PROVO — Since going independent at the start of the 2011 season, athletic director Tom Holmoe and the BYU football team have had one monstrous task hanging over their heads that few other schools routinely face: scheduling.

At least for 2015, the Cougars seem to be well off.

BYU opens the season Sept. 5 at Nebraska before playing its home opener against Boise State on Sept. 12 in a schedule that features six home games, five road games and a neutral-site game at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium against SEC leader Missouri before a yet-to-be-determined bowl game in Las Vegas or Hawaii (if the Cougars are eligible).

It's a schedule that offers several keys for BYU, one of just three independent Football Bowl Subdivision programs in the nation, according to head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

"We're interested in growth, in progress and in a challenge," Mendenhall said at the school's recent media day. "We'll go after anyone who will play us, wherever they will play us."

The challenge of a front-loaded September schedule that also includes games at UCLA and Michigan is not lost on the coaches, administrators or players.

"The challenge (of football independence) is the scheduling, and having to play the teams we do early and late," Holmoe said. "We don't have the depth many of those teams have, so we have to get them early. As the season progresses, it's harder to play those Power 5 teams later in the season."

Despite only one home game in the month of September, BYU's players are eager to get the season started — and face off against a national schedule in some of college football's most historic venues. From Nebraska's Memorial Stadium to UCLA's Rose Bowl and Michigan's "the Big House," BYU is bringing its brand across the country — and into several players' hometowns.

"I always looked up to USC and UCLA, so playing at some place like the Rose Bowl is really exciting to me," said linebacker Fred Warner, a native of San Marcos, California. "All of them are really exciting. But our focus is on Nebraska and playing in their stadium."

Bingham High grad Remington Peck compared one location on the schedule to Notre Dame — arguably the most famous college football venue in the country where Peck and the Cougars faced the Fighting Irish in 2012 and 2013.

"I would definitely say the Big House," Peck said of the venue formally titled Michigan Stadium. "There's so much history. It's like Notre Dame; just the venue in itself is really cool."

Quarterback Taysom Hill is also eager to play at Michigan — but more for the people he will be facing than the building itself. Hill originally committed to current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Stanford before a serving an LDS Church mission in Australia, and he's looking forward to lining up against his former coach.

"I'm very excited to go to Michigan and play in that venue, and to play coach Harbaugh," said Hill, who texted Harbaugh when the latter took the job last spring. "I would've never imagined this.

"I sent him a text that said 'it's not ideal like we planned, but I'm grateful to be on the same field as you.' His response was: 'I'm not looking forward to playing you, my friend.' We're both very excited about it."

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While the matchups on the 12-game schedule are split evenly, with six home games and six on the road already announced, broadcast information and kickoff times have been added for the majority of the Cougars' home slate.

The atmosphere of the Michigan faithful, who routinely pack the 109,901-seat stadium to excess, is something wide receiver Terenn Houk hopes to experience for himself.

"It's going to be crazy," said Houk of Michigan, before quickly adding, "For me personally, it's also Nebraska, because that's the first game. They are always good."

Nebraska and Memorial Stadium is also constantly on the mind of running back Jamaal Williams, who missed part of his junior season with a knee injury.

"I think about it all the time," Williams said of the opener against the Huskers. "Thinking about it, and not just about the game. I want to be out there with my teammates, to let them know I've been working hard and I want to play with them."

Beyond winning and setting the stage for a strong season that includes the senior year for Hill, Williams and other offensive standouts like wide receiver Mitch Matthews, Mendenhall said this year's schedule — especially the six non-home games — will also help further down the road.

Specifically, in helping to bring many of those same power conference schools back to Provo.

"Provo is a fantastic place. Our fans deserve those home games," Mendenhall said. "The only way to get them to come here, though, is to go there and beat them, and that will put pressure on them."

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