Cougars can Capture MWC Title with Win at Laramie

With the Cougars' win at San Diego State on Saturday, No. 12 BYU captured at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title. A win at Wyoming on Saturday would give the Cougars soul possession of the first-ever MWC football championship. Wyoming meanwhile, is one of four teams still in the hunt with just two Conference losses. The Cowboys enter Saturday's game after knocking off Utah, 43-25, in Salt Lake City last weekend. The Cougars and Cowboys have faced three common opponents this season, with Wyoming posting a 1-2 mark, while BYU has won all three games against common foes (Air Force, UNLV and Colorado State). The BYU/Wyoming rivalry is one of the oldest in BYU history, dating back to the first year of football at BYU (1922). The two teams actually split a pair of games during the 1922 season, winning one at home and one on the road. Since that date, the Cougars have posted a 21-13 lead in Provo, but have not fared as well in Wyoming. The Cowboys lead the series in Laramie, 15-12-3, however BYU has not lost a game in Laramie since a 24-14 Wyoming win in 1988.

Scouting the Aztecs

Wyoming enters the game with a 5-3 record, including a 2-2 mark in MWC play. Wyoming has defeated Air Force and Utah in Conference action, while falling to UNLV and Colorado State. The Cowboys are led by junior quarterback Jay Stoner. Stoner was forced to leave the Tennessee game with a bruised shoulder and would also miss the UNLV and Louisiana-Monroe games with a bruised sternum. When healthy, Stoner has produced over 1,000 yards of passing, completing 76-of-125 attempts, including two touchdown passes. His backup, Matt Swanson, has also played in six games this season, recording 68 completions on 121 attempts for 859 yards and six touchdown completions. The receiving duo of Wendell Montgomery and Kofi Shuck have produced a average 107.2 yards receiving per game. On defense, the Cowboys will look to senior free safety Matt Lehning. The 6-1, 193-pound senior leads the squad in tackles with 73 on the year. He is tied with three other players with two interceptions on the season.

Television Information

Saturday's game will be broadcast live at 4 p.m. (MDT) by SportsWest Productions and will be carried live locally on Salt Lake City's KSL, Ch. 5. Tom Kirkland will call the game with former BYU quarterback Blaine Fowler offering color commentary. The game will be available on ESPN Game Plan, a pay-per-view service, or can be picked up on satellite at GE-3, Transponder K19, KU band.

Travel Plans

The Cougars will depart Provo on Friday, arriving in Cheyenne Friday afternoon. The team will be staying at Foster's Country Inn in Laramie. BYU will participate in its walk-through at War Memorial Stadium Friday evening. Access to players and coaches will be restricted throughout the weekend. Players and coaches will be available for interviews following the 10-minute cooling-off period after the game. The team will return to Provo immediately following the game.

Statistical Comparison

Team Statistics BYU WYO

Scoring 298 222

Points per Game 33.1 27.8

First Downs 220 172

Rushing Yardage 1066 1056

Average per Rush 3.4 3.1

Average per Game 118.4 133.0

Rushing TDs 12 14

Passing Yardage 2896 1927

Att-Comp-Int 360-228-12 247-144-11

Average per Game 321.8 240.9

Passing TDs 22 8

Total Offense 3962 2983

Kick Returns/No. Yards 14/325 20/510

Punt Returns/No. Yards 29/147 20/162

Interception Returns/No. Yds. 12/279 12/280

Fumbles/Lost 17/9 27/10

Penalties/Yards 60/590 57/408

Punts/Yards 39/1641 42/1813

Time of Possession p/game 32:52 29:57

3rd Down Conversions 49/125 33/108

4th Down Conversions 3/5 4/12

Sacks by/Yards 31/223 16/101

Touchdowns Scored 36 27

Field Goals/Attempted 16/21 10/17

PAT Attempts 32/24 22/23

Score by Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total

Brigham Young 59 102 71 63 3 298

Wyoming 51 51 38 46 -- 186

Scoring Drive Superlatives

Total Scoring Drives 50

Drives of 90+ yards 2

Drives of 80+ yards 15

Drives of 70+ yards 22

Drives of 60+ yards 26

Drives of 50+ yards 35

Most Plays in a Scoring Drive 15

Least Number of Plays in a Scoring Drive 1

Longest Scoring Drive 98 yards

Shortest Scoring Drive -3 yards

Quickest Scoring Drive 0:12 (twice)

Longest Scoring Drive 8:00

Scorging Drives Under Two Minutes 15

No. Touchdown Scoring Drives 34

No. Field-Goal Scoring Drives 16

Pound for Pound

The BYU offensive line totals a whopping 1,490 pounds, averaging 298 pounds per man. The Cowboys' defensive line averages 266.75 pounds. Defensively, the Cougars' front four averages nearly 274 pounds, while the San Diego State offensive line weighs in at 293.8 pounds per man.

Coach Edwards - (251-92-3; 28th season -- Career Game No. 347)

BYU head coach LaVell Edwards is in his 28th season at the helm of the Cougar program. Edwards has produced all but one winning season since taking over the program in 1972, posting a 251-92-3 record during his tenure. Edwards' teams have passed for over 56 miles during his 28-year career, chalked up a National Championship in 1984 and was named college football's Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1984. He has coached two Outland Trophy winners, four Davey O'Brien Trophy winners, 31 All-Americans, 11 conference Player of the Year recipients, 21 Academic All-Americans and has led the Cougars to seven NCAA single-season passing titles. Since 1972, Edwards has guided BYU to 21 postseason bowl appearances, including a string of 17 straight. Only Michigan, Alabama and Nebraska have laced together a string of more consecutive appearances. The Cougars' last home game in Provo marked the 159th home game for Edwards since becoming head coach in 1972. In 28 seasons, Edwards is 129-30 (.811) in Cougar Stadium. Entering the 1999 season, the former Utah State lineman ranked seventh in total victories on the NCAA's all-time list. Edwards needs four more wins to tie Nebraska's Tom Osborne for sixth. Among active coaches, Edwards ranks seventh with a 72.8 career winning percentage, passing UNLV head coach John Robinson on Oct. 23.

Last Week

Linebacker Rob Morris lifted BYU past a slow first-half start to lead the Cougars to a 30-7 victory Saturday over San Diego State. The senior recovered two fumbles and caused a third as BYU improved its record to 8-1 overall and 5-0 atop the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the league before 40,836 fans at Qualcomm Stadium. Morris' hit with just over 13 minutes left in the third quarter caused Aztec quarterback Jack Hawley to fumble and was scooped up by Cougar defensive tackle Hans Olsen, who rumbled, bumbled and stumbled 24 yards for his first career touchdown. Olsen's TD helped increase BYU's margin to 20-7. Morris was credited with 14 unassisted tackles, one assisted tackle, five tackles for minus 30 yards and three sacks for minus 25 yards. His first fumble recovery came off a bizarre series of three straight turnovers. After teammate Jared Lee intercepted SDSU's Jack Hawley in the second quarter, then Brandon Doman threw an interception on the next play, Morris then recovered a Larry Ned fumble on the next play. Morris' recovery set up the first of Owen Pochman's three field goals. The initial 23-yard field goal came at 4:58 left in the first half after BYU had failed for eight downs from first and goal situations. The Aztec's then drove, but missed a 50-yard field goal before Pochman closed the half with a 27-yard field goal. Pochman's 42-yard field goal, his 13th consecutive of the season, came with 2:43 left in the third quarter. SDSU struck first when Hawley scored off a nine-yard run in the first quarter. Senior quarterback Kevin Feterik got BYU on the board midway through the second quarter when he hit freshman Luke Staley on a screen pass. Staley ran 20 yards behind the blocking of offensive linemen Jimmy Richards, John Skiba, and Matt Johnson to find the endzone. Feterik completed 21-of-32 passes for 262 yards, including two TDs. In the fourth quarter SDSU mounted a long drive downfield only to have Morris recover another fumble caused by Josh Lowe. Two series later Feterik found Margin Hooks for his second TD pass of the night, a 15-yarder with 7:06 left in the game.

Home Sweet Home

Prior to the loss against Virginia, BYU had won eight straight home games in Cougar Stadium, dating back through the 1998 season. Last year, the Cougars went 6-0 within the friendly confines of Cougar Stadium. In 1999, BYU has posted a 4-1 mark, including wins over Washington, Colorado State, California and Air Force. The Cougars have posted a 152-45-0 (.772) record through 36 season, averaging just over four home wins per season. During the 90s, BYU has posted a 48-12-0 (.800) record at Cougar Stadium. The Cougars outscored their opponents by a combined score of 212-93 at home last season, including a 13-0 shutout against San Diego State. Since becoming head coach in 1972, LaVell Edwards' teams have posted 129 wins over 158 games (.812) in Provo. Since 1964, the year Cougar Stadium opened, BYU has had just two losing home seasons (0-5, 1968; 1-3, 1971). Next season, BYU will host Mississippi State for its home opener.

Did You Know?

Entering Saturday's game, BYU will look to extend its NCAA-record 309 games without being shutout. BYU was last shutout during the 1975 season (Sept. 27, 1975 vs. Arizona State). To put this streak in perspective, the Cougars have never been shutout during the entire lifetime of current BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik. (Feterik was born Sept. 14, 1977).

BYU has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 14 straight games. During that streak, when BYU connects on at least one TD pass, the Cougars are 11-3.

Senior quarterback Kevin Feterik has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 27 of his 32 games. Feterik has thrown 50 TD receptions (bowl games do not count) throughout his career and currently ranks tied for ninth on the BYU all-time touchdown completions list.

After holding New Mexico to -10 yards rushing on Oct. 16th, the BYU defense held UNLV to -14 yards rushing until the last play of the game when the Rebels racked up a 38-yard run to give them 24 yards rushing on the night. Over a span of five MWC games, the BYU defense has allowed a league-leading 60.6 rushing yards per game yards and ranks 13th nationally through nine games, allowing just 95.9 yards per contest.

Senior Cliff Doman became the 17th different receiver to catch a Feterik pass this season with his 10-yard grab in the first quarter of the UNLV game. The reception also marked the first for Doman of the season, which came on his 26th birthday.

The Oct. 23rd win over UNLV guaranteed BYU its 26th consecutive winning season, ranking second only to Nebraska. BYU head coach LaVell Edwards has had just one losing season since taking over the program in 1972. Since then, the Cougars have averaged nine wins per season, including seven already in 1999.

On The Defense

Over the last four games, the BYU defense has held its opponents to 275 yards rushing, giving up just 68.75 yards per game and four rushing touchdowns. In contrast, the Cougar defense was allowing 116.8 yards rushing through the first five games and had also allowed an average one rushing touchdown per game. In Conference play, the Cougars have held their opponents to 303 total yards over five games, averaging 60.6 yards per game and four total touchdowns. In the Cougars' first five games, BYU gave up over 239 yards passing per game, while over the last four games, the BYU defense has permitted just 132.25 yards per game. Cougar opponents have scored just one passing touchdown in the last four games, as opposed to an average 2.0 per game through the first five games. Against MWC opponents, the Cougars have allowed just 163.6 yards passing per game. Equally impressive, the BYU defense was giving up 29.0 points per game through the first five games, but have allowed just 8.5 points per game over the last four games and have given up an average 9.4 points per game in Conference play. Through the first five games, the defense had recorded 11 sacks, while over the last four games, BYU has registered 26 sacks, including seven sacks in three of the last four games. Setema Gali picked up four sacks against the Lobos, including a school-record two sacks on back-to-back plays. Currently the Cougar defense has laced together a streak of eightstraight games with at least one interception, including Jared Lee's third interception of the season (at San Diego State).

Just Kickin' It, Pochman Keeps Streaks Alive

Junior place kicker Owen Pochman was named the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 25th after connecting on five straight field goals against UNLV, leading BYU to a 29-0 win over the Rebels. Pochman paced the Cougars with 17 points, setting a BYU single-game scoring record. Pochman's five field goals also tied a 30-year-old school record, set by Joe "The Toe" Liljenquist who hit 5-of-6 in 1969. Pochman's 47-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the second quarter marked the longest of the season. The native of Mercer Island, Wa., has made a school record 13 straight attempts and is 16-of-21 (.762) on the season. Pochman currently ranks third on BYU's all-time scoring list with 236 points and needs just four points to tie Jamal Willis (240) for second on the all-time scoring list. Kurt Gunther holds the BYU career scoring record with 243 points. Pochman has also connected on 24 straight PATs, dating back to the second quarter of the Virginia game.

Cougar Stadium Records Fall

Three Cougar Stadium records fell by the wayside on Thursday, Sept. 9 (vs. Washington). Senior QB Kevin Feterik made 59 pass attempts, breaking both the individual and team records. The old individual record of 57 attempts was held by John Walsh (BYU, 1993), Anthony Calvillo (Utah State, 1992) and Sam King (UNLV, 1981). The team, stadium record was held by Utah State, which attempted 58 passes against the Cougars in 1976. Feterik also led BYU to 37 first downs, setting a new stadium record that had been established at 36 both in 1980 and 1990.

Some Things Never Change

According to a recent survey of each Division-I program, BYU has one of the most experienced and stable coaching staffs in the nation. 1999 is the fifth year without a staff change for BYU, making it the most cohesive unit in the nation. Entering its fourth year as a unit, Penn State ranks second to the Cougars. BYU coaches have an average tenure of 15.5 years at BYU, the third-highest average in the nation behind Penn State (19.9) and Florida State (15.7).

For Whom the Whistle Blows

During the summer, BYU athletic media relations' personnel distributed some 300 wooden train whistles to various media throughout the country, touting Rob "Freight Train" Morris for the prestigious Butkus Award - an honor given annually to college football's top linebacker. The whistles, which state, "It's Time to Toot His Horn", are a play off an interview between Morris and ABC's Dan Fouts. During the interview Morris told Fouts when he sacked a quarterback, it could be compared to "a freight train hitting a Yugo." The BYU season ticket campaign, "Get on Board", and several other promotions centered around Morris' candidacy for the Butkus Award. During each home game, some 33,000 wooden train whistles will be blown every time BYU makes a good play or when Morris makes a tackle. Morris was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording a game-high 15 tackles, including 14 solo tackles, in the Cougars' 30-7 win at San Diego State. Morris collected a season-high five tackles for a combined loss of 30 yards, including three sacks for minus-25 yards. He also forced two key fumbles and recovered one. His forced fumble in the third quarter broke the game open when Hans Olsen scooped up the ball and ran for a 24-yard touchdown. Morris entered his final season at BYU as one of the nation's leading candidates for the coveted Butkus Award, but was forced to miss four games with a sever lower abdominal/groin strain. Saturday's game against San Diego State marked Morris' third straight game with 13 or more tackles. Since returning from his injury, the 6-2, 250-pound bruiser has produced 41 tackles, averaging 13.7 takedowns per game. Despite missing four games, Morris ranks second on the BYU defense with 57 tackles on the season, including 36 solos.

Year UT AT TFL FR FC PI D BK HUR SCK

1993 3 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

1997 61 49 8.5 0 0 0 1 0 6 1

1998 114 33 16 1 1 1 4 1 11 6

1999 36 21 7 2 1 0 0 0 3 4

TOTALS 214 111 31.5 3 2 1 6 1 20 11

Cougars on National TV (Saturday's Game Live on SportsWest)

Since its first national television appearance in 1974, BYU has posted a 40-23-2 record while playing in front of a national audience, including a 21-14 mark on ABC and a 24-13-2 mark on ESPN. BYU has been a regular on ESPN's Thursday Night Game of the Week in recent history, compiling an 9-2 overall record and a current five-game winning streak. Current assistant coach, Robbie Bosco, led the Cougars to a 20-14 win over Pitt in the first live ESPN College Football broadcast in 1984. Over 11 years ago the Cougars recorded their largest margin of victory while playing on national television, defeating Texas, 72-6, on Sept. 8, 1988.

The Streak Continues

BYU will look to extend its NCAA record 308 straight games without being shutout on Saturday. The Cougars were last blanked in 1975 when Arizona State defeated BYU, 20-0. That loss still marks BYU head coach LaVell Edwards' only shutout in 28 seasons (342 games). BYU has scored in 30 of its 33 quarters this season, including a season-high 21 points in the first quarter at New Mexico. Throughout the season, the Cougars have enjoyed the most scoring production in the second quarter, outscoring their opponents, 89-34.

Another Addition From BYU's Quarterback Factory

After nine games into the season, ranks 7th nationally in passing efficiency (146.3), eighth nationally in total offense (313.4) and has lead the Cougars to a ninth-place ranking in passing offense, averaging 321.8 yards per game and also a 12th-place ranking in total offense (440.2 yards per game)SHas led BYU to its best start (after nine games) since the 1996 season at 8-1SNamed Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and the USA Today.com National Player of the Week after completing 39-of-59 attempts in a 35-28 win over Washington in the Cougars' season-opener, including three touchdown passesSUsed 12 different receivers against the Huskies to total 501 yards - the most passing yards by a BYU quarterback since the first game of the 1996 seasonSSet a Cougar Stadium record with 59 pass attempts and paced BYU to 37 first downs, another stadium record against the HuskiesSFollowed the season-opener with a 310-yard passing performance against Colorado State, leading BYU to a 34-13 victorySWas named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for a second straight week with two TD passes on 28-of-37 attempts against the RamsSCompleted 28-of-47 attempts against Virginia for 303 yards - his third straight 300-yard performance of the seasonSLed a BYU comeback that included three touchdown passes, as the Cougars fell just five points shy of overcoming a 22-point deficit against the CavaliersSEqualed a career-high four touchdown completions on 23-of-36 attempts for 289 yards in a 34-31 overtime win at Utah StateSTallied four TD completions for a second straight week in a 38-28 win over Cal, completing 25-of-41 attempts for 414 yards - his fourth 300-yard performance of the seasonSIn just three quarters of play, tallied 211 yards passing on 15-of-27 attempts in a 31-7 win at New MexicoSConnected with Doug Jolley in the first quarter (at UNLV) to collect his 46th career touchdown completionSIs 8-1 as a starter when passing for over 300 yardsSRanks tied for ninth on BYU's all-time touchdown completions list with 50 TDsSWith his 262-yard performance against San Diego State, improved to 17-4 as a starter when passing for over 200 yardsSIncluding the SDSU game, has completed at least one touchdown pass in 14 straight games, including 17 of his last 18 gamesSOver 354 attempts, has thrown just 11 interceptions, averaging only one miscue every 32.2 attemptsSHas thrown a career-high 22 touchdown completions on the season...Earned Mountain West Player-of-the-Week honors after completing 24-of-33 passes against Air Force, including a 14-for-15 performance in the first half.

Year Games Cmp Att Int Pct Lng Yds TD YPG

1996 1 5 8 1 .625 15 26 1 4.3

1997 8 125 208 5 .601 70 1767 11 220.9

1998 14 202 336 6 .601 83 2718 16 209.1

1999 9 225 354 11 .636 57 2883 22 320.3

TOTALS 32 557 906 23 .615 83 7394 50 238.5

Feterik Climbing All-Time Passing List

With his 289-yard passing performance at Utah State, Feterik moved into eighth place on the all-time passing list and is now just 70 yards from joining Steve Sarkisian as the seventh-ranked career passer. Following is a look at the top-10 career passing marks at BYU and where current BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik ranks:

Career Passing Yards

1. 15,031 Ty Detmer (1988-91)

2. 9,536 Jim McMahon (1978-81)

3. 8,400 Robbie Bosco (1983-85)

4. 8,390 John Walsh (991-94)

5. 7,733 Steve Young (1981-83)

6. 7,637 Marc Wilson (1977-79)

7. 7,464 Steve Sarkisian (1995-96)

8. 7,394 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)

9. 5,833 Gifford Nielsen (1975-77)

10. 5,125 Virgil Carter (1964-66)

Career Touchdowns

7. 55 Gifford Nielsen (1975-77)

8. 54 Steve Sarkisian (1995-96)

9. 50 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)

50 Virgil Carter (1964-66)

Spreading the Wealth

In the Cougars 38-25 win over Washington, BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik used 12 different receivers to compile a career-high 501 yards passing, including three touchdown passes. Junior Margin Hooks was the Cougars' lleading receiver, racking up 140 yards on eight receptions. The Cougars tallied 39 receptions, averaging 12.8 yards per catch. One week later, Feterik used 10 different receivers to upend Colorado State with 310 yards passing. All totaled, BYU has used 17 different receivers over seven games. Cliff Doman became the 17th different receiver (against UNLV) when he grabbed his first reception of the season, which happened to be his 26th birthday.

Dynamic Duo

Where a big question mark existed just a couple months prior, now resides a big, bold exclamation mark . Enter the dynamic duo of freshman super heros, Luke "Superman" Staley and Fahu "Flash" Tahi. The two rookies have erased all questions marks surrounding the BYU running game and dutifully picked up where others have left off -- and then some! Staley and Tahi have recorded all of the Cougars' 12 rushing touchdowns, including 10 from Staley. The two have combined for 844 of BYU's 1066 total rushing yards, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the Cougars' running game. Staley leads the BYU offense with 432 yards rushing, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and has a team-leading 10 rushing touchdowns. Tahi has produced 412 yards on 86 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has two rushing touchdowns. Staley has also reeled in 26 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Tahi has eight receptions for 67 yards. Staley currently ranks 11th in the nation in scoring, averaging 9.75 points per game and has produced at least one touchdown in every game he has played this season, including a career-best three TDs against Mountain West foe Colorado State. Staley has produced at least two touchdowns in four different games this season. Against Utah State, Tahi became the first BYU rusher of the season to run for 100 yards, collecting 116 yards against the Aggies. In the past four weeks, Tahi picked up a pair of touchdowns at New Mexico and ran for 89 yards against UNLV. Entering the SDSU game, the tandem of Tahi and Staley was the 15th ranked rushing duo in the nation.

TAHI Carries Gain Loss Net TD Lg. Avg.

Washington 8 26 5 21 0 13 2.6

Colorado State 6 30 5 25 0 13 4.2

Virginia 5 42 0 42 0 28 8.4

Utah State 22 119 3 116 0 24 5.3

California 8 55 2 53 0 27 6.6

New Mexico 14 53 0 53 2 12 3.8

UNLV 16 94 5 89 0 24 5.6

San Diego State 7 15 2 13 0 8 1.9

Total 86 434 22 412 2 28 4.8

STALEY Carries Gain Loss Net TD Lg. Avg.

Washington 8 39 0 39 2 11 4.9

Colorado State 14 68 3 65 2 27 4.6

Virginia 8 80 1 79 2 41 9.9

California 15 60 7 53 1 13 3.5

New Mexico 8 75 6 69 1 61 8.6

UNLV 7 54 0 54 1 16 7.7

Air Force 26 85 17 68 1 12 2.6

San Diego State 6 9 4 5 0 4 0.8

Total 92 470 38 432 10 61 4.7

BYU Nears Top-10

With Saturday'swin against San Diego State, the Cougars climbed even higher. BYU, ranked 12th in oen poll and 15th in the other, had fallen from the top-25 after losing to Virginia in a 45-40 shootout in Provo. After a 30-7 win at SDSU, BYU secured its highest ranking of the season at No. 12.

Brian Gray Named Jim Thorpe Award Finalist

BYU senior Brian Gray has been named by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, Okla., as a semifinalist for the 1999 Jim Thorpe Award. The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football. Gray, a 6-2, 215-pound defensive back, is one of 12 names to be named as a semifinalist. Gray, who was questionable prior to the Virginia game with a groin injury, picked off a Dan Ellis pass to rumble 28 yards for his second career touchdown. Against Utah State, Gray recorded his second interception of the season, good for an 18-yard return and lead to an Owen Pochman 19-yard field goal. Both Gray interceptions have led to a total of 10 points. The Thorpe Award screening committee announced the semi-finalists today and will narrow the list to three finalists on November 22. The finalists will be invited to ESPN's College Football Awards Show on Dec. 9, 1999 in Orlando, Fla., at which time the winner will be announced. The formal presentation will be held on February 17, 2000 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Following is the list of 12 semi-finalists: Brian Gray, Sr., Brigham Young - Brian Urlacher, Sr., New Mexico - Tyrone Carter, Sr., Minnesota - Ahmed Plummer, Sr., Ohio State - Mario Edwards, Sr., Florida State - Mark Roman, Sr., Louisiana State - Dwayne Goodrich, Sr., Tennessee - Aric Morris, Sr., Michigan State - Deon Grant, Jr., Tennessee - David Macklin, Sr., Penn State - Ralph Brown, Sr., Nebraska - Lloyd Harrison, Sr., NC State.

Men in Blue

The August 16th announcement of a uniform change at BYU means the first major change in Cougar football attire for nearly 30 years. Perhaps the most notable change in the BYU uniform is the re-introduction of the blue helmet, marking the first time since 1968 the Cougars have worn a blue helmet. Following is a year-by-year breakdown of the evolution of the BYU helmet:

1950-1954 -- Solid white helmet with a single blue stripe running down the center.

1955-1960 -- White helmet replaced with a plain, silver helmet.

1961-1963 -- Blue player numbers are added to the silver helmet.

1964-1965 - Silver helmet is replaced with solid blue helmet.

1966-1968 -- A blue "Y", surrounded by a white oval is placed on the helmet

1969 -- Traditional white helmet with blue and white decals is used for the next 30 years.

1970 -- "Cage loops", a Floyd Johnson invention, are added to the helmet.

1978 -- The oval was dropped and a solid blue "Y" was used on the helmet.

1978 -- Little blue stickers (Cougar heads) are used by players to designated top plays.

1979 -- After losing four games in 1978, blue oval with white "Y" returned to the helmet.

1993 -- Black is added as a third color on the helmet.

1994 -- Players vote to discontinue the use of the cougar-head stickers.

1998 -- Two black stripes, separated by a blue stripe is added to the crown of the helmet.

1999 -- (August 16) BYU unveils its new logo and colors, complete with new football uniforms and helmets. A darker shade of blue and white become the official colors of the University, with tan serving as the primary accent color. The re-birth of the blue helmet in 1999 is the first time BYU has worn a different color, other than white, for over 30 years. The new logo on the side of the helmet, similar to the traditional side decal, is the first new design used on a BYU helmet since 1978. The new uniforms represent a new and flashy look, never before used on the collegiate playing field. The new-look uniforms and helmets represent the first major uniform change under the LaVell Edwards era.

Attendance Tracker

Averaging 62,702 fans per game during the 1998 season, the Cougars ranked 22nd nationally. (Michigan led the nation with 110,965 fans per game.) 376,210 fans passed through the gates at Cougar Stadium last season, ranking tops among Conference opponents. Of all the Division I-A schools in the west, BYU finished behind only Washington (71,356) and UCLA (73,709) in average, per-game attendance.

Quarterback U. Game-by-Game Comparison

Following is a breakdown of some of BYU's more notable quarterbacks of recent years and how current Cougar quarterback Kevin Feterik's numbers compare (Through 7 Games):

Name Season Att Comp Yds Int TDs

Kevin Feterik 1999 322 204 2621 10 20

1998 162 95 1267 3 7

Steve Sarkisian 1996 263 147 2411 7 19

1995 277 172 2467 10 14

Ty Detmer *** 1991 263 147 2411 7 19

***/* 1990 367 244 3374 15 26

1989 283 178 3065 19 25

Robbie Bosco 1985 348 231 2858 18 19

** 1984 287 185 2607 4 23

Steve Young *** 1983 311 221 2964 7 22

1982 266 160 2290 17 12

Jim McMahon *** 1981 336 215 2721 6 26

1980 282 172 2763 12 30

* - Heisman Trophy Winner

** - National Championship Season

*** - Davey O'Brien Award Winner

Huddle Up!

The Cougars are 5-0 when they score first and have posted a 3-1 mark on the season when their opponent scores first.

The Cougars are 1-1 when trailing the game at halftime. When BYU is outscoring its opponent at the half, BYU is a perfect 7-0.

After winning six straight coin flips to start the season, including the overtime toss at Utah State, BYU has lost four straight. The Cougars are 4-0 when losing the coin toss.

BYU has scored an average 30.2 points against Mountain West opponents through five games and have held those same opponents to an average 9.4 points per game.

BYU faced four teams on the season that had an off-week prior to playing the Cougars. San Diego State marked the fourth opponent to have a bye week prior to a date with the Cougars. BYU finished 4-0 when playing a team that had a week off prior to its game.

The Cougars' 29-0 shutout at UNLV was the first road shutout for BYU since the 1988 season. (BYU defeated New Mexico 65-0 in Albuquerque.)

BYU's 98-yard scoring drive at UNLV marked the longest scoring drive since the Cougars reeled off a 98-yard drive on Oct. 19, 1991 against Hawai'i.

BYU head coach LaVell Edwards collected career win 250 after defeating Air Force on Saturday. In his 28th season, Edwards ties Joe Paterno as the second fastest coach to reach the 250 milestone. Tom Osborne reach 250 wins in 25 season.

Currently the Cougars have put together a streak of eight straight games with at least one interception, including Jared Lee's interception against San Diego State last weekend.

Jared Lee picked up a career-high 22 tackles against Air Force, marking the first 20+ tackle performance since Sept. 21, 1991 when Derwin Gray racked up 22 takedowns against Penn State. Lee earned MWC Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for his trouble.

Next Week

Next Saturday, Nov. 20, BYU hosts the University of Utah in Provo. The annual rivalry game will be televised as part of the ESPN Game Plan (ESPNPlus), locally on KJZZ beginning at 1:00 p.m. (MST).