Great Time to be a Cougar Fan
Now that the football and basketball seasons are over it's time for the summer doldrums to set in. Most people really look forward to summer and I do as well, but I'm always glad when summer winds down and football season starts.
I've actually narrowed down my problem to one month- July. July is when it is just dang hot outside. Baseball is heading into the dog days of summer and I couldn't care less about the baseball All-Star game anymore. Sports are practically at a stand still and it just seems to get hotter and hotter.
August works for me because at least football practices have started. Reports flow in as to who is going to make an impact on the team and who is a flop. August this year will be enhanced due to the Olympics. Counting a family reunion, the Olympics, and football practice starting, August will be a good month.
But the purpose of the post was to discuss the past. In particular the past two years. The last time that both BYU football and basketball won outright conference championships the same year for two years in a row was 1978 and 1979. Almost 30 years ago. That was the days of Marc Wilson and Eric Lane for football and Danny Ainge, Fred Roberts and a pre-mission Devin Durrant. This was also the time of an undefeated BYU team losing to Indiana in the Holiday Bowl and strangely enough a year before the basketball team made their run to the Elite Eight in 1981. That 1980-81 team actually finished third in the conference that year.
After a rough few years in the early 2000's (losing to Utah four years in a row in football, the basketball team going 9-21 in 04-05) it ushered in the hiring of two new coaches in the respective sports. Bronco Mendenhall for football and Dave Rose for basketball.
Let's start with football:
In 2006 BYU had an experienced team returning. They had John Beck at QB, Curtis Brown at RB, and a stable of solid receivers. The defense was led by The General Cameron Jensen, but also had a load of players who weren't seniors that were coming on at the right time.
The fate of the team hinged on the success of John Beck. Leading up to his senior year Beck had had a controversial career so far as a Cougar. He played well at times and struggled at times. It was obvious he had the talent, but most people questioned the mental part of the game.
The start of the season was rough as they lost two of their first three games. The opener to Arizona on a last second field goal and a double overtime heart breaker to Boston College. Both games were very winnable, but slipped through their fingers. With a different outcome they could have had a special season.
Nonetheless the turning point was a road victory at TCU 31-17. TCU was the MWC preseason favorite and this win changed the momentum for the entire season. The offense was unstoppable for the rest of the year and they just blew teams out.
The final game of the regular season against Utah was an all-time classic. Utah played a great game and scored a touchdown with 1:19 left to go up by 4. John Beck personally exorcised all of his past BYU demons and leads the team down to the 10 yard line with :03 left on the clock. What followed was a play that will be etched in hearts and minds of BYU fans everywhere. Beck finds a wide open Johnny Harline on a play that seemed to last longer than most marriages now-a-days. Bedlam ensued, tears flowed and the Cougars were conference champions after finishing the conference schedule undefeated.
BYU coasted into the Las Vegas Bowl and dismantled a totally uninspired Oregon Ducks team 38-8. What a great way to end the year, but what was in the cupboard for 2007? That was a huge unknown.
After watching and re-watching games from 2006 (this is what happens when you cut your satellite package) this team was an offensive juggernaut. They blew teams right out of the water. So how was BYU going to replace John Beck, Curtis Brown, Johnny Harline, Cameron Jensen and other senior leaders? The answers weren't readily available.
Enter 2007. Enter Max Hall, Harvey Unga, Dennis Pitta, Austin Collie, and Bryan Kehl. These names weren't totally new to BYU but they were either unproven or returning from a mission. With the exception of Kehl it was really a guess as to how good this team could be.
The optimistic fans (myself included) projected 9-10 wins. Realistically 8 wins would have been a pretty good year and anything over 9 wins was just pure gravy. Well, bring in the mashed potatoes.
The Cougars once again got off to a slow start by losing to UCLA and Tulsa back-to-back. The Tulsa game was a total shocker and made the fans question whether this team had "it" or not. But in a strange way the Tulsa game was the season turning point. The offense gained huge confidence from that game and it helped the team from getting too overconfident. They once again rolled through the conference although they weren't winning as handily as the year before.
The Utah game loomed large again as BYU was trying to go undefeated in conference two years in a row. That was something that hadn't been done since 83-84. The game was a defensive slug fest up until Utah put together an excellent drive at the end of the fourth quarter to once again give themselves a late lead.
BYU found themselves down by 1 and the length of the field to go in just over a minute. It didn't help that they were soon faced with a 4th and 18 deep in their own territory. The next play has been referred to as "magic" by some and it absolutely was special. Max Hall scrambles on the play and finds Austin Collie down field for a 49-yard gain. A few plays later Harvey Unga runs it into the end zone for a 17-10 victory.
Next up is a bowl game revenge with UCLA, a team that BYU lost to earlier in the season. A game that BYU should have won handily came down to a field goal on the last play of the game. The UCLA kicker already had two 50 yarders on the day and this one was a chip shot compared to them. Somehow, someway BYU blocks the field goal and pandemonium ensues. Another 11-2 season. Another Las Vegas Bowl victory. Another Top-25 ranking.
What's in store for the future Cougars? Well, the future is bright. A lot of players are coming back and it appears they have a favorable schedule. It could be another banner year.
Next up is basketball:
2006/2007 was the start of hopefully a good run for the basketball team. The opening game was at a Top 5 ranked UCLA. The Cougars came out red hot from the 3-point line and even held a halftime lead. The second half wasn't quite as fortunate, but they proved that they should be able to hang with the big boys.
Next up was an uninspired home win in overtime over Idaho State. Questions were beginning to rise if this team would be able to be consistent. Road losses were masked by home wins. A loss to Lamar seemed to be the low point of the season. The Cougars were 5-4 at the time and had to wonder if they were a championship caliber team.
BYU wins their next 7 games to get their confidence back. It's time for conference play and time for the Cougars to hit their stride. Five games into the conference season BYU has 3 home wins and 2 road losses. A road loss to CSU again gives fans a pause as to how good this team really is. However a road win against New Mexico lifts the spirits once again and the Cougars go on to win 8 in a row.
A road loss to San Diego St. ends the streak, but then the Cougars get a huge win against a Top 25 Air Force in Colorado Springs. They close out the regular season with a win against Utah sweeping the two game series. It's tournament time.
BYU glides into the finals of the MWC Tourney before bowing to UNLV on their home court. But a tournament bid is all but secure for the NCAA tournament. The Cougars are matched with Xavier in an 8-9 seed match up.
BYU gives a valiant effort in a close game. They lose by 2 as the Cougars just can't figure how to get over the hump. Keena Young is MWC player of the year and Jonathan Tavernari is Freshman of the year. Trent Plaisted if second-team all MWC along and Coach Rose is named Coach of the year.
2007/2008 has huge expectations. The Cougars lose the reigning MWC Player of the tear, but have Plaisted, Lee Cummard and Tavernari which are referred to as "The Big Three". BYU gets off to a great start winning their first 5 games which includes an upset of #6 Louisville. The upset of Louisville sets them up for a showdown with #1 North Carolina.
BYU plays North Carolina very tough led by the hot shooting of Tavernari. An ESPN audience watches as Trent Plaisted dominates down low against a good low post team. North Carolina pulls away in the last two minutes but once again the fans are encouraged by their performance.
A disappointing loss to a ranked Michigan State team in Salt Lake followed by a loss to Boise State on the road damper the hopes just a bit. A big game on the road versus Wake Forest was another chance for BYU to show their stuff. Another stumble. The Cougars are a good team, but are having a tough time proving it.
The conference season consists of two losses. A road loss to UNLV and San Diego St. Once again they sweep Utah and win an outright conference championship. Once again they make it to the MWC tourney finals before losing to UNLV on their home court. And once again they lose in the first round 8-9 seed match up versus Texas A&M in a close game.
A team with a lot of potential seems to flounder a bit at the end. If they return the "Big Three" for next year they can hopefully put together a magical season.
But it must be noted that the last two years have been great. It's easy to hold your head high as a fan. Both teams seem to once again be poised for conference championships next year and hopefully will create a stir on the national scene.
We'll wait and see.
I've actually narrowed down my problem to one month- July. July is when it is just dang hot outside. Baseball is heading into the dog days of summer and I couldn't care less about the baseball All-Star game anymore. Sports are practically at a stand still and it just seems to get hotter and hotter.
August works for me because at least football practices have started. Reports flow in as to who is going to make an impact on the team and who is a flop. August this year will be enhanced due to the Olympics. Counting a family reunion, the Olympics, and football practice starting, August will be a good month.
But the purpose of the post was to discuss the past. In particular the past two years. The last time that both BYU football and basketball won outright conference championships the same year for two years in a row was 1978 and 1979. Almost 30 years ago. That was the days of Marc Wilson and Eric Lane for football and Danny Ainge, Fred Roberts and a pre-mission Devin Durrant. This was also the time of an undefeated BYU team losing to Indiana in the Holiday Bowl and strangely enough a year before the basketball team made their run to the Elite Eight in 1981. That 1980-81 team actually finished third in the conference that year.
After a rough few years in the early 2000's (losing to Utah four years in a row in football, the basketball team going 9-21 in 04-05) it ushered in the hiring of two new coaches in the respective sports. Bronco Mendenhall for football and Dave Rose for basketball.
Let's start with football:
In 2006 BYU had an experienced team returning. They had John Beck at QB, Curtis Brown at RB, and a stable of solid receivers. The defense was led by The General Cameron Jensen, but also had a load of players who weren't seniors that were coming on at the right time.
The fate of the team hinged on the success of John Beck. Leading up to his senior year Beck had had a controversial career so far as a Cougar. He played well at times and struggled at times. It was obvious he had the talent, but most people questioned the mental part of the game.
The start of the season was rough as they lost two of their first three games. The opener to Arizona on a last second field goal and a double overtime heart breaker to Boston College. Both games were very winnable, but slipped through their fingers. With a different outcome they could have had a special season.
Nonetheless the turning point was a road victory at TCU 31-17. TCU was the MWC preseason favorite and this win changed the momentum for the entire season. The offense was unstoppable for the rest of the year and they just blew teams out.
The final game of the regular season against Utah was an all-time classic. Utah played a great game and scored a touchdown with 1:19 left to go up by 4. John Beck personally exorcised all of his past BYU demons and leads the team down to the 10 yard line with :03 left on the clock. What followed was a play that will be etched in hearts and minds of BYU fans everywhere. Beck finds a wide open Johnny Harline on a play that seemed to last longer than most marriages now-a-days. Bedlam ensued, tears flowed and the Cougars were conference champions after finishing the conference schedule undefeated.
BYU coasted into the Las Vegas Bowl and dismantled a totally uninspired Oregon Ducks team 38-8. What a great way to end the year, but what was in the cupboard for 2007? That was a huge unknown.
After watching and re-watching games from 2006 (this is what happens when you cut your satellite package) this team was an offensive juggernaut. They blew teams right out of the water. So how was BYU going to replace John Beck, Curtis Brown, Johnny Harline, Cameron Jensen and other senior leaders? The answers weren't readily available.
Enter 2007. Enter Max Hall, Harvey Unga, Dennis Pitta, Austin Collie, and Bryan Kehl. These names weren't totally new to BYU but they were either unproven or returning from a mission. With the exception of Kehl it was really a guess as to how good this team could be.
The optimistic fans (myself included) projected 9-10 wins. Realistically 8 wins would have been a pretty good year and anything over 9 wins was just pure gravy. Well, bring in the mashed potatoes.
The Cougars once again got off to a slow start by losing to UCLA and Tulsa back-to-back. The Tulsa game was a total shocker and made the fans question whether this team had "it" or not. But in a strange way the Tulsa game was the season turning point. The offense gained huge confidence from that game and it helped the team from getting too overconfident. They once again rolled through the conference although they weren't winning as handily as the year before.
The Utah game loomed large again as BYU was trying to go undefeated in conference two years in a row. That was something that hadn't been done since 83-84. The game was a defensive slug fest up until Utah put together an excellent drive at the end of the fourth quarter to once again give themselves a late lead.
BYU found themselves down by 1 and the length of the field to go in just over a minute. It didn't help that they were soon faced with a 4th and 18 deep in their own territory. The next play has been referred to as "magic" by some and it absolutely was special. Max Hall scrambles on the play and finds Austin Collie down field for a 49-yard gain. A few plays later Harvey Unga runs it into the end zone for a 17-10 victory.
Next up is a bowl game revenge with UCLA, a team that BYU lost to earlier in the season. A game that BYU should have won handily came down to a field goal on the last play of the game. The UCLA kicker already had two 50 yarders on the day and this one was a chip shot compared to them. Somehow, someway BYU blocks the field goal and pandemonium ensues. Another 11-2 season. Another Las Vegas Bowl victory. Another Top-25 ranking.
What's in store for the future Cougars? Well, the future is bright. A lot of players are coming back and it appears they have a favorable schedule. It could be another banner year.
Next up is basketball:
2006/2007 was the start of hopefully a good run for the basketball team. The opening game was at a Top 5 ranked UCLA. The Cougars came out red hot from the 3-point line and even held a halftime lead. The second half wasn't quite as fortunate, but they proved that they should be able to hang with the big boys.
Next up was an uninspired home win in overtime over Idaho State. Questions were beginning to rise if this team would be able to be consistent. Road losses were masked by home wins. A loss to Lamar seemed to be the low point of the season. The Cougars were 5-4 at the time and had to wonder if they were a championship caliber team.
BYU wins their next 7 games to get their confidence back. It's time for conference play and time for the Cougars to hit their stride. Five games into the conference season BYU has 3 home wins and 2 road losses. A road loss to CSU again gives fans a pause as to how good this team really is. However a road win against New Mexico lifts the spirits once again and the Cougars go on to win 8 in a row.
A road loss to San Diego St. ends the streak, but then the Cougars get a huge win against a Top 25 Air Force in Colorado Springs. They close out the regular season with a win against Utah sweeping the two game series. It's tournament time.
BYU glides into the finals of the MWC Tourney before bowing to UNLV on their home court. But a tournament bid is all but secure for the NCAA tournament. The Cougars are matched with Xavier in an 8-9 seed match up.
BYU gives a valiant effort in a close game. They lose by 2 as the Cougars just can't figure how to get over the hump. Keena Young is MWC player of the year and Jonathan Tavernari is Freshman of the year. Trent Plaisted if second-team all MWC along and Coach Rose is named Coach of the year.
2007/2008 has huge expectations. The Cougars lose the reigning MWC Player of the tear, but have Plaisted, Lee Cummard and Tavernari which are referred to as "The Big Three". BYU gets off to a great start winning their first 5 games which includes an upset of #6 Louisville. The upset of Louisville sets them up for a showdown with #1 North Carolina.
BYU plays North Carolina very tough led by the hot shooting of Tavernari. An ESPN audience watches as Trent Plaisted dominates down low against a good low post team. North Carolina pulls away in the last two minutes but once again the fans are encouraged by their performance.
A disappointing loss to a ranked Michigan State team in Salt Lake followed by a loss to Boise State on the road damper the hopes just a bit. A big game on the road versus Wake Forest was another chance for BYU to show their stuff. Another stumble. The Cougars are a good team, but are having a tough time proving it.
The conference season consists of two losses. A road loss to UNLV and San Diego St. Once again they sweep Utah and win an outright conference championship. Once again they make it to the MWC tourney finals before losing to UNLV on their home court. And once again they lose in the first round 8-9 seed match up versus Texas A&M in a close game.
A team with a lot of potential seems to flounder a bit at the end. If they return the "Big Three" for next year they can hopefully put together a magical season.
But it must be noted that the last two years have been great. It's easy to hold your head high as a fan. Both teams seem to once again be poised for conference championships next year and hopefully will create a stir on the national scene.
We'll wait and see.
posted by Scott's Blog at Tuesday, April 29, 2008
3 Comments:
zzzzzz....whoah-oh-oh!! Did I doze off??
I know. I react the same way when I read Rob's posts on U2.
Just remember though, this is MY blog not yours. :-)
LOL! I hope Rob doesn't start crying when he reads that, Scotty.
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