Vic So'oto News

Oceanside native Vic So'oto is No. 37 for BYU's football team. So'to's best friend and Oceanside native Russell Tialavea is No.

Senior linebacker Coleby Clawson forever will be known in BYU football lore as the Cougar who knocked Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford out of the game at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, paving the way for a 14-13 upset of Oklahoma.

Provo ? Having been told by Washington that it no longer wants to play the Cougars in 2011 and 2012, BYU football coach Bronco Mendenhall said Tuesday he wouldn't mind looking beyond the PAC-10 Conference for an opponent to fill the void.

For BYU, naturally, the big rival is Utah. Utah State, on the other hand, regards the Cougars among its biggest rivals.

Although they consistently held that their biggest problem defensively in last season's losses to TCU and Utah was execution and not lack of speed, BYU coaches nevertheless have made their defense faster, if last week's 14-13 win over Oklahoma is any indication.

He has overcome several major injuries, a bout with depression, and a well-publicized brush with the law to finally earn a significant role on a team that finds itself in college football's top 10 just one game into his final year.

BYU is coming off three straight 10-plus wins seasons and three straight unbeaten seasons at home , but there is a sense that something is missing from this Bronco-driven team.

When BYU defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi was recruiting Vic So'oto, then a tight end, Kaufusi often teased the highly regarded prospect from Carlsbad, Calif., that he would some day be playing defensive end for the Cougars.

Barring something unforeseen, three of the four starting linebackers the BYU Cougars will send onto the field against the Oklahoma Sooners in less than two weeks will be seniors with plenty of game experience on their side.

Barring something unforeseen, three of the four starting linebackers the BYU Cougars will send onto the field against the Oklahoma Sooners in less than two weeks will be seniors with plenty of game experience on their side.

Over the last couple of years, Vic So'oto has been a nomad on BYU's roster, wandering from tight end to linebacker to defensive end.

For a moment, BYU coaches held their collective breath and hoped for the best. At one point during 11-on-11 drills, Cougar quarterback Max Hall dropped to the ground on a play as someone rolled into his knee.

I was able to sit in for the final 20 minutes or so of his one-on-one session, but I think I was able to cover some of the more pressing questions heading into the season.