Edwards faces rugged road in farewell tour

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

Facts and figures on the BYU Cougars:

Head coach: LaVell Edwards (251-96-3, 29th season)

1999 record: 8-4 (5-2, Tie for 1st, Mountain West)

Returning starters: 10

Player to watch: LB Justin Ena

Guy they'll miss: CB Brian Gray

Key game: Sept. 9 at Air Force

Sun projection: 2nd place

Southern Utah head coach C. Ray Gregory was asked what LaVell Edwards meant to BYU football when the 69-year-old Edwards announced his retirement following the 2000 season earlier this month.

"If he'd been in the South, they'd have named a highway after him and let him coach two years after he died," Gregory quipped.

Well, so far the folks in Provo haven't named a road after the legendary Edwards, but they have given him a 2000 schedule that might best be described as "road kill."

The Cougars opened the season on Saturday with a 29-3 loss to defending national champion and No. 2-rated Florida State at Jacksonville, Fla. Next up is another 3,000-mile trip to Virginia on Saturday. Then it's off to Colorado Springs for their Mountain West Conference opener against Air Force on Sept. 9.

Following back-to-back home games against Mississippi State -- the nation's No. 1 defensive team in 1999 -- and much-improved UNLV, the Cougs must once again travel to the East Coast for a Sept. 30 game at Syracuse.

All this while breaking in a new quarterback, sophomore Bret Engemann, whose biggest claim to fame so far is that his sister is married to CNN talk show host Larry King.

"It'll make us a good team if we can stay healthy," Edwards said of the early schedule.

If the Florida State loss is any indication, don't count out the Cougars from sending Edwards out with his 21st conference title and 23rd bowl game in 29 years in Provo.

Sure, the score was fairly one-sided. But BYU's front seven more than held its own up front against the 'Noles, limiting FSU to just 57 yards rushing and 14 points over the final three quarters.

"Playing that well against that quality of team is exciting," senior defensive tackle Chris Hoke said.

Engemann looked promising before departing with a low grade knee sprain in the third quarter. Receivers Margin Hooks and Jonathan Pittman also held their own.

If the Cougars can do that against arguably the quickest group of athletes this side of the U.S. Olympic Team's 4 x 100 relay squad, doesn't it bode well for BYU come Mountain West Conference play?

"I think we have a chance to have a good football team," Edwards said. "Defensively, up front we're about as good as we've ever been. ... Our wide receivers are outstanding."

The key will be the development of Engemann and the health of sophomore running back Luke Staley, who suffered a mild concussion against Florida State. Staley rushed for 432 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 92 carries (4.7 avg.) last year despite missing the final three games of the season -- all Cougar losses -- with knee and shoulder injuries.

"I like the players," Edwards said. "I like their attitudes."

But when he looks back at his final year as a college head coach, will he like the schedule?