Tag Archives: Bowl Games

by | December 4, 2011 · 8:13 pm

BYU will face Tulsa

by Matt Mangum

matt@loyalcougars.com or on twitter @matt_mangum

If we had all just read Rivals.com in August, we would have known that this was coming. BYU and Tulsa are officially going to square off in the Armed Forces Bowl.

BYU and Tulsa have played 7 times. BYU holds a 6-1 advantage in those matchups. Many of you will best remember the 2007 matchup. Max Hall threw for 537 yards. It was a 55-47 shootout that ended with a gut punch in the final minute when Andrew George fumbled the football. (George totally redeemed himself later) I’m not sure I can even talk about it without getting upset. So here we are in 2011 preparing to face Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas, Texas. This season Tulsa’s losses came against the following schools: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State (who should be playing for a title), Boise State and Houston. Those are all decent teams and Tulsa doesn’t have much to be ashamed of there. In 2011 BYU lost to Texas, Utah and TCU. Neither of the team’s complete schedules shed much light on the matchup. There is one common opponent, Central Florida, and both teams beat the Golden Knights by a score of 24-17.

Tulsa boasts a quarterback, G.J. Kinne who has thrown for over 2800 yards and 25 TDs. Jake Heaps and Riley Nelson’s combined statistics are over 2800 yards and 25 TDs. Kinne threw for over 300 yards in five different games. As individuals, Nelson and Heaps only topped 300 yards a couple of times. That is an eery stat to me when I think about this game in the context if the 2007 matchup. The good news is that these are almost entirely different teams and the comparison is purely historical. The bad news is that Tulsa is not UTEP. This is a serious matchup against a team that can score points and move the football. This is a good chance for BYU to measure how far they have actually come this season. It should be exciting for fans and players. There are going to be alot of decisions to be made this offseason and this game may provide a good measuring stick to make quality decisions. If it does not go well, BYU heads into an offseason of uncertainty. If it does go well, it provides some serious framework for this offseason and next year.

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by | July 16, 2011 · 5:38 pm

BYU All Time Defensive Team

by Matt Mangum

Earlier this week, I posted my selections for the BYU All Time Offensive Team. Some of those decisions were pretty hard to make. On the other hand, selections to this defense were easy for me. I have always been a defensive minded fan. This was also alot of fun for me as I got to go back and go through some of the great defensive performances in BYU football history. Interestingly enough, multiple players put up record numbers in games against New Mexico. I guess I may miss some of the teams in the old MWC after all. If you miseed my BYU All Time Defensive Team Watch List, you can access it here. So without any further ado, these are my choices for the BYU All Time Defensive Team.

Defensive Line – Jason Buck, Byron Frisch, Jan Jorgensen

Jason Buck is an Outland Trophy winner and a legend in BYU football history.In 1985 he led the team in sacks and was WAC Defensive player of the year. He is in the top ten for sacks in a season and tied for second in sacks in a game with 4 against Oregon State in 1986. He may be the best defensive linemen that BYU has ever had. He was a quarterback when he entered junior college at Ricks College. I think we’re all kinda glad that the QB thing didn’t work out. 

Byron Frisch finished his career with 25 sacks which places him fourth all time for sacks in a career at BYU. Frisch was part of the 1996 team which finished ranked in the top 5 and only suffered one loss. He was a consistent performer who finished his career with 222 tackles (42.5 for a loss). Fans who reminisce of the 1996 season will remember Frisch as being a tough competitor. However, 1996 was just the beginning of a career for Frisch who played 3 more years and seemed to get better every year.

Jan Jorgensen is a surprise selection for me. I had envisioned other players making the cut here. Specifically, I thought Shawn Knight would end up on this team. But Jan had slightly better numbers than Knight and was a contributor on a very talented defense. Jan’s biggest problem was that he never quite duplicated his 2007 season. In 2007 he had 77 tackles (20 for a loss) and 14 sacks. He is top five for sacks in a career and sacks in a season. That 2007 team was alot of fun to watch and it was a breakout year for several different players.

Linebacker – Shay Muirbrook, Rob Morris,  Shad Hansen, Rocky Biegel

Shay Muirbrook is my favorite BYU football player of all time. He led the team in tackles in 1994 and 1996. He also led the team in sacks in 1996 with 9, had 8 tackles for a loss and 3 interceptions. He was a beast and, in my opinion, the nucleus of the defense on one of the greatest BYU football teams of all time. In his final season at BYU (1996) he was first team all conference, the conference defensive player of the year and the defensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State. In that game he established the record at BYU for sacks in a game. He had 6. I originally planned on naming my first born son Shay. Then I met my wife and all of that changed. So, even though I didn’t get to name my son Shay, I still get to name Shay to my BYU All Time Defensive Team.

Rob Morris led the team in tackles in 1997 and 1998 and was the 1998 WAC Defensive Player of the Year. He ended his career with 34.5 tackles for a loss. He’s in the top ten for tackles in a season and tackles in a career. As a fan it was fun to have him on your team. You always expected him to make a play. Morris was recently featured in a “I’m a Mormon” video where he and his wife discussed their trials having children and the difficulty of losing triplets before birth. I have to warn you, I can’t watch this without crying. 

Shad Hansen was in on more tackles than any other player in BYU history. That was 408 tackles (132 unassisted). This is a guy that was simply all over the field. One unassisted tackle separates him from Rocky Biegel in the rankings of tackles in a season. In 1991 they had 193 and 192 tackles respectively.

Rocky Biegel was a linebacking teamate of Shad Hansen and, as previously noted, is number two on the list for tackles in a season with 192 tackles in 1991. He is in the top ten of tackles in a career and may have the coolest name of any BYU football player ever.

Narrowing this field down to four linebackers may have been the most difficult part of naming this defensive unit. There has been some great talent at the LB position in Provo over the years and any of these four could likely be argued off of the list in favor of some of the other names from the watchlist. In the end I feel like Hansen and Biegel did alot for the linebacker tradition at BYU. Muirbrook was a team favorite, lead an amazing defense during an incredible year and performed well in big games. Morris was simply a force that competed on a level higher than anyone else around him. So they are the ones who ended up on the team.

Defensive Back – Kyle Morrell, Dan Hansen, Derwin Gray, Aaron Francisco

Kyle Morrell simply belongs on this list. In 1984 he was first team all WAC, the WAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American. He is also on every single BYU highlight reel ever made. His jump over the line to bring down the Hawaii QB in the 1984 game is something that every BYU fan has seen approximately 4 billion times. His place is cemented in BYU lore. If you need to see the tackle again, here it is. 

Sure Dan Hansen finished his career with 18 interceptions. Decent. I’ll tell you what was more than decent is what he did with the ball after he picked it off. In 1971 he had 233 yards on interception returns. In his career he had 421 yards off of picks. In case you didn’t know, those are both all time leading numbers at BYU. He is also in the top 10 for tackles in a career with 369. Did I mention that he had 36 tackles (22 unassisted) in one game against New Mexico in 1971? Unreal. If I had tried to keep him off of the list, he would have intercepted the transmission of this post and ran it all the way back to my house for revision.

At a time when the BYU quarterback was receiving unbelievable attention, Derwin Gray was getting it done on defense. Gray led the team in interceptions in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He is number 2 on the list for tackles in a game with his 22 tackle (13 unassisted) performance against Penn State in 1991. Of course, you would prefer that a defensive back does not lead the team in tackles, but Penn State put up 479 yards of total offense in that game. So it looks like Gray just ended up getting alot of work coming his way that day. His 3 interception game against New Mexico in 1991 is a BYU game high. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Aaron Francisco was part of the beginning of the Bronco Mendenhall era at BYU. Francisco played all four years of football under head coach Gary Crowton, but was the focus of alot of attention when Bronco came to town and changed what the defense was doing. Francisco did well under the coach’s new system and was the team’s leading tackler in 2003 thanks to a system which put him into position to make plays. He also led the team in interceptions that year annd was named to the All MWC team in 2003 and 2004. Part of what gets Franscisco on this list is the position he was playing under Mendenhall’s first defense. While the schemes have changed some, that 2003 season signaled a change in the way defense was coached and played at BYU.  

*Statistics for this were drawn from cougarstats.com and byucougars.com.

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by | July 12, 2011 · 2:09 pm

BYU All Time Offensive Team

by Matt Mangum

A few weeks ago I posted a list of players I was considering to be included an on All Time BYU Offensive Team. Since then I have agonized over some of these selections. I have changed my mind on some of these as recently as this morning and if I were to continue thinking about it I am sure I could change my mind again. The final team here is comprised of the players that I feel best fit the criteria that I originally set out. One of the best parts of writing something like this is the opportunity to watch old games online and remember how good some of the BYU teams of yesteryear have been. Very few football programs can put together a list with this type of talent. Even the two deep chart on a team like this is very impressive. I tried to be concise as I talked about my selection so I am looking forward to discussing this with everybody. So without further ado, here are my selections to the BYU All Time Offensive Team:

Quarterback – Jim McMahon

McMahon was recently ranked by Adam here on LoyalCougars.com as having had the best QB Season in BYU History. There is a reason he was ranked number one on that list: He’s the greatest BYU QB of all time. His 1980 season is a thing of legend. The man threw for nearly fifty touchdowns that year! He finished his BYU Career with 84 passing touchdowns and 9,500 yards. These kinds of numbers were galactic compared to is contemporaries. He owned every record in any meaningful statistical category for his position and was the undisputed leader of his team. He was also behind one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport when he led BYU back to win the 1980 Holiday Bowl against the Pony Express from SMU. There have been some great quarterbacks that have come through BYU. I submit that McMahon was the greatest of them all.

Running Backs – Harvey Unga and Luke Staley

Harvey Unga was a singularly dominant force when playing. He is the current leading rusher at BYU. Without the running game of Harvey Unga, I would argue that Max Hall does not become Max Hall. Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta probably would have had a much different experience as well. Not that he made them better players, but he created opportunity because he was such a threat. They all did that for each other. 2007 was his best season statistically. He topped 1,200 yards and ran for 13 scores. He was a fierce competitor and really came alive in the Utah game at the end of that season. He was a leader on the field and dominated with brute force. While he did not top 1,200 yards again he had three 1,000+ yard seasons in a row and, had he remained for another season, would have set a BYU career rushing record that would not even be approached for a long time. If I were only choosing one running back, Harvey would be my choice.

This was a difficult decision for me. Because I missed Luke Staley’s best games, I spent some time really looking into Staley’s career at BYU. Using the new BYUtv app on my iPhone I watched the BYU vs. Utah game from 2001. Luke Staley was a force in that game. In a sport where each team puts 11 men on the field at a time, it is difficult for a single person to take charge of games in the way that Staley did. The final 5 minutes of that game against Utah being the best example. He broke loose from pass blocking when the play broke down and was available for Doman to throw a TD pass. A few minutes later he took the corner, off of a great downfield block, and ran the rock across the yard and to the house. Going back through his body of work he has got to be the choice for this team. While he may have had just one big year, his performance meets all of the criteria that I originally set out. He is in the top ten all time for rushing yards in a game, rushing yards in a season and rushing yards in a career. Taking into account that he really only had one breakout year, that is pretty significant. Staley beats out Eldon Fortie with his prominence among his contemporaries. In 2001 he led the nation in yards per rushing attempt and scoring. He also received the Doak Walker Award.

While it is difficult to leave Fortie off of this list, I think he barely loses out to Staley. Fortie led the team in total offense, passing and rushing in 1961. He then led the team in all three of those and scoring in 1962. If you take a minute to look at that, it really is a staggering statistic. His contribution is very unique among BYU Running Backs. My Dad has told me that if I had seen Fortie play in person he would easily have made this team. He may be right.  

Wide Receivers – Austin Collie and Eric Drage

It would be a joke not to include Collie on this team. In my opinion he is simply the best receiver that has ever played at BYU. The offense at the time did not lend itself to a very ornate use of the passing tree. Collie still managed to shred secondaries. BYU fans have gotten plenty mileage out of some of Collie’s plays against Utah and he was also a nationally respected receiver. He simply had more talent that any other Cougar to play the position. In 2008 Collie had 11 games were he topped 100 yards receiving. In 2006 he accomplished the feat 6 times. He is also the all time leader for receiving yards in a career and in an individual season.

Eric Drage does not feel like the obvious choice for me. Having a Heisman Trophy winner as a Quarterback almost feels like an unfair competitive advantage. On the other hand, how many receivers in BYU history have had the benefit of quartberbacks who competed on the same level as Ty Detmer? There have been alot of them. So in other words, that competitive advantage evens out. Eric Drage was a consistent high performer and was involved in some big games for the program. Drage had 4 100 yard receiving games in 3 separate seasons (1991, 1992, 1993). He is number 2 in receiving yards in a career to Austin Collie and appears in the top ten of just about every pertinent statistic. Maybe I am way off base here, this was an unexpected choice for me. However after looking at the stats and the period of time he was playing for the team, Eric Drage is my choice.

Tight End – Clay Brown

In 1980 Clay Brown played in a Holiday Bowl game where he caught 5 passes for 155 yaards. 3 of those receptions were touchdowns. One of them was the TD reception that tied the game. His participation in that game alone earns him a place in this discussion. He is not in the top ten for receptions by a tight end at BYU, but he is the the top ten for receiving yards by a tight end. (He’s no. 6 with 1,691 yards.) He gained more yards with much fewer receptions. His 15 TD receptions in 1980 place him tied for first among all pass catchers for TD receptions in a season. If you include his 3 TD catches in that year’s Holiday Bowl, he passes Austin Collie for the sole no. 1 spot on that list. Taking into account some of the prolific receiving seasons at BYU, for him to do that as a Tight End is remarkable. He may not have run away with this like McMahon did with the QB slot, but the top spot is his all the same.

I know Adam wanted to put Chad Lewis here. I stand by my earlier comment that I am not sure Chad Lewis was the best Tight End on the 1996 team. I think that distinction belongs to Itula Mili. The coaching staff in 1996 said that Mili may have been the best tight end they had ever coached. (As reported by the color commentator on the ESPN broadcast of the 1996 BYU vs. Utah game). Chad Lewis went on to a much more illustrious NFL career which may cloud the way that BYU fans remember him. Don’t get me wrong, he was awesome. He just wasn’t the best one of them all.

Offensive Line – Eli Herring, Mo Elewonibi, John Tait, Trevor Matich, Bart Oates

Eli Herring may be most famous for his decision to forego the opportunity to play in the NFL. Herring determined that he was not comfortable playing professional football on Sundays. His decision met a variety of responses from BYU fans. His decision and it’s aftermath have gained a unique place in BYU lore.

Mo Elewonibi won the Outland Trophy on 1989 and was a consensus All American. He is arguably the best offensive lineman to ever play at BYU. 

John Tait is the sole member of the 1996 team that made this list. If I were to rank offensive lines as a unit, I beleive that the 1996 O-line may have been the best that BYU has ever seen. As individuals, Tait is the only one that makes it to this list.

Trevor Matich was a great offensive lineman at a great time to be at BYU. Matich was the center on the 1984 National Championship team and I love watching him on ESPN.

Bart Oates was also at BYU at a great time. Oates was in the huddle with some great teams and led offensive lines that blocked for some very talented teams. Men like Steve Young and others owe a great deal of their success to centers like Bart Oates.

*Statistics for this article were collected at cougarstats.com and the media guide available at byucougars.com.

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by | July 1, 2011 · 11:33 pm

Dear BYU Fans, Be Cool.

by Matt Mangum

Dear Fellow BYU Fans,

Today is a special day. A day to be celebrated. Today is full of optimism and hope. BYU Football is free from the chains of the MWC. BYU’s other sports have found a home in the WCC and the WAC. Tom Holmoe successfully navigated a minefield of problems and appears to have lead us to the promised land. For that we are all grateful. Mr. Holmoe, we have never met. But I feel compelled to tell you, I love you man. I think we all do.

But a few words of advice for the BYU Fans of 2011.

First, be good to the WCC. The West Coast Conference looks to be a great place for BYU Hoops and other sports. Did you see the video on their website or the new logo today? I think that they are genuinely excited to have us and I think it is going to be a great fit. Show up to their arenas all up and down the west coast in order to support the Cougars when they come to your town. Purchase tickets, food and other concessions. Most importantly, be cool. Especially this year. Make a good first impression. Be nice to their fans. Be respectful of their institutions and their beliefs. We are guests in their arenas, even if there are a bajillion BYU fans in attendance. We are the new kids in the conference. Don’t be poor winners when we win and don’t be soursports when we lose. Build good healthy rivalries with new opponents. Most importantly, make BYU feel at home when they are on the road. Cheer like a crazy person. This whole thing is a new beginning, let’s do it right.

Second, today is not about BYU vs. Utah. We both got what we wanted. Move on.

Third, right now everything is super shiny and new. This feeling is going to wear off at some point. Something is going to happen and you are going to feel irked or jilted. It may be a football scheduling issue. You may get booed at a road game. The MWC will get an automatic bid (okay that last one is never going to happen). But when that bad thing does happen, remember this day. Remember how exciting this is. This is a great situation for BYU and given the current landscape this will continue to be a great situation for BYU. When the newness starts to wear off, think big picture. Access and Exposure.

Fourth, be patient. Football scheduling is going to be hard. Bowl affiliations are going to be in flux. These things will be sorted out over a matter of years instead of months. Mr. Holmoe and the rest of the BYU Administration have done a good job so far. Be patient when things are not perfect. Going independent was a move years in the making. It is going to take some time to smooth everything out.

Finally, All Loyal Cougars everywhere should Rise and Shout. Today is a great day. This is the beginning of something great. Put on some BYU Gear and enjoy it.

-A Fellow BYU Alum and Fan

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by | May 28, 2011 · 10:55 pm

Football Rewind: Oregon vs BYU – 2006

I may do this often, I may not. But today, I’m going to do a historical live blog of the 2006 Las Vegas Bowl. Why would I do that, you might ask? First, BYUtv’s website is packed full of historical games, and I love watching old BYU games. Second, I have never seen this game. I was serving a mission in Indiana during the time, and didn’t see one snap live of the 2006 season, on TV or in person. In fact, 2006 snapped my 10-year streak of attending at least 1 BYU football game. My streak would now stand at 16 seasons of attending at least 1 BYU game — no small feat, considering through much of the time I was a junior high or high school student with no money of my own, and living well outside of Utah County.

Anyway, as I watch this game for the first time, I will share my thoughts with you. Only a nerd could like this sort of stuff, so I hope you are as much of a nerd as I am.

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