Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003 | 9:31 a.m.
Editor's note: First in a series previewing MWC football.
MWC PREVIEWS
BYU AT A GLANCE
Oh, where have you gone LaVell Edwards? Or Ty Detmer? Or Jim McMahon?
Remember the days when watching a BYU football game meant at least four hours in front of the TV set, about 600 yards in total offense by the Cougs and a wild 45-41 shootout? Such was certainly not the case in Year Two of the Gary Crowton Era in Provo.
The razzle-dazzle and trick plays that helped propel BYU to a remarkable 12-0 start in 2001 under Crowton en route to a 12-2 record fizzled badly in 2002.
Try these numbers on for size: In seven games in Mountain West play, BYU scored a grand total of 113 points, easily the worst in the conference. Runner-up Utah, where longtime head coach Ron McBride was criticized and fired for his bland offenses, scored 162 points to finish just above the Cougs. Heck, even UNLV scored 168 points in MWC play.
Overall, BYU finished a dismal 87th in the nation in scoring offense (22.7 ppg). Not so surprisingly, the Cougars (5-7) suffered their first losing season since 1973 and finished ahead of just woeful Wyoming (2-10, 1-6) in MWC play. UNLV went into Provo and won for the first time since 1981, 24-3.
Crowton went from offensive genius to dunce in one year. His game of quarterback roulette, where he would substitute quarterbacks every couple of plays, left many scratching their heads.
Here are the cold, hard facts: Since the 12-0 start in 2002, BYU has gone an unheard of 5-9 under Crowton.
"It was one of those years that was very unusual to me," Crowton said. "We weren't as good as I would have wanted to be. But I think this year is a totally different situation."
Crowton shuffled his coaching staff and brought in Todd Bradford to join Robbie Bosco as co-offensive coordinators (although Crowton is really the offensive cordinator). But the biggest move he made was luring new defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall away from conference rival New Mexico. Mendenhall will install the Lobos' aggressive, attacking blitz-from-all-angles defense that Rocky Long developed.
With 11 defensive starters to work with, including MWC sack leader Brady Poppinga and talented senior cornerbacks Jernaro Gilford and Brandon Heaney, BYU actually may have all the ingredients to be the top defensive squad in the Mountain West.
"They could be the best combination in the league," Mendenhall told the Deseret News about Gilford and Heaney. "They can both tackle and have excellent coverage skills. I'm confident in both of them. Everything we've got in this defense is based on those guys being able to cover. Their importance is huge."
The big question is can both stay healthy? They never started a game together in 2002 and Gilford, an all-MWC pick in 2001 when he had seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups, played sparingly in just seven games last season because of a nagging knee injury that still isn't 100 percent.
Offensively, the Cougars hope highly-touted sophomore quarterback Matt Berry, who struggled behind a makeshift offensive line and also because he lacked any real offensive threats, will make dramatic improvement over a disappointing 2002 season that saw him throw just seven touchdown passes in seven starts. Already Crowton has said he plans to give true freshman John Beck, a good option runner with 4.5 speed in the 40, significant minutes.
Say this about the Cougars: They may have stunk up the Mountain West last season, but it doesn't seem to have taken their swagger away.
When informed at conference media day last month that his team had been picked to finish fourth, Crowton replied, "They're crazy."
Added offensive lineman Scott Jackson: "It's an embarrassment. It's somewhat of a slap in the face. ... If people could come to our practices and offseason workouts, they'd see something different."
For Crowton's sake, Jackson had better be right.
"I don't feel like if I don't win they're going to throw me out," Crowton said. "The pressure I put on myself I do it yearly. I want to win now. We're going to be better. I can tell you that. There's no question we're a better football team."
archive
