The Cougar Battalion uses “George Q.”, a World War II vintage M120 75mm howitzer painted in BYU colors, to help build the school spirit throughout the year. Most notably, “George Q.” is present at all BYU home football games and announces its presence forcefully after each BYU score.
George Q. is manned by 5-7 cadets and one ROTC instructor. After every touchdown or field goal scored, the “Q” Cannon Crew do the appropriate number of push-ups in front of the 50,000+ crowd who count loudly to motivate them and the team. The cadets are chosen based upon their push-up score from their last Army Physical Fitness Test. Each game, an “honorary canon crew member” is chosen to fire the first round at the opening kick off and receives a free T-shirt from the BYU Army ROTC.