LARAMIE -- BYU clinched at least a share of the MWC Championship and continued its undefeated season on Saturday, but not without a little fight from a well-rested Wyoming team. The No. 9 Cougars improved to 10-0, 6-0 on the season by defeating Wyoming, 41-34 in Laramie, but it took some late-game heroics from another unsuspecting star.
Brandon Heaney picked the perfect time to make his first interception of his BYU career. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter and Wyoming facing a third and 24, Heaney cut off a Casey Bramlet pass and made the play of the game. On BYU's ensuing possession, Luke Staley took the ball in for one of his four touchdowns with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The BYU defense was called upon again with less than one minute remaining in the game, stopping the Cowboys on a fourth-and-goal situation.
With the win, the Cougars claimed at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title. A victory next week against Utah would give the Cougars the title outright.
"It's just a share of it right now," BYU head coach Gary Crowton said. "A share of it is nice, but that's not what our goal is."
Staley provided another heroic effort, finishing the game with four touchdowns and 172 yards on 31 carries, marking his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Even after Staley's final touchdown, the game still wasn't over. Wyoming drove the ball all the way to the BYU four-yard line, but Levi Madarieta batted the ball down on Wyoming's final play with 23 seconds left in the game.
"We all knew this was the time we needed to step up," Madarieta said. "I was just thankful enough to get a hand on it."
While BYU's defense made the big plays near the end of this game, BYU's offense has been doing that all year. But today, the offense struggled holding on to the ball. Four costly turnovers gave Wyoming every opportunity to stay in the game. Brandon Doman threw his fourth interception of the season, and fumbles by Mike Rigell, Toby Christenson and Reno Mahe gave Wyoming the ball with good field position
"When you turn the ball over four times like our offense did, you put the defense in a tough situation," Crowton said.
But as they have all season, the Cougars did enough to win the game. Doman, after a sub-par first half, finished 23-38 for 268 yards passing, one touchdown and the one interception. Ned Stearns also took a fake punt for 42 yards and a first down in the first half to spark the Cougars. But even after giving up 34 points, the defense buckled down and won the game for BYU.
Linebacker Justin Ena grabs the arm of Wyoming quarterback Casey Bramlet in the fourth quarter on a play which resulted in an intentional grounding penalty. (BYU Photo / Mark Philbrick)
"We've taken a lot of criticism for our defense this season, but we've made the big plays when we have to," freshman defensive lineman Michael Marquardt said.
The Cougars face in-state rival Utah next Saturday in Provo for the chance to win the MWC title outright for the first time. The Utes come into the game with only one conference loss and have the chance to share the title with the Cougars. BYU players are already excited about the chance to play for the championship against their biggest rival -- a game BYU hasn't won in Provo since 1991.
"This is what I personally and all the guys on this team play for," senior offensive lineman Aaron McCubbins said.
POSTGAME NOTES
COUGARS REMAIN UNDEFEATED; CLINCH SECOND MWC CHAMPIONSHIP
With the Cougars' 41-34 win over Wyoming on Saturday, the Cougars clinched at least a share of their second Mountain West Conference Championship in the past three seasons. (BYU shared the title with Utah and Colorado State in 1999.) BYU and Utah will meet next Saturday in Provo, where the Cougars could win the title outright with a win over Utah. The win also improves BYU's record to 10-0 on the season, marking the most wins since posting an NCAA record 14 wins in 1996. The Cougars' 10-0 start is the best single-season start since the 1984 season.
SHUTOUT STREAK CONTINUES
With Matt Payne's 40-yard field goal at the 12:14 mark in the first quarter against Wyoming, BYU extended its NCAA record streak to 334 games without being shutout. The streak dates back to the 1975 season.
STALEY UPDATE
Doak Walker Award semifinalist Luke Staley recorded his 20th rushing touchdown of the season at the 8:02 mark in the first quarter, giving the Cougars a 10-0 lead. Staley's three-yard TD capped a six play, 64-yard scoring drive. Staley went on to score three more rushing touchdowns on the afternoon, marking the 13th multi-scoring game of his career (and seventh of the season), including his fourth straight game with two or more touchdowns. Staley has a BYU single-season record 26 touchdowns on the season, averaging a nation's best 17.4 points per game. On the night, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound running back racked up 172 yards on 31 carries and four touchdowns, including a game-high 55-yard run midway through the second quarter. Staley's 100-yard rushing performance marks his seventh of the season, including his fourth-straight 100-yard game and his fourth straight game with over 130 yards rushing.
Michael Marquardt teams with Justin Ena to stop Wyoming's fourth and three attempt by Kit Bradshaw in the fourth quarter. (BYU Photo / Mark Philbrick)
SCORING DEFENSE
Wyoming's touchdown at the 1:01 mark of the first quarter marked the first touchdown the BYU defense has allowed since the 1:02 mark of the third quarter against Colorado State last week. The shutout streak covered a total of 30:01 on the clock -- just over two quarters.
A RARE EVENT
During the first half of today's game, the Wyoming defense forced BYU to punt on back-to-back drives, marking the first time since the fourth quarter of the Air Force (Oct. 20) game that the Cougars have had to punt on consecutive drives. The Cougars have punted on only five back-to-back drives (only four games) this season.
WHAT A PAYNE
Kicker Matt Payne connected on a field goal in both the first and second quarter, marking just the second time this season Payne has made two field goals in a game.
ALL TIED UP
The 20-20 tie at the half marked only the second time this season BYU has been tied with its opponent at the half (10-10 at New Mexico; Oct. 13). BYU has only trailed once at the half this season -- a 27-21 deficit against Utah State.
RED ZONE
The Cougars were a perfect 6-for-6 inside the Red Zone on Saturday, improving their season total to an amazing 53-of-57 (.928) on the season. Against Wyoming, the Cougars scored four rushing touchdowns, one touchdown completion and one field goal.
Box Score (Final)Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
No. 9 Brigham Young....... 10 10 14 7 - 41 Record: (10-0,6-0)
Wyoming................... 7 13 7 7 - 34 Record: (2-7,0-6)
Scoring Summary:
1st 12:14 BYU - PAYNE, Matt 40 yd field goal,
10-47 2:46
08:02 BYU - STALEY, Luke 3 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
6-64 2:32
01:01 WYO - BRAMLET, Casey 9 yd run (WALLUM, Jarvis kick),
9-80 3:01
2nd 13:27 WYO - WALLUM, Jarvis 37 yd field goal,
5-14 1:09
11:21 BYU - MAHE, Reno 16 yd pass from DOMAN, Brandon (PAYNE, Matt kick),
6-61 2:06
06:15 BYU - PAYNE, Matt 27 yd field goal,
5-51 1:12
02:31 WYO - WALLUM, Jarvis 37 yd field goal,
9-23 2:34
00:41 WYO - VINES, Scottie 37 yd pass from BRAMLET, Casey (WALLUM kick),
4-43 0:56
3rd 10:26 BYU - STALEY, Luke 1 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
9-51 3:45
07:10 WYO - BRADSHAW, Kit 2 yd run (WALLUM, Jarvis kick),
10-80 3:16
01:30 BYU - STALEY, Luke 4 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
12-81 5:40
4th 09:28 WYO - BRAMLET, Casey 1 yd run (WALLUM, Jarvis kick),
6-33 2:23
02:08 BYU - STALEY, Luke 8 yd run (PAYNE, Matt kick),
6-39 2:13
BYU WYO
FIRST DOWNS................... 24 23
RUSHES-YARDS (NET)............ 41-247 37-118
PASSING YDS (NET)............. 268 358
Passes Att-Comp-Int........... 38-23-1 52-24-1
TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS..... 79-515 89-476
Fumble Returns-Yards.......... 0-0 1-11
Punt Returns-Yards............ 4-39 3-51
Kickoff Returns-Yards......... 4-84 6-120
Interception Returns-Yards.... 1-0 1-0
Punts (Number-Avg)............ 4-47.0 6-39.8
Fumbles-Lost.................. 3-3 0-0
Penalties-Yards............... 6-40 5-45
Possession Time............... 31:04 28:56
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 2-13 1-2
RUSHING: Brigham Young-STALEY, Luke 31-172; STEARNS, Ned 1-42; DOMAN,
Brandon 9-33. Wyoming-BRAMLET, Casey 16-52; BRADSHAW, Kit 7-35; ARMAH, Derek
10-13; VINES, Scottie 1-12; JAMES, Lewis 3-6.
PASSING: Brigham Young-DOMAN, Brandon 23-38-1-268. Wyoming-BRAMLET, Casey
24-52-1-358.
RECEIVING: Brigham Young-MAHE, Reno 7-93; RIGELL, Mike 3-36; STALEY, Luke
3-26; NEAD, Spencer 2-32; JOLLEY, Doug 2-28; ANDERSON, Justi 2-13; HALLADAY,
Soren 1-15; ORD, Andrew 1-11; CHRISTENSEN, To 1-11; STEARNS, Ned 1-3.
Wyoming-VINES, Scottie 6-157; FLOYD, Malcom 6-64; MCGUFFEY, Ryan 4-67;
RALPH, Brock 4-33; SCHAAP, M. 2-24; ARMAH, Derek 1-8; JAMES, Lewis 1-5.
INTERCEPTIONS: Brigham Young-HEANEY, Brandon 1-0. Wyoming-LEE, Eric 1-0.
FUMBLES: Brigham Young-MAHE, Reno 1-1; RIGELL, Mike 1-1; CHRISTENSEN, To
1-1. Wyoming-None.
SACKS (UA-A): Brigham Young-MARQUARDT, Mich 1-0; COWART, Jeff 1-0.
Wyoming-ADAMS, Casey 1-0.
TACKLES (UA-A): Brigham Young-KELLEY, Isaac 6-4; HEANEY, Brandon 8-1; ENA,
Justin 8-1; DENNEY, Ryan 6-2; STALEY, Dustin 6-1; WALKENHORST, Pa 3-0;
GILFORD, Jernar 3-0; MADARIETA, Levi 3-0; MARQUARDT, Mich 2-1; CARLSON,
Brent 2-0; FRANCISCO, Aaro 2-0; TANNER, Mike 1-1; GUNDERSON, Ryan 0-2;
KEISEL, Brett 0-2; WRIGHT, Bill 1-0; JOLLEY, Doug 1-0; EDMONDS, Aaron 1-0;
COWART, Jeff 1-0; PILI, Ifo 1-0; SUMKO, Mike 1-0; STALEY, Luke 1-0; STEARNS,
Ned 1-0; POPPINGA, Brady 0-1. Wyoming-CAIRES, Leo 8-2; FINN, Jacque 6-0;
LEE, Eric 4-2; KLOTZ, Matt 4-2; JAMES, Lamar 4-2; ROLLINS, Josh 3-3; TUELL,
Guy 3-1; ROARK, Damon 3-1; ABRAM, DaShawn 2-1; WILSON, John 1-2; AIMONE, Jon
0-3; JONES, Anthony 2-0; CALAHAN, Ryan 2-0; TEAM 2-0; WRIGHT, Gary 1-1;
GLYNN, Tim 1-0; BEUHLER, Chad 1-0; MERRILL, Pete 1-0; ADAMS, Casey 1-0;
MORRIS, Zach 0-1; BONDE, Jacob 0-1.
Stadium: War Memorial Stadium Attendance: 15277
Kickoff time: 1:07 pm End of Game: 4:50 pm Total elapsed time: 3:43
Officials: Referee: Ken Flaherty; Umpire: Scott Teifer; Linesman: Tom Keeling;
Line judge: Bob Bahne; Back judge: Gordon Birk; Field judge: Bill Agopian;
Side judge: Andy Castagnola;
Temperature: 54 Wind: W 5 mph Weather: Clear and Sunny
Following the Cougars' ninth straight victory of the season - a 56-34 win over defending MWC Champion Colorado State - No. 9 BYU (9-0, 5-0) will travel to Wyoming (2-6, 0-5) for the Cougars' final conference road game of the season. (BYU will play non-conference road games at Mississippi State and Hawai'i to end the regular-season.) Should the Cougars win on Saturday, they would clinch at least a share of their second Mountain West Conference championship in the past three years. (A win at Wyoming and a San Diego State win at Utah would clinch the Cougars' first-ever outright MWC title.) The Cougars will be taking on a well-rested Wyoming team, which has not played since Oct. 27 (vs. UNLV). After defeating Utah State on Sept. 22, the Cowboys have dropped five straight games. The Cowboys will be gunning for their first MWC victory since defeating New Mexico during the 1999 season. Since beating BYU in Laramie on Nov. 13, Wyoming has posted a 1-12 mark in league play.
Broadcast Plans
Saturday's game will be broadcast live to a regional television audience on ESPN+Plus - the Cougars second appearance on ESPN+Plus this season. The game will be broadcast in Salt Lake City on KJZZ, Ch. 14. Jim Kelly will call the action, with JC Pearson lending analysis and Beth Mowins reporting from the sidelines. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m. (MST).
The BYU-Wyoming Series (The 68th Meeting)
The Cougars and Cowboys will be meeting for the 68th time on Saturday, dating back to Nov. 14, 1922 - BYU's first official season of competition. BYU owns a 35-29-3 advantage in the 79-year-old rivalry. While the Cougars have posted a 22-12 mark in Provo, the Cowboys hold a 15-12-3 advantage in Laramie, including a 31-17 upset victory over the 13-th ranked Cougars during the 1999 season. BYU entered the game 8-1, 5-0 and needing the win to clinch the first-ever MWC championship. After another loss a week later (vs. Utah), the Cougars were forced to share a three-way tie for the MWC title. The Cougars have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including a stretch of six straight victories from 1989-1996. Wyoming coach Vic Koenning is 0-1 against the Cougars, while BYU's Gary Crowton is also 0-1 against Wyoming. (As head coach at Louisiana Tech in 1998, Crowton's Bulldogs lost at Wyoming, 31-19.) BYU defeated Wyoming last season in Provo, 19-7.
Wyoming Three-Dot Data
The Cowboys are 2-6 entering Saturday's game, including victories over Furman and Utah State ... Wyoming has lost five straight games, including all five games against MWC opponents ... The Cowboys are averaging 20.6 points per contest, while allowing 32.8 points per contest ... After losing to UNLV on Oct. 27, the Cowboys did not play last weekend, giving them two weeks to prepare for BYU ... Casey Bramlet leads the MWC, averaging 279.9 yards passing per game ... Teammate Ryan McGuffey also leads the league, averaging 7.6 receptions per game. McGuffey has one touchdown reception and averages nearly 10.8 yards per receptions ... The Wyoming defense ranks eighth in the league, allowing 470.1 yards per game ... The Cowboys have allowed and average 254.2 yards rushing and 215.9 yards passing per game ... Leo Caires ranks third in the MWC with an average 9.2 tackles per contest.
Head-to-Head With the Cowboys
On the season, BYU and Wyoming have played five common opponents. The Cougars have posted a 5-0 record against those teams, while UW has recorded a mark of 1-4.
BYU in the BCS
BYU remained in the top-15 of the BCS rankings for the second straight week, holding firm at No. 13. The Cougars ranked 13th with a combined point total of 27.69. Nebraska leads the rankings with a total of 2.62. With a win over Purdue in the Big-10, Illinois jumped over BYU to land in 12th place with 27.55 points. The Cougars are 12.89 points behind Oregon, which is clinging to that all-important No. 6 position.
Renewing a Winning Tradition
During the 1980s, BYU ranked as one of the winningest programs in the country, posting a combined record of 102-27, including seven WAC titles and 10 straight bowl appearances. After posting a record of 32-17-2 from 1990-1993 (including four straight WAC titles), BYU has went on to post a record of 69-28 since the 1994 season, ranking as the 10th winningest program in the country.
A Tradition of Champions
Since winning its first conference title in 1965, BYU has won a total of 20 league titles, including 10 straight championships from 1976-1985. With a win at Wyoming on Saturday, the Cougars would be assured at least a share of the MWC title, marking the programs 21st conference championship, including their second Mountain West title in the past three seasons.
The Revenge Factor
Last Thursday's game marked the third straight game against an opponent which defeated BYU last season, as well as the only three teams that defeated BYU in league play. The Cougars successfully claimed revenge over Air Force, San Diego State and Colorado State. Last season the three teams beat BYU by an average 30.1-19.7. This season, BYU has posted a combined 178 points against the three teams, defeating each team by an average 30.0 points per game.
Chasing the Title
A win on Saturday would guarantee the Cougars at least a share of the MWC title. (Should BYU win and Utah lose against San Diego State, the Cougars would then own the outright MWC title.) A win at Wyoming would seal the Cougars' second MWC title in the past three seasons. The Cougars have won 20 league titles since the 1974 season, including a stretch of 10 straight WAC Championships from 1976-1985. Of the 20 conference titles, BYU has won the championship outright 12 times. The Cougars have not won an outright title since the 1996 season.
Cougars Continue to Climb National Polls
Following the Cougars' 56-34 victory over Colorado State, BYU dropped to No. 9 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, from No. 8 last week. More importantly, BYU jumped four spots in the Associated Press top-25 poll, climbing to No. 9. The Cougars' 9th-place rankings marks the highest BYU has been ranked in either poll since the 1996 season. The climb in the AP poll will allow the Cougars to shed 1.5 points in the important BCS Rankings. After entering both polls on Sept. 9, following a 44-16 win at Cal, the Cougars climbed to No. 20 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll on Sept. 23. The Sept. 9 polls marks the first time BYU had been ranked nationally since the final game of the 1999 season - a 21-3 loss to Marshall in the Motor City Bowl. BYU entered the Motor City Bowl ranked 25th in the coaches poll, while it had dropped from the AP poll on Nov. 21. Nov. 14, 1999 marked the last time BYU was ranked in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. BYU was ranked 19th in each poll that week, but dropped out of the AP poll and fell to 25th in the coaches poll on Nov. 21. BYU has now been ranked in the Top-20 or Top-25 polls in 22 of the last 26 years. The only years in which BYU has never been ranked during the season since 1976 were 1978,1987, 1998 and 2000. The Cougars, along with Nebraska and Miami (Fla.), are the only three undefeated teams in the country.
Week USAToday/ESPN AP
Aug. 26 NR NR
Sept. 2 NR NR
Sept. 9 25th 24th
Sept. 16 No Polls No Polls
Sept. 23 20th 20th
Oct. 7 17th 18th
Oct. 14 13th 18th
Oct. 21 10th 16th
Oct. 28 8th 13th
Nov. 4 9th 9th
Cougars Run Past Colorado State
In a battle between two MWC heavyweights, BYU's Luke Staley delivered one too many blows in leading the Cougars to a 56-34 victory over Colorado State. Staley led BYU to its first 9-0 start since 1984 and its 11th straight victory going back to last season. Staley finished the game with five touchdowns, 196 yards rushing on 22 carries and three catches for 28 yards. The five touchdowns gave him 42 for his career, breaking the BYU record for career touchdowns. Jamal Willis held the record with 40 before Staley's outburst against the Rams. Staley now has 1,092 yards rushing on the season, a career high, and 22 touchdowns. Brandon Doman perfectly complemented Staley's ground attack by rushing for a career-high 164 yards and throwing for another 284 yards. He rushed for two touch downs and threw for another. He now has thrown for 23 touchdowns on the season and rushed for eight touchdowns. BYU jumped all over Colorado State in the first quarter, sprinting out to a 21-0 lead. But Colorado State refused to roll over. The Rams roared back to score 21 straight points to tie the game. BYU added a touchdown and Colorado State countered with a field goal to give BYU a 28-24 lead at the half. Colorado State continued its momentum and scored first after the half to take the lead, but BYU's defense buckled down when it had to. BYU only allowed a field goal the rest of the game. The defense also came up with big plays, including two interceptions in its own end zone. Jernaro Gilford intercepted a pass on Colorado State's first possession, halting a long drive for the Rams. Colorado State attacked BYU's defense with its own one-two punch all night long. Running back Henri Childs rushed for 237 yards while quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt rushed 174 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams finished the game with 440 yards rushing. But in the end, it was too much Staley and Doman for the Rams to handle and the Cougars took over in the fourth quarter. BYU scored 14 in the final quarter and held Colorado State scoreless to pull away in the final quarter.
Cougars Clinch 28th Straight Non-Losing Season
Following a 63-33 win over Air Force on Oct. 20, the Cougars improved to 7-0, ensuring their 28th straight non-losing season. BYU has not had a losing season since posting a 5-6 mark in 1973-former head coach LaVell Edward's second season as head coach. The Cougars' streak of 28 straight seasons ranks 11th all-time at the NCAA Division I-A level and is currently the third longest non-losing streak in the nation. (Nebraska leads with an impressive 40 straight seasons without a losing record.)
All About Number 9
Thursday's win against Colorado State marked the Cougars' ninth win of the season. BYU has produced 17 nine win seasons since 1976. The Cougars recorded their first nine-win season in 1976, marking the most wins in BYU football history. The Cougars posted six straight nine-win seasons from 1976-1981. BYU's nine-game win streak is the longest since recording 12 straight victories during the 1996 season.
Bowl Eligible
After picking up its seventh victory of the season (vs. Air Force), BYU became the first team in the Mountain West Conference to become eligible for post-season bowl consideration. Should the Cougars earn a bowl bid, it will mark the 23rd bowl game since the 1974 season. BYU last went bowling during the 1999 season. A bowl game would mark the third post-season appearance for the Cougars in the past four seasons and the first-ever for head coach Gary Crowton.
Staley Sets Career Touchdown Record
Junior running back Luke Staley recorded five more touchdowns on Thursday (vs. Colorado State) to become BYU's all-time, career touchdown leader. Staley, who has tallied 22 touchdowns on the season, broke Waymon Hamilton's 20-year-old single-seaso record (16) on one of his more spectacular touchdown carries to date. Staley caputred the record on an eight-yard run, dragging two SDSU defenders into the endzone, giving the Cougars a commanding 52-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.A week later, Staley became the career touchdown leader after tying the record (40) on a 44-yard run to give BYU a 28-21 lead in the second quarter against Colorado State. One quarter later, Staley broke loose for a 20-yard score to set the record. With 22 touchdowns on the season, Staley has totaled 42 throughout his career. The 6-foot-2, 225 pound running back currently leads the nation in both scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game. Staley has tallied at least one touchdown in every game he has played this season and with his first TD against Colorado State, has produced at least one touchdown in 20 of the 27 games he has played at BYU, including multiple-scoring games in 12 different outings. Staley has twice turned in career-high five-touchdowns this season, equaling the BYU record for most TDs scored in a game. Staley turned in 207 yards rushing against Utah State to become the first BYU back to total 200+ yards rushing in a game since Ronney Jenkins posted 250 yards against San Jose State in 1998.
STALEY QUICK FACTS
* Leads the nation in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game
* Leads the nation in rushing yards per carry, averaging 9.1
yards per touch
* Ranks 8th nationally in yards per game, averaging 136.5
yards per contest
* Has tallied 12 multiple-scoring games over his career
* Has produced at least one touchdown in 20-of-27 career games.
* Named MWC Player of the Week after posting 207 yards and five
TDs against USU.
* Named MWC Player of the Week after posting 196 yards and five
TDs against CSU.
* Has 2,003 career rushing yards
* Has 1,092 yards rushing this season - a career high.
* Has produced 252 career points
STALEY RECORD WATCH
* Tied BYU single-game record with 30 points
(vs. Utah State; vs. Colorado State)
* Tied a school record with five touchdowns
(vs. Utah State; vs. Colorado State)
* Set BYU single-season touchdown record with 22 TDs (2001)
* Set BYU single-game record with 14.2 yards per carry
(vs. Tulane; 10-for-142)
* Set BYU single-season (non-kicker) scoring record with
132 points scored
* On pace to set single-season yards per carry record,
averaging 9.1 y/c
* Needs just 294 yards to become BYU's single-season
rushing leader
* Needs just 967 to become all-time leading rusher
* Became BYU's first 1,000-yd rusher since 1998 (Jenkins; 1,411)
* Needs 81 points to become BYU's all-time leading scorer
* Became BYU's all-time (non-kicker) leading scorer (252)
BYU CAREER TOUCHDOWN LIST
Player Years TDs Rushing Receiving
Luke Staley 1999-Present 42 36 6
Jamal Willis 1991-94 40 35 5
Lakei Heimuli 1984-86 32 30 2
Waymon Hamilton 1981-83 32 29 3
Eric Drage 1990-93 29 0 29
Ronney Jenkins 1996,98 29 24 5
Scoring Defense Busters
Through nine games, the Cougars have paid little attention to their opponents scoring defense average. On the season, BYU has surpassed its opponent's previous scoring defense average by 36.7 points per game. The Cougars' largest point differential came against Air Force, putting up 43.8 points more than the Falcons had previously allowed. Against San Diego State, BYU posted 33.6 points over the Aztecs' previous scoring defense mark of 25.4 points per game. The potent BYU offense continued its scoring ways against Colorado State, cruising past the Rams' scoring defense average of just 20 points per game, racking up 56 points on Thursday night. Wyoming enters Saturday's game allowing just 32.75 points per game, while the Cougars lead the nation in scoring offense, averaging 50.8 points per contest.
Single-Season Scoring Record in Sight
Through the first nine games of the season, BYU has produced 457 points, averaging a nation's best 50.8 points per game and the best scoring average through nine games in BYU football history. During the 1980 campaign, BYU logged an average 42.8 points per game over the first nine games, then went on a mid-season scoring barrage, averaging a school single-season record 46.6 points per game at season's end. Averaging nearly 51 points per game, the 2001 Cougars are on pace to clip the 21-year-old single-season scoring record. Army holds the NCAA scoring average record, posting 56.0 points per game during the 1944 season. Nebraska holds the NCAA record for most points scored in a single season with 624 over 12 games during the 1983 season.
A Look At The Rivalries
Since 1922, BYU has maintained several long-standing rivalries. BYU will face each of its oldest rivals during the 2001 season. The Cougars own a winning record against four of the five rivals, including a mark of 31-25-3 against Colorado State. Following is a look at the Cougars' five oldest rivalries:
School No. Games Series Record First Game Last Game
Utah 76 Utah leads, 45-27-4 Oct. 14, 1922 Nov. 24, 2000
Utah State 75 BYU leads, 39-33-3 Oct. 7, 1922 Oct. 5, 2001
Wyoming 67 BYU leads, 35-29-3 Nov. 14, 1922 Oct. 26, 2000
Colorado St. 60 BYU leads, 32-25-3 Nov. 25, 1922 Nov. 1, 2001
New Mexico 51 BYU leads, 38-12-1 Nov. 17, 1951 Oct. 13, 2001
Margin of Victory
Throughout the season, the Cougars have tallied 457 points, averaging a nation's best 50.8 points per game. BYU has allowed 231 points, giving up an average 25.7 points per contest. Overall, the Cougars have tallied a +25.1-point margin of victory.
Red Zone Review
The Cougars have scored on an amazing 45-of-50 trips to the Red Zone (.900), including a season-high nine of nine trips inside the Red Zone against Air Force. The Air Force game also marked the fourth time this season BYU has scored at least six different times inside the Red Zone. Prior to a BYU fumble on the eight-yard line against UNLV, the Cougars were a perfect 20-for-20 inside the Red Zone. 41 of the Cougars' 46 Red Zone scoring drives have been touchdowns, while just four have been field goals. The BYU defense has held its opponents to just 27-of-38 Red Zone scores on the season, including an impressive 1-for-4 against SDSU. The Cougar defense forced two missed field goals (including one blocked attempt) and an interception to prevent the Aztecs from scoring on three of their four trips inside the Red Zone. BYU also forced an interception and a fumble, haulting two CSU Red Zone drives. The Cougars have scored 41 Red Zone touchdowns, which is more TDs than BYU scored during the entire 2000 season (32).
Fast Times at BYU
On the season, BYU has produced 11 scoring drives of under 1:00 or less. The Cougars began the 2001 campaign with a season-high four scoring drives under 1:00 against Tulane. The quickest drive came at San Diego State, when Brandon Doman connected with Gabe Reid for a four-yard touchdown pass, completing the scoring drive in just one play. Equally impressive, the Cougars have 32 scoring drives of under 2:00. Against Tulane, BYU produced a season-high six scoring drives under 2:00. BYU closed out the second quarter (against the Green Wave) with four straight scoring drives of :55, :47, :46 and :33. A week later, the Cougars posted five scoring drives of 1:58 or less. Against Cal, the Cougars posted five scoring drives of 1:50 or less, including two scoring drives under 1:00. On the Cougars' six scoring drives against Cal, two totaled three plays or less. On the season, BYU has totaled 28 scoring drives of five plays or less, including three against Colorado state. Against Air Force, the Cougars racked up four scoring drives of under 2:00 and added three more scoring drives under 2:20. All totaled, all nine scoring drives were produced under 3:48.
THE STREAK IS STILL ALIVE ... 333 Games And Counting
With Brandon Doman's seven-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Colorado State, BYU extended its NCAA record streak to 333 games without being shutout. BYU was last shutout during the 1975 season (Sept. 27, 1975 vs. Arizona State.) The Cougars have only one player on its 2001 roster who was alive the last time BYU was shutout. Offensive lineman Aaron McCubbins was just two days old.
Another Streak of Note
Dating back to last season, BYU has won a total of 11 straight games, marking the third longest winning streak in the country. Miami (Fla.) leads the nation with 18 straight wins, followed by Nebraska with 12.
Ultimate Exposure
Dating back to 1980, the Cougars have appeared on national television an average three times per season, including last year's single-season record six national television appearances. Since its first national television appearance in 1974, BYU has posted a 45-28-2 (.613) while playing on national television, including a 23-15 mark on ABC and a 27-16-2 mark on ESPN. Current assistant coach Robbie Bosco led the Cougars to a 20-14 win over Pittsburgh in the first live ESPN College Football broadcast in 1984.
Cougars Re-Schedule Mississippi State, Switch Hawai'i
In cooperation with the University of Hawai'i and Mississippi State University, BYU announced it has re-scheduled its contest against Mississippi State for Saturday, Dec. 1. The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 15, was postponed after the terrorist attacks on the United States. In order to play the Bulldogs on Dec. 1, Hawai'i generously agreed to switch its game with BYU from Dec. 1 to Saturday, Dec. 8. The SEC announced it would re-schedule the SEC Championship game from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8, allowing for games scheduled to be played on Sept. 15, to be played on Dec. 1. With this move, BYU and Mississippi State were able to re-schedule, only after Hawai'i had agreed to play BYU on Dec. 8, as opposed to Dec. 1.
Compare The Stats
STATS BYU WYO
Scoring 457 165
Points Per Game 50.8 20.6
First Downs 240 164
Rushing yardage 2,204 797
Average Per Game 244.9 99.6
Rushing TDs 35 8
Passing Yardage 2,782 2,276
Att-Comp-Int 309-208-3 314-169-12
Average Per Game 309.1 284.5
Passing TDs 26 8
Total Offense 4,951 3,073
Total Plays 659 586
Average Per Game 550.1 384.1
Kick Returns: #-yards 28-631 22-389
Punt Returns: #-yards 31-285 18-88
INT Returns: #-yards 17-264 7-89
Kick Return Average 22.5 17.7
Punt Return Average 9.2 4.9
INT Return Average 15.5 12.7
Fumbles-lost 27-7 10-4
Penalties-yards 60-529 37-305
Punts-yards 27-1,075 42-1,743
Time of possession/game 28:23 27:32
3rd-down Conversions 48/111 49/125
4th-down Conversions 12/17 5/10
Sacks by-yards 21-152 6-34
Touchdowns 63 16
Field Goals-Attempts 6-11 18-21
PAT-Attempts 59-62 11-12
Attendance 406,179 86,455
Average Attendance 45,131 17,291
Pick A Receiver; Any Receiver
Throughout the 2001 season, the Cougars have used 20 different receivers, including a season-high 12 different receivers against Nevada. The BYU receiving corps has accounted for 2,4782 of the Cougars' 4,951 (56.2 percent) total yards on the season, including a season high 408 yards against Air Force. Reno Mahe ranks nationally with 55 receptions for 654 yards and three touchdowns. The Cougars rank 11th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 309.11 yards per game. 10 different receivers have over 100 yards on the season, including six receivers with 200 or mor yards. Eight receivers have 10 or more receptions. Tight end Doug Jolley leads all receivers with four touchdown receptions, while Mahe, Luke Staley, Mike Rigell, Rod Wilkerson and Spencer Nead each have three touchdowns on the season. All totaled 11 different receivers have scored at least one touchdown, including Soren Halladay and Toby Christensen, who both recorded their first-ever career touchdowns receptions at San Diego State.
In the Trenches
The experienced BYU offensive line, which includes three seniors and two juniors-all of which started last season, weighs in at a beefy 1,479 pounds, averaging 295.8 pounds per man. The O-line will be squaring off against a Wyoming defensive front (two seniors, two juniors) that tips the scales at an average 261.0 pounds per man. On defense, the Cougars' line (two seniors, a junior and a sophomore) weighs in at 279.5 pounds per man, while the Cowboys' offensive line (two sophomores, one freshman, one junior and one senior) average 294.6 pounds per man. Four of the Cougars' five starting offensive lineman received All-Conference honors last season, including Aaron McCubbins, Dustin Rykert, Jason Scukanec and Ben Archibald. The BYU offensive line has allowed just nine sacks on the season. The BYU defense has produced 21 sacks, while the Wyoming defense has tallied 6 sacks over eight games.
That's Tight
BYU tight ends Doug Jolley and Spencer Nead racked up 226 of the Cougars' 408 receiving yards against the Air Force, including Jolley's 10-for-177 yard, three touchdown performance. Jolley became the first BYU receiver to score three touchdowns in a single game since Eric Drage picked up three TDs during the 1992 season. Jolley also set a MWC single-game record with 177 yards receiving. For his performance, Jolley was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week, becoming the first tight end to earn the weekly honor. With four tight ends listed on the BYU roster, the foursome have combined for 34 reception for 496 yards, averaging 62 yards per game. The BYU tight ends have produced nine of the Cougars' 25 touchdown receptions.
Gone Hi-Tech
BYU began the season using a new hi-tech video-editing system to help coaches break down film and prepare for upcoming opponents. Since switching over to the Knowledge Inc., Interactive Play Book, the Cougars are a perfect 9-0. In fact, of the three other schools in the country that use the system, the teams have compiled a combined record of 24-3 on the season.
Perfect After Nine
The Cougars' 56-34 win over Colorado State on Thursday gave BYU its ninth straight win of the season, marking the best single-season start since 1984. (BYU went undefeated in 1984, winning the National Championship with a 13-0 record.) BYU's Gary Crowton became the first head coach in BYU football history to win the first nine games of his career. With the Cougars' victory over Colorado State, the former Louisiana Tech head coach has posted a 30-13 career coaching record. With BYU's win over Nevada, Crowton became the first BYU coach to win the first two games of his career at BYU since G. Ott Romney in 1928. After winning the first game of his career, defeating Kansas, 32-9, former head coach LaVell Edwards lost to Utah State in his second game, 42-19. With a 35-point victory over Tulane to kickoff the Gary Crowton era, the Cougars are 6-7 in the opening game of a coach's tenure at BYU.
The Crowton File
Gary Crowton, a native of Orem, Utah, takes over a BYU program that has been under the direction of college football's sixth all-time winningest coach, LaVell Edwards. Edwards took over the program in 1972, coaching the Cougars to a 257-101-3 (.716) record. Crowton, 44, comes to BYU with a long and proven list of coaching accomplishments. Prior to serving the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator with the NFL's Chicago Bears, where his offense ranked third in the NFL in passing yardage during the 1999 season, Crowton was head coach at Louisiana Tech from 1996-1998. There he guided the Bulldogs to a 21-13 (.618) record over three seasons, including a 9-2 mark in 1997. Competing as an independent for three straight years, Louisiana Tech recorded wins over the likes of Mississippi State, Cal and Alabama. Using its Crowton-designed, high-powered offense, the program also recorded impressive wins by scoring 50-or-more points against eight different opponents, including games of 60-or-more points in five different games. Crowton's offense ranked third in the nation, both in passing and total offense, while the Bulldogs racked up 12,746 yards passing in three years, an average of 4,249 yards per season. The prolific Tech offense also produced 115 touchdown receptions, averaging 38.3 TDs per season. Under Crowton, Louisiana Tech engineered 22 different 300-yard passing games, including a school-record 10, 300-yard outings during the 1998 season. In 1998, Crowton's final season at Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs combined for a school-record 4,943 yards passing. Crowton's coaching career actually began in 1982 as a student assistant under Edwards at BYU. While at BYU he worked with current Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren and future NFL Hall of Famer, Steve Young. From BYU, Crowton moved on to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he coached from 1983-86. While at Snow College, Crowton moved from defensive backs coach to offensive coordinator. Under his offensive leadership, the Badgers won the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship in 1985. From Snow College, Crowton moved to Western Illinois for one season, before taking over as the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire. In 1991, Crowton was hired as the quarterbacks coach at Boston College under head coach Tom Coughlin. There he helped develop quarterback Glenn Foley as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. After three successful seasons with the Eagles, Crowton was hired as the co-offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, where his offense led the Yellow Jackets to a No. 21 national ranking in his first and only season in Atlanta. In 1995, Crowton was hired as the offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech, where he would become the head coach the following season. Crowton, who is the first-ever head football coach at BYU to serve an LDS Church mission, is married to the former Maren Peterson of Bountiful, Utah. The couple was married on August 3, 1985. The Crowtons have six children. NOTEABLE: Crowton is the first coach in BYU history to start his career 7-0 with the Cougars ... In only his fourth year as a Division-IA coach, Crowton recorded his 25th career victory - a 35-31 victory over future Hall of Fame coach John Robinson and the UNLV Rebels.
Simply Domanating
BYU launched a national award campaign for quarterback Brandon Doman. (Designed by Dave Broberg / Photo by Mark Philbrick)
In only his 11th career start (vs. Colorado State), senior quarterback Brandon Doman became the first BYU signal caller since Robbie Bosco in 1984 to win his first 11 games as a starter. Doman led BYU to back-to-back wins to close out the 2000 season and has guided the Cougars to nine straight wins to open the 2001 season -- the Cougars best start since the 1984 season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior has paced the Cougars to a national-leading 50.8 points per game this season, posting 313.9 yards of total offense per game, which ranks second in the country. His passing efficiency (168.23) also ranks 2th in the nation. Other national rankings: Doman completed 23-of-37 (.621) attempts with two touchdown completions, including a 54-yard bomb to Rodney Wilkerson on the final drive of the first half to give BYUa 28-21 halftime lead. The touchdown completion with just :54 remaining in the half capped an 18-point swing for the Cougars, who had fallen behind 21-10 by the end of the first quarter. Doman also picked up 48 yards rushing on 14 carries, including the game-winning 21-yard rush to the endzone. For his efforts, Doman was named the ABC Cheverolet Player of the Game. Click HERE for the Domanator Update.
Aaron Edmonds; Ready, Willing, Able
With the high-powered production of the BYU offense, senior punter Aaron Edmonds has been called up an average of just 3.0 times per game. Edmonds has tallied an average 39.8 yards per punt and has accurately placed 12 of his 27 punts inside the 20 yard line. An amazing seven of those punts have been downed inside the 10 yard line. Only one of Edmonds' 27 punts have been recorded as a touchback, while only 10 punts have been returnable. Edmonds' accuracy has prevented 70.3 percent of his punts from being returned. BYU did not have a single punt against Colorado State.
"Turnover" a New Leaf
Earlier this season BYU played in back-to-back games without committing a single turnover, marking the first two-game stretch without a single turnover since the 1994 season. Against Air Force, the Cougars duplicated the feat by avoiding a single turnover for the second straight game. On the season, the Cougars have had turnovers in just five of the nine games they have played. Entering the UNLV game, BYU had only one turnover on the season. Against the Rebels, the Cougars had a season-high three fumbles and one interception. Against Utah State, BYU had just one turnover. On the other side of the ball the BYU defense has forced 23 turnovers, including 17 interceptions and five fumbles. The Cougars forced three turnovers against Cal, converting all three turnovers into 21 points. Against UNLV, BYU converted three turnovers into six points, while the Rebels racked up 24 points on turnovers. Against Utah State, both interceptions were converted into points for the Cougars.At San Diego State, BYU converted three-of-five turnovers into touchdowns. Last season the Cougars had a -9 turnover margin, allowing 29 turnovers, while forcing just 20. In 2001, BYU ranks fourth in the nation in turnover margin with a +1.44 turnovers per game. BYU is 25-1 in games since 1981 in which it did not allow a turnover. (The only loss was to Washington in 1996.)
Paper Or Plastic
After nine games, BYU has allowed just 10 sacks on the season. Nevada got to Brandon Doman in the first quarter for the first sack allowed on the season. UNLV picked up two more sacks against the Cougars. BYU has allowed at least one sack in seven of the nine games it has played this season. In the first nine games last season, BYU had already given up 32 sacks, including five against Air Force and four more against Syracuse and three against San Diego State. During the 2000 season, BYU allowed 36 sacks, averaging 3.0 per game. However, the BYU offensive line did not allow a sack in back-to-back games, including the Colorado State and New Mexico games and allowed just one sack against Wyoming as the line began to gel. On the defensive side of the ball, BYU has already sacked its opponent 21 times, including a season-high five sacks against Cal. In the 2000 season, the Cougars had 24 sacks after nine games. Senior defensive end Ryan Denney ranks second in the MWC with six sacks on the season, averaging .81 sacks per game. Denney has twice produced two sacks in a game this season, including the Tulane and Cal games. Senior Brett Keisel recorded two of his three sacks this season against Utah State.
Fourth-And-Go For It!
After going 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions against Utah State, and 3-for-4 on fourth-down attempts at New Mexico, the Cougars went 0-for-1 against Air Force and 1-for-2 at SDSU, dropping their season average to .750 (12-of-16). Three of the fourth-down conversions have gone for touchdowns, including Luke Staley's 37-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-three in the third quarter against Utah State. Against New Mexico, Brandon Doman converted a crucial fourth-and-11 situation that led to an eventual go-ahead, game-winning touchdown.
Extra Points
BYU's victory over Colorado State on Thursday marked the Cougars' 11th straight win, dating back to the 2000 season. The win also marks BYU's ninth straight of the season, marking the most wins to start a single season since the Cougars' 1984 National Championship campaign. The current single-season streak also marks the most consecutive victories since recording 12 straight wins during the 1996 season.
BYU's victory over Colorado State on Thursday also marks the Cougars'ninth win of the season. Currently at 9-0, BYU remains one of only three undefeated teams in the country. BYU is tied with Nebraska for the best record in the country at 9-0. The Cougars have produced 16 nine-win seasons since 1922. All 16 of BYU's nine-wins seasons have occurred since 1976.
With BYU's victory over Colorado State, the Cougars are in line to record their second Mountain West Conference title in the past three seasons. BYU has registered 20 league titles since winning its first WAC championship in 1965, including a stretch of 10 straight WAC Championships from 1976-1985. Of the 20 conference titles, BYU has won the championship outright right 12 times. BYU has not won an outright title since 1996.
BYU's win over Colorado State completed a three-game sweep of all three MWC opponents (Air Force, San Diego State and Colorado State) who registered victories over BYU last season, including a 45-21 whipping at CSU.
The Cougars' victory over Colorado State on Thursday marks BYU head coach Gary Crowton's 30th career victory. Crowton has produced a 30-13 (.698) career record, including a 21-13 mark (in three seasons) as the head coach at Louisiana Tech.
The Cougars scored 21 points in the first quarter for the third time this season. Counting the first quarter in tonight's game, BYU has scored 21 or more points in a single quarter nine different times. After posting 56 points against CSU, the Cougars are averaging 59.0 points per game in Provo and a national leading 50.8 points per contest. BYU's 56 points against Colorado State marks the most points the Cougars have scored against the Rams since scoring 61 points in 1981.
The defense held CSU scoreless in the first quarter. It marked the 11th time this season the Cougars have held their opponent scoreless during a quarter. The BYU defense has managed to have at least one quarter every game where it has held its opponent scoreless.
The Cougars recorded three interceptions on the evening, including first-ever interceptions for Kurt Elliott and Ryan Denney. BYU has produced at least one interceptions tion in all nine games this season, multiple interceptions in five games. BYU has produced three interceptions in three games, including back-to-back games (at San Diego State, vs. Colorado State). Jernaro Gilford's interception in the first quarter marked his fifth of the season. The pick stopped the CSU drive as he intercepted the ball in the end zone. His fifth interception puts him four short of the BYU single- season record for interceptions.
