School is out, summer is here (but the temperatures aren't rising), and the calendar shows football season is just a few months away, but according to the Farmer's Almanac, all that stands between today and the Cougars' return is one orange pumpkin.
According to local and Google-based “gardening enthusiasts,” it takes about 100 days for pumpkins to ripen in Utah yards, and with 98 days left until the Cougars play Southern Illinois, planting seasons between the two states are upon us, and the similarities are growing.
While gardeners prepare the soil, Kalani Sitake and his staff keep the football team in shape with a detailed plan of exercise, diet, weightlifting and player-led workouts.
Pumpkins also follow a growing schedule: Leaves emerge from the ground about a week after planting, then vines quickly grow. Flowers appear in early July and fruit appears by the end of the month. The cougars also show up in late July when they congregate for fall camp.
The condition of the pumpkins and the players will reflect the efforts of the growers and coaches.
For pumpkins, July's battles include battling beetles, beetles, snails and slugs, which USU Extension says can be controlled with targeted insecticides.
If only there was a pesticide to prevent BYU's problems from plaguing it: fatigue, loss of focus and an excessive focus on outside predictions of a disappointing season. Instead, Sitake and his staff can fight back by cultivating a culture of team unity and purpose.
Pumpkins are at their peak of maturity and turn their natural color in August, which is when BYU will be there, but at this point the similarities between the two end. Pumpkins are left to grow until a gardener decides it's time to harvest them. Meanwhile, the Cougars will be sprinting toward the Aug. 31 deadline when Southern Illinois University comes to Provo.
BYU will have a lot to iron out, especially at the quarterback position, where Jake Retzlaff and Jerry Bohannon are vying for the starting job, there are other starting positions to determine and schemes to perfect.
Eventually, both the pumpkins and the cougars will be past their prime, the growing season will be over, and the harvest, whether at the market or at LaVell Edwards Stadium, will be a reflection of how the summer was.
“The Great Pumpkin” is a 1966 cartoon about the best of both worlds, with Linus finding a real pumpkin patch and Lucy giving Charlie a football to kick around. One of the reasons these cartoon moments are so timeless is because it takes so long for fall to return.
The old saying “distance makes love grow stronger” certainly applies to America's most popular spectator sport.
Football season is special and it's almost here, but we don't want it to fly by so quickly that it takes away from our time to go to the lemonade stand, watch our grandkids play baseball, or enjoy summer fireworks. But if you're looking for an easy way to pass the time, buy some seeds and plant some pumpkins. By the time the pumpkins are ripe, so will your Cougars.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He is also the co-host of “Y's Guys.” Source She is the author of the children's book “C is for Cougar.” From deseretbook.com.