, it goes without saying that last season's 4-8 showing was a step back for Nutt. As a result, his seat is hotter than it should be.

Getting off to a good start with a win over BYU would be a great way for Nutt to take a little pressure off himself. He's going to be glad he did when it comes time to face Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and LSU down the stretch.

Of course, this is also a big game for the Cougars, but there's more on that below.

BCS/Top 25 Poll Indications

Neither team was able to crack the preseason AP Top 25, but BYU did get a few votes. Because not much is expected out of Ole Miss this season, it's highly unlikely that the Cougars will be able to vault themselves into the rankings with a win, but they can certainly send a message by beating an SEC team on its home turf.

After this, the Cougars travel to Texas to take on the Longhorns. If they win that game too, and then beat Utah at home on September 17, they might just earn a spot in the Top 25.

What They're Saying

Cougars players are certainly well aware of how big Saturday's game is. Per ESPN, sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps called it a "statement game," and senior linebacker Jordan Pendleton was quick to note that the program's newfound status as an independent has a lot to do with that sentiment:

"

Being independent, we get the opportunity to play against some great teams and we get an opportunity to play against an SEC team our first game on the road. That means a lot to us. It is showcase game, and we want to show we can play against anybody in the country.

"

Meanwhile, there was a recent story in the South Florida Sun Sentinel that told tales of Nutt being approached by the now-infamous former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro back in 2006. Nutt was still the head coach of Arkansas at the time, but Shapiro wanted him to be the man to replace Larry Coker after he was fired.

Instead, Nutt would head to Ole Miss in 2007 after resigning from Arkansas. In retrospect, not listening to Shapiro was a wise decision.

BYU Player to Watch

It's all about Heaps. He started slowly after replacing the injured Riley Nelson in BYU's third game last season, but he definitely finished strong. In BYU's final five games, Heaps passed for 1,259 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was particularly brilliant against UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, passing for 264 yards and four touchdowns in BYU's 52-24 romp.

Given the way he finished last season, big things are expected of Heaps this year. He might even be a dark horse Heisman contender, but let's keep that on the down low for now.

Ole Miss Player to Watch

You have to like senior running back Brandon Bolden. Not only did he lead the team with 976 yards rushing on 163 carries last season, he also led the team with 32 receptions. In addition, Bolden completed one pass for seven yards.

In short, there are few things Bolden can't do. He's obviously not as hyped as Alabama's Trent Richardson or South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore, but Bolden is definitely worth watching.

Key Matchup

Big things are expected of Heaps this season, and big things should be expected of him in this game. The Rebels were absolutely dreadful defending the pass in 2010, and they could be in for more of the same in 2011.

To help solve the problem, Nutt went out and hired secondary coach Keith Burns away from Kansas State, and the word around the campfire is that his presence is already working wonders. Seeing as how the Wildcats only allowed 212.3 passing yards per game last season, the Rebels might just be on to something.

Either way, we'll find out for sure on Saturday. If Heaps has his way with Ole Miss' secondary, it will be back to the drawing board.

Prediction

They may have the home-field advantage, but I'm just not so sure I like the Rebels' chances in this one. They have far too many question marks on both offense and defense, and that's just not going to bode well for them against a BYU team that has a legit chance to surprise people this season.

BYU wins 28-14