PONTIAC -- For the opening quarter No. 25 BYU had a shutout over 11th-ranked Marshall University, but the Thundering Herd found other ways to win Monday in the third annual Motor City Bowl, 21-3.
The Cougars, now 8-4, neutralized the passing of Heisman finalist Chad Pennington, but his roommate Doug Chapman scored all three touchdowns as Marshall ran the table and remained undefeated at 13-0. Pennington completed 17 of 28 passes for 207 yards, while BYU's three quarterbacks were 16 of 29 for 220 yards before the Silverdome crowd of 44,863.
Chapman led the Mid-American Conference Champion to its second consecutive win in three straight Motor City Bowl appearances with 14 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and four receptions for 40 yards, including one TD.
"We did a good job on Pennington, but their overall speed on defense really came into the forefront and made a difference," said BYU Coach LaVell Edwards, whose team made its first indoor dome appearance. "It is discouraging and disappointing, but our execution was not there and we weren't able to make the big plays."
The Cougars scored first on a field goal by Owen Pochman with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter. That score was set up by a pair of 20 yard-plus receptions from Donny Atuaia and Jonathan Pittman. Quarterback Kevin Feterik was then face-masked to keep that drive alive, but the Cougars were unable to find the endzone.
Cougar defensive end Setema Gali registered his second sack of the first half on the Herd's ensuing possession, but Pennington completed a fourth and-one pass inside BYU territory. Then Marshall kicker Billy Malashevich, who hadn't missed in eight previous tries, glanced the first of two field goal attempts off the upright.
BYU went three and out, then looked to have a break when junior safety Jared Lee intercepted Pennington, only to have MU receiver Nate Poole poke the football out of his hands. After Marshall recovered Lee's fumble, Pennington completed a TD pass to Chapman with 8:18 left in the half.
Feterik countered on the next series by tossing a wobbly 67-yard pass to junior Margin Hooks, who was chased down from behind. However, the Cougars couldn't capitalize inside the red zone and Feterik suffered a collarbone injury off a blind-side corner blitz. Pochman, who had connected on 18 of 25 attempts in the regular season, was then wide left on his field goal attempt.
Byron Frisch picked up a sack of Pennington on MU's next drive and the Herd was forced to punt.
Then Feterik was sacked and fumbled the football, but a penalty nullified a potential TD for the Herd. Marshall's Malashevich missed another field goal on that drive as the half ended.
Feterik attempted to play in the second half, but left the game midway in the third quarter. Freshman Bret Engemann took the QB controls and connected with Tevita Ofahengaue for a first down before Jesse Sowards was forced to punt. Sowards got off a 60-plus-yard punt which helped his average of 48.3 on the afternoon.
Marshall punted after the next series and Sowards punted again. Then the Thundering Herd struck a big play with Chapman racing for an 87-yard TD with 51 seconds left in the quarter. Chapman scored in the fourth quarter on a short rush following an Engemann interception by Rogers Beckett.
In the fourth quarter Cougar freshman running back Luke Staley left the game with another injury. Afterwards, Sowards was roughed on the punt and the Cougars got another series of downs, but couldn't convert.
Then Pennington completed a big pass on the next MU series and Gali picked up another sack, which set up Malashevich's third missed field goal of the day.
BYU inserted sophomore quarterback Charlie Peterson to try to generate some offense in an attack which tallied minus 16 yards rushing for the day. Ben Horton made a one-handed grab off a Peterson pass, but Hooks couldn't hang on to the next bell-ringer.
The Cougars missed a final chance to score when Brian Gray had a clear path to the endzone, but couldn't hold on to a Pennington pass. On the final Cougar series, Peterson was intercepted by Marshall.
"Momentum shifted early in the game," said BYU center Jimmy Richards. "We had hoped to buy time and establish the run."
"We had a lot of mental breakdowns," said linebacker Justin Ena, who returns for his senior year when BYU opens the college football season on August 26. The Cougars play Florida State in the Pigskin Classic at Jacksonville, Fla.
BYU also returns to the East with games at Virginia and Syracuse and hosts Mississippi State, all in September.
1 2 3 4 F-- -- -- -- ---
BYU (25) 3 0 0 0 3
Marshall (11) 0 7 7 7 21
BYU-FG Pochman 28
Marshall-Chapman 30 pass from Pennington (Malashevich kick)
Marshall-Chapman 87 run (Malashevich kick)
Marshall-Chapman 1 run (Malashevich kick)
BYU Marshall
First downs 12 14
Rushed-yards 30-M16 31-147
Passing yards 220 207
Sacked-yards lost 8-53 3-16
Return yards 18 90
Passes 16-29-2 17-28-1
Punts 5-48.3 4-42.8
Fumbles-lost 2-2 0-0
Penalties-yards 8-81 11-84
Time of possession 30:31 29:29
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: BYU-Atuaia 2-19, Charlie Peterson 3-7, Hooks 1-7, Paul Peterson1-4, L Staley 7-3,
Stearns 1-minus 1, Tahi 4-minus 4, Engemann 3-minus 24, Feterik 8-minus 27.
Marshall-Chapman 14-133, Turner 7-15, Poole 1-5, Greenleaf 1-4, Pennington 8-minus 10.
PASSING: BYU-Feterik 6-11-0-125, Engemann 6-11-1-45, Charlie Peterson 4-7-1-50.
Marshall-Pennington 17-28-1-207.
RECEIVING: BYU-Hooks 4-108, Atuaia 4-35, Pittman 3-24, Ofahengaue 2-19, Horton 1-24, Nuno 1-8, Tahi 1-2.
Marshall-Williams 5-95, Chapman 4-40, Cooper 3-30, L Washington 2-25, Poole 2-13, Kellett 1-4.
Att: 52,449
BYU's invitation to the Motor City Bowl marks the Cougars' 22nd bowl appearance since 1974. The bowl game will also mark the team's eighth bowl appearance in the 90s, including the team's second straight bowl invitation. Over the past 25 years, the Cougars will have participated in 11 different bowls, including 11 appearances in the Holiday Bowl. The Dec. 27th game, to be played in the Pontiac Silverdome, will mark the Cougars third game in the state of Michigan since playing at Western Michigan in 1962. BYU has posted a record of 1-2 when playing in Michigan. BYU will be playing No.11 Marshall, marking the first meeting against the Thundering Herd. This year's game would also mark the second straight season BYU has faced an undefeated team in a bowl game. The Cougars have posted a 7-13-1 record in bowl games and have won two of their last three postseason appearances. This year's Motor City Bowl will be one of only six bowl games (outside the BCS) that would feature two ranked teams.
Travel and Practice Plans
BYU will depart Salt Lake City at 6:45 a.m. (MST) on Thursday, Dec. 23rd via chartered air service in to the Detroit Metro Airport. The team is expected to arrive in Detroit at 12:15 p.m. (EST). While in Detroit, the team will stay at the Troy Marriott. BYU will practice in the Silverdome on Thursday from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., Friday from 9 - 11 a.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon. On Sunday, the team will hold church services at the hotel, beginning at 9:30 a.m. It is expected the Cougars will participate in a Sunday-evening devotional with Detroit-area youth. Following the game on Monday, BYU will depart Detroit at 7:45 p.m. and arrive back in Provo around 9:30 p.m. (MST).
Television Information
The Motor City Bowl will be broadcast live at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on ESPN. Dave Barnett will call the action, while Bill Curry will provide expert analysis. Dave Ryan will serve as the sideline reporter. The Dec. 27th ESPN broadcast will mark the Cougars fourth nationally-televised game of the season, including ESPN Thursday Night games against Washington and Colorado State. BYU is 2-1 on the season when playing in front of a national audience. Six of the Cougars' 11 games have been televised by ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+Plus or ABC this season. BYU is 4-2 in those games. (The ABC telecast, featuring BYU and Cal, was broadcast to a regional audience only.) Since its first television appearance in 1974, BYU has posted a 40-23-2, including a 24-13-2 mark on ESPN. Quarterback's coach Robbie Bosco led the Cougars to a 20-14 win over Pitt in the first LIVE ESPN College Football broadcast in 1984.
Scouting the Thundering Herd
For the second straight year BYU will take on an undefeated opponent in its postseason bowl game. Marshall will enter the 1999 Motor City Bowl as the only Division-I team with a 12-0 record and is just one of three Division-I teams without a loss on the season. (The other two undefeated teams will be playing in the Sugar Bowl for a National Championship in January.) Since returning to the Division-I ranks in 1997, the Thundering Herd has posted a record of 34-4, including a 24-1 over the past two seasons and became the only team in MAC history to win three straight conference titles. Entering the 1999 season, Marshall was the only D-I or I-AA school in the nation with over 100 wins in the 90s. Marshall entered the 1999 season with 19 starters from its 1998 Motor City Bowl championship team, including nine all-conference performers. Marshall is led by quarterback Chad Pennington. As one of the nation's top QBs, Pennington has thrown for 3,799 yards on the season and has produced 37 touchdown completions. Pennington has a 171.1 efficiency ranking after completing 275-of-405 attempts with just 11 interceptions. As one of Pennington's favorite targets, Nate Poole has caught 71 Pennington offerings for a team-leading 1,122 yards. Poole, along with fellow receiver James Williams have combined over 51 percent of the Herd's total receiving yardage on the season. Williams leads the team with 13 touchdown receptions on the season. In the backfield, The Herd will look to Doug Chapman, who has 686 yards rushing on the season, averaging 62.4 yards per game. As a team, Marshall is averaging 140.3 yards rushing and 325.1 yards passing per game. On the defense, linebacker Andre O'Neal leads the Thundering Herd with 118 tackles on the season, including 68 unassisted tackles. Three members of The Herd have posted a team leading five sacks throughout the year, including John Grace, Giradie Mercer and Ralph Street. Maurice Hines leads the defense with five interceptions on the season. while Mercer has posted a team-leading 23 QB hurries.
Statistical Comparison
Team Statistics BYU MARSH
Scoring 332 442
Points per Game 30.2 36.8
First Downs 261 273
Rushing Yardage 1115 1684
Average per Rush 3.0 4.1
Average per Game 101.4 140.3
Rushing TDs 13 20
Passing Yardage 3567 3901
Att-Comp-Int 458-280-16 427-286-11
Average per Game 324.3 325.1
Passing TDs 25 37
Total Offense 4682 5585
Kick Returns/No. Yards 17/382 28/691
Punt Returns/No. Yards 33/181 37/208
Interception Returns/No. Yds. 14/289 24/132
Fumbles/Lost 22/10 17/6
Penalties/Yards 78/725 105/924
Punts/Yards 53/2246 48/1974
Time of Possession p/game 32:29 29:09
3rd Down Conversions 66/162 65/158
4th Down Conversions 3/5 12/21
Sacks by/Yards 35/245 30/187
Touchdowns Scored 40 59
Field Goals/Attempted 18/25 11/15
PAT Attempts 36/38 55/58
Score by Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Brigham Young 62 109 81 77 3 332
BYU Opponents 56 47 51 76 0 230
Marshall 113 113 113 103 -- 442
MU Opponents 22 59 12 41 -- 134
Natural Born Winners
BYU concluded the regular season with an 8-3 record, marking the Cougars' 26th straight winning season. BYU has not had a losing season since posting a 5-6 mark in 1973 - LaVell Edwards' second season as head coach. The Cougars' streak of 26 straight winning seasons ranks 11th all-time at the NCAA Division I-A level and is currently the second longest streak in the nation. Nebraska leads with an impressive 38 straight winning seasons.
Cougars Claim 20th Conference Title
With the Cougars' win over Mountain West Conference foe San Diego State on Nov. 6, BYU clinched a share of its 20th conference title, including 19 WAC championships during the LaVell Edwards' era. Officially, the Cougars ended the season in a three-way tie with Utah and Colorado State. Under the league's tie-breaking system, that has no bearing in determining an out-right champion, head-to-head competition against the three tied teams was considered as the first method to break the tie. Since BYU beat Colorado State, Colorado State beat Utah and Utah beat BYU, that log-jam could not be broken. The second method, using the BCS rankings, broke the tie with BYU on top, followed by Colorado State and then Utah. Had there been a four-way tie (with Wyoming), the Cowboys would have won the tiebreaker by virtue of head-to-head competition. However, Wyoming lost to San Diego State in their regular-season finale.
Head-to-Head
Quarterbacks G Eff. Att-Comp-Int Pct. Yds TD Lng Avg/G
Kevin Feterik, BYU 11 138.95 452- 277- 15 61.3 3554 25 77 323.1
Chad Pennington, MU 12 171.41 405- 275- 11 67.9 3799 37 71 316.6
Running Backs G Att Gain Loss Net Avg. TD Long Avg/G
Fahu Tahi, BYU 11 102 471 26 445 4.4 2 28 40.5
Luke Staley, BYU 8 92 470 38 432 4.7 10 61 54.0
Doug Chapman, MU 11 164 721 35 686 4.2 12 33 62.4
Llow Turner, MU 12 97 485 9 476 4.9 3 34 39.7
Receivers G No. Yds Avg. TD Long Avg/G
Margin Hooks, BYU 11 60 1067 17.8 7 77 97.0
Ben Horton, BYU 11 43 472 11.0 2 29 42.9
Jonathan Pittman, BYU 11 29 478 16.5 4 44 43.5
Nate Poole, MU 12 71 1122 15.8 9 45 93.5
James Williams, MU 12 47 880 18.7 13 71 73.3
Lan Washington, MU 12 42 340 8.1 2 30 28.3
Scoring TD FGs PATs Pts.
Owen Pochman, BYU 0 18 36 90
Luke Staley, BYU 13 0 0 78
Margin Hooks, BYU 7 0 0 42
James Williams, MU 14 0 0 84
Doug Chapman, MU 13 0 0 78
Nate Poole, MU 9 0 0 54
Pound for Pound
The BYU offensive line totals a whopping 1,490 pounds, averaging 298 pounds per man. The Herds' defensive line averages 266.3 pounds. Defensively, the Cougars' front four averages nearly 274 pounds, while the Marshall offensive line weighs in at 303.4 pounds per man.
Coach Edwards - (251-94-3; 28th season -- Career Game No. 349)
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 251-94-3 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, 33 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 22 postseason bowl appearances, including a string of 17 straight from 1978-1994. Only Michigan, Alabama and Nebraska have laced together a string of more consecutive appearances. The Cougars' last home game in Provo marked the 160th home game for Edwards since becoming head coach in 1972. In 28 seasons, Edwards is 129-31 (.810) 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.
Deja Vu
Have you ever found it interesting that history sometimes has a way of repeating itself? Take a look at this:
1998 1999
Cougars Make First Trip to Memphis Cougars Make First Trip to Detroit
BYU's First Liberty Bowl Appearance BYU's First Motor City Bowl Appearance
Cougars Receive At-large Bowl Bid Cougars Receive At-large Bowl Bid
Meeting Tulane for First-Ever Match-up Meeting Marshall for First-Ever Match-up
Tulane Enters Game Undefeated (11-0) Marshall Enters Game Undefeated (12-0)
Cougars Lose 3 Regular-Season Games Cougars Lose 3 Regular-Season Games
BYU has 10 All-Conference Performers BYU has 10 All-Conference Performers
Tulane Enters Game Ranked No. 10 Marshall Enters Game Ranked No. 11
Tulane Wears Green Uniforms Marshall Wears Green Uniforms
Tulane Has High-Profile QB Marshall Has High-Profile QB
Tulane Wins Conference USA Marshall Wins Mid-American Conference
Tulane Nicknamed Green Wave Marshall used to be nicknamed Big Green
Injury Update
After missing the last two regular-season games with a severe calf bruise and a knee injury, Freshman All-American Luke Staley has been listed as day-to-day prior to the Motor City Bowl. Senior safety Tyler Nelson has been cleared and is also expected to play in the Motor City Bowl after missing the last four games of the regular-season with a broken shoulder. Junior fullback Kalani Sitake will not play after breaking his ankle in the Wyoming game. Junior linebacker Jeff Holtry will also miss the Motor City Bowl after tearing his ACL against San Diego State.
Spreading the Wealth
Throughout the season, 18 different BYU receivers caught passes for the Cougars, totaling 3,567 yards. Running back Will Snowden became the 18th on his nine yard reception against Wyoming. In the Cougars' season-opener against Washington, All-Conference quarterback Kevin Feterik used 12 different receivers to chalk up a season-high 501 yards on the night. Of the 18 different receivers, Margin Hooks led the Mountain West Conference with a career-high 1,067 yards and a team-leading seven touchdown receptions.
Quarter by Quarter
Of the 45 quarters played this season, BYU outscored its opponent in 25 of those periods, including a stretch of six straight quarters between the UNLV and Air Force games. (The Cougars equaled their opponent in scoring in five different quarters on the season and were outscored just 15 times.) BYU experienced the highest scoring output in the second quarter throughout the season, outscoring its opponent 109-47. The Cougars recorded a season-high with a 21-point first quarter performance against New Mexico. The Cougars also reeled off 19 second-quarter points against Virginia. BYU recorded 14 double-digit scoring performances in a single quarter, while allowing double figures in just nine different quarters. The Cougars scored an average 7.4 points per quarter while allowing just 5.1 points per quarter.
Scoring Drive Superlatives
Total Scoring Drives 56
Drives of 90+ yards 2
Drives of 80+ yards 17
Drives of 70+ yards 26
Drives of 60+ yards 29
Drives of 50+ yards 41
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
Scoring Drives Under Two Minutes 17
No. Touchdown Scoring Drives 40
No. Field-Goal Scoring Drives 18
On The Defense
Over the last six games, the BYU defense has held its opponents to a total 544 yards rushing, giving up just 90.6 yards per game and five 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 held their opponents to 476 total yards over the first six games, averaging 79.3 yards per game and five total touchdowns, but gave up 799 yards over the last two games, allowing 399.5 yards per game. Cougar opponents have scored just six passing touchdown in the last six games, as opposed to an average 2.0 per game through the first five games. The BYU defense was giving up 29.0 points per game through the first five games, but have allowed just 14.2 points per game over the last six games and have given up an average 11.5 points per game in Conference play. Through the first five games, the defense had recorded 11 sacks, while over the last five games, BYU has registered 30 sacks. Setema Gali picked up four sacks against New Mexico, including a school-record two sacks on back-to-back plays. Currently the Cougar defense has recorded at least one interception in nine of their last 10 games.
BYU in the Red Zone
BYU has entered the "Red Zone" on 53 different occasions this season. Of the 50 series, the Cougars have scored on 81 percent of their drives, including 11 rushing touchdowns, 18 passing TDs and 14 field goals. Following is a break down of the Cougars in the "Red Zone".
Total Red Zone Series 53
Average Red Zone Appearances per Game 4.8
Red Zone Scoring Efficiency (TDs + FG) (.811)
Total plays in the Red Zone 179
Touchdowns in the Red Zone 29
Rushing plays in the Red Zone 86
Rushing TDs in the Red Zone 11
Red Zone Rushing 86 carries for 255 yards
Average Rush per Carry in the Red Zone 2.97 y/pc
Passing plays in the Red Zone 76
Passing TDs in the Red Zone 18
Red Zone Passing Efficiency 34-of-76 (.447)
Field Goal Attempts in the Red Zone 17
Field Goals Made in the Red Zone 14
Red Zone Non-scoring drives 9
Missed FG 2
Blocked FG 1
Fumbles 3
Interceptions 4
End of Game (1)
Pochman Rewrites BYU Record Book
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. On Nov. 2, the Orange Bowl Committee released its list of semi-finalists for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place Kicker of the Year Award, selecting Pochman as one of 20 kickers being considered for the award. The native of Mercer Island, Wa., made a school record 15 straight attempts before having a 55-yard attempt blocked by Utah in the final game of the season. Pochman has also connected on 27 straight PATs, dating back to the second quarter of the Virginia game. Pochman finised the regular season connecting on 18-of-25 (.720) field goal attempts and became the Cougars all-time scoring leader with 248 points.
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 recorded all but one of the Cougars' 13 rushing touchdowns, including 10 from Staley. The two have combined for 877 of BYU's 1115 total rushing yards, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the Cougars' running game. Tahi leads the BYU offense with 445 yards rushing, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. Staley has recorded a team-leading 10 rushing touchdowns and has also reeled in 26 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Tahi has nine receptions for 76 yards. Staley currently ranks seventh 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 and 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
Wyoming 10 15 4 11 0 7 1.1
Utah 6 22 0 22 0 6 3.7
Total 102 471 26 445 2 28 4.4
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
Coaching Milestone
BYU's LaVell Edwards, competing in his 28th season as head coach, recorded career win number 250 during the season in a 27-20 win over Air Force. The legendary coach, known for his stone faced expressions along the sidelines, has coached in 348 games since taking over the head coaching job in 1972. Having posted an impressive 251-94-3 (.726) record over the years, Edwards ranks seventh among active coaches in winning percentage and needs just four more wins to tie Nebraska's Tom Osborne for sixth on the all-time wins list. In 28 seasons, Edwards has had just one losing campaign.
Cougars Claim 10 All-Conference Honors
BYU had 10 team members selected for All-Conference honors this season, including three offensive and three defensive first-team selections, which marked the first time since 1996 the Cougars have had at least six first-team selections. The Cougars ranked second in the Mountain West with 10 All-Conference honors. San Diego State captured 11 first- and second-team honorees, while Colorado State had nine and Utah finished fourth with eight. Among the Cougars All Conference selections, Kevin Feterik (QB), Margin Hooks (WR), Matt Johnson (OL), Byron Frisch (DL), Rob Morris (LB), Brian Gray (CB), Jimmy Richards (OL), Setema Gali (DL), Justin Ena (LB) and Owen Pochman (K). Luke Staley (RB) was also named the leagues first-ever Freshman of the Year. Staley and Morris also represent the 46th and 47th players in BYU history to receive All-America honors. Morris was recently named a Football News All American, as well as a Sporting News All-American. Staley was recently named to the Sporting News' Freshman All-American team.
Defensive Point Production
During the season, the BYU defense forced a total of 38 turnovers, including 14 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, three turnovers on downs and eight turnovers off missed field goals. Of the 38 turnovers, the Cougars scored directly on two of those plays, including a Brian Gray interception return and a Hans Olsen fumble recovery. All totaled 38 turnovers led to 80 eventual points for the Cougars, including eight touchdowns and eight field goals. Following is a game-by-game breakdown of points scored off turnovers:
Game Points Total Pts Game Points Total Pts
Washington 0 35 Colorado State 10 34
Virginia 14 40 Utah State 13 34
California 14 38 New Mexico 0 31
UNLV 6 29 Air Force 3 27
SDSU 13 30 Wyoming 0 17
Utah 7 17
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).
All in the Family
There are four sets of brothers listed on the 1999 BYU football roster. They include Brandon (QB) and Cliff (WR) Doman, Rob (DB) and Justin (DB) Warcup, Luke (RB) and Dustin (DB) Staley and Kalani (FB) and TJ (DL) Sitake. The family tradition continues with freshman receiver Chris Hale and his father, athletics director Val Hale. Defensive line coach Tom Ramage is joined by his son, offensive lineman Corey Ramage. Defensive lineman Chris Hoke is joined on the team by his brother-in-law, Mike Hennefer.
Morris Named All-American, All-Conference
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 states, "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 were blown every time BYU made a good play or when Morris made 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. The San Diego State game marked Morris' third straight game with 13 or more tackles. Since returning from his injury, the 6-2, 250-pound bruiser has produced 58 tackles, averaging 11.6 takedowns per game. Despite missing four games, Morris ranks second on the BYU defense with 77 tackles on the season, including 45 solos. For his come-back performance in 1999, Morris was named to the Associated Press, Football News and Sporting News All-American teams. Morris was also selected an All-Mountain West Conference first-team performer.
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 45 32 10 1 2 0 1 0 4 6
TOTALS 223 122 34.5 2 3 1 7 1 21 13
Cougars on National TV
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.
BYU to Meet Florida State in 2000 Pigskin Classic
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and ABC Sports have reached an agreement with Florida State and BYU to participate in the 2000 Pigskin Classic, one of the two preseason football games sponsored by the Association. Through an agreement reached between Florida State, the Gator Bowl Association and the City of Jacksonville, the Classic will be played in the 73,000-seat Alltel Stadium (formerly the Gator Bowl) in Jacksonville, Fla. The game will be televised nationally on ABC Sports on Saturday, August 26. The time has yet to be determined. Both teams have previously met in the Pigskin Classic, in the second Classic, held in 1991, with Florida State defeating Brigham Young 44-28. BYU also appeared in the 1996 game, beating Texas A&M. In addition to the Pigskin Classic, Florida State has appeared in two Kickoff Classics, a 1993 victory over Kansas and a 1998 victory over Texas A&M.
2000 Schedule Taking Shape
With the announcement of the Florida State game to be played on August 26, 2000, the Cougars' 2000 non-conference schedule is beginning to take shape as the toughest schedule in BYU football history. Of the five future non-conference opponents, two teams are ranked in the top-10, including No. 1 ranked Florida State and No. 7 Mississippi State. The two teams currently have a combined record of 17-0. Following is a list teams BYU will compete against during the 2000 season:
Date Opponent Location
Aug. 26 Florida State Jacksonville, Fla.
TBA Virginia Charlottesville, Va.
TBA Mississippi State Provo, Utah
TBA Syracuse Syracuse, NY
TBA Utah State Provo, Utah
The Streak Continues
Despite losing to Utah in the final regular-season game, BYU extended its NCAA record streak to 311 games without being shutout. BYU was last shutout during the 1975 season (Sept. 27, 1975 vs. Arizona State). To put the streak in perspective, the Cougars have not been shutout since Gerald Ford was the President of the United States, a soft-spoken speedster out of Jackson State, named Walter Payton, was the Chicago Bear's first-round draft choice and BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik wasn't even born.
Another Model From BYU's Quarterback Factory
A Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award finalist...After 11 regular-season games, ranks 16th nationally in passing efficiency (138.9), 8th nationally in total offense (316.1) and has lead the Cougars to a 8th-place ranking in passing offense, averaging 324.3 yards per game and also a 15th-place ranking in total offense (425.6 yards per game) - Named 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 passes - Used 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 season - Set a Cougar Stadium record with 59 pass attempts and paced BYU to 37 first downs, another stadium record against the Huskies - Followed the season-opener with a 310-yard passing performance against Colorado State, leading BYU to a 34-13 victory - Was 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 Rams - Completed 28-of-47 attempts against Virginia for 303 yards - his third straight 300-yard performance of the season - Led a BYU comeback that included three touchdown passes, as the Cougars fell just five points shy of overcoming a 22-point deficit against Virginia - Equaled a career-high four touchdown completions on 23-of-36 attempts for 289 yards in a 34-31 overtime win at Utah State - Tallied 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 season - In just three quarters of play, tallied 211 yards passing on 15-of-27 attempts in a 31-7 win at New Mexico - Connected with Doug Jolley in the first quarter (at UNLV) to collect his 46th career touchdown completion - Is 8-3 as a starter when passing for over 300 yards - Ranks 9th on BYU's all-time touchdown completions list with 53 TDs - With his 262-yard performance against San Diego State, improved to 17-4 as a starter when passing for over 200 yards...Finished his career at 17-6 when passing for over 200 yards - Including the Utah game, has completed at least one touchdown pass in 16 straight games, including 19 of his last 20 games - Over 452 attempts, has thrown just 15 interceptions, averaging only one miscue every 30.1 attempts - Has thrown a career-high 25 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 ... With 309 yards passing against Utah, logged his sixth 300-yard game of the season.
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 11 277 452 15 .613 77 3554 25 323.1
TOTALS 34 609 1004 27 .607 245 8065 53 244.4
Feterik Climbing All-Time Passing List
With 362 yards passing against Wyoming Feterik moved in to 5th place on the Cougars' all-time passing list. Feterik, who started the week in eighth place, passed Steve Sarkisian (7,464 yds.), Marc Wilson (7,637 yds.) and Steve Young (7,733 yds.) to take over fifth place. 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. 8,065 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)
6. 7,733 Steve Young (1981-83)
7. 7,637 Marc Wilson (1977-79)
8. 7,464 Steve Sarkisian (1995-96)
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. 53 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)
10. 50 Virgil Carter (1964-66)
"Aloha" means "Lat's Play More Football"
BYU seniors Kevin Feterik, Matt Johnson and Brian Gray have been invited to participate in the 2000 Rivals.com Hula Bowl Maui, presented by NCAA Football on Saturday, Jan. 22nd. The game will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Honolulu. The three Cougars will be joined from several other outstanding players from around the country and will be coached by Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin and Fisher DeBerry of Air Force.
Cougar Point Production
BYU has eclipsed the 30-point barrier in seven of its 11 games on the season. The Cougars are averaging 30.18 points per game, its highest average since recording an average 39.3 points per game in 1996. For the second straight season, the Cougars have produced seven 30-point games, marking three out of four years the Cougars have reached 30 (or more) points in seven (or more) games on the season. Through the first seven games of the season, BYU had scored 30 (or more) points in six games, marking the most 30-point games since the 1992 season.
Scoring Breakdown
The BYU defense has allowed 29 touchdowns on the season. Opponents have scored 15 TDs through the air and just 10 on the ground. The Cougars have also allowed two interception returns and two fumble recoveries for touchdowns. In contrast, BYU has 25 passing TDs, 13 rushing touchdowns, one interception return and one fumble return.
Geographicly Speaking
BYU does not have a single player on its bowl roster from West Virginia or Michigan, however one player, Jeff Holtry, did play at the University of Michigan and is married to a Michigan native. The Cougars' bowl roster contains six players from east of the Mississippi River, including two players from South Carolina, one from Alabama, Indiana, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
To Punt or Not to Punt
The Cougar defense forced its opponents to punt 74 times on the season, averaging 6.7 punts per game. BYU punted just 53 times on the season, averaging 4.8 punts per game. Only one time on the season did BYU have to punt more times than its opponent. Wyoming forced the Cougars to punt six times, while having to punt just three times on the night. Against UNLV, the Cougars punted just three times while forcing the Rebels to punt a season-high 10 times. The BYU defense also forced UNLV to punt 10 times during the game. The Cougars posted an 8-1 record on the season when punting less times than their opponents. The Cougars recorded a season-low one punt against Washington and were forced to punt just three times on three different occasions. BYU recorded a season-high eight punts against Utah, also forcing the Utes to punt eight times.
Attendance Tracker
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 in 1998, averaging 62,702 fans per game. Listed as the "greatest home schedule ever", average attendance in Cougar Stadium (65,000) exceeded stadium capacity. The Cougars averaged 65, 185 per games this season. BYU is 28-7 in Cougar Stadium in sellouts vs. conference opponents and 12-6 at home in sellouts vs. non-conference foes. From Nov. 11, 1989 to Oct. 31, 1992, BYU posted 19 straight sell-outs. Since Cougar Stadium was expanded to 65,000 in 1982, BYU has recorded 51 sellouts over 105 games. During the 1999 season, 391,111 fans gathered at Cougar Stadium, including a season-high 65,942 fans for the season finale against Utah.
Gray Named Thorpe Semifinalist; Earns All-MWC Honors
BYU senior Brian Gray was earlier named by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, Okla., as a semifinalist for the 1999 Jim Thorpe Award. Gray, who was questionable prior to the Virginia game with a groin injury, picked off a Dan Ellis pass to streak 28 yards for his second career touchdown. The touchdown would mark the first of two defensive turnovers that would go for a touchdown on the season. 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. Gray was named to his second straight All-Conference team following the season, picking up All-Mountain West first-team honors. Gray finished the season with three interceptions and racked up 36 tackles, including 23 unassisted takedowns. Gray accounted for eight pass breakups, forced one fumble and had one quarterback hurry.
Men in Blue
The August 16th announcement of a uniform change at BYU meant 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.
Setting a Standard
Having set a standard of postseason bowl appearances, BYU has been invited to 22 bowl games since the 1974 season, missing only the 1975, 1977, 1995 and 1997 seasons. The Cougars have earned 10 more bowl bids than the next closest league rival, Air Force. Excluding the Falcons, BYU has been to more bowl games in the past 25 years than all the remaining schools combined. Interestingly, the years BYU did not go to a bowl game, 1975, '77, '95 and '97 are exactly 20 years apart from each other, i.e. 1975-1995 and 1977-1997.
Cougars Post MWC Records
BYU was responsible for 18 different records in the first-ever season of the Mountain West Conference, including nine team and nine individual marks. Following is a look at the league records set by BYU this season:
TEAM
Passing attempts 59 vs. Washington
Passes completed 39 vs. Washington
Receiving yards 501 vs. Washington
Receptions 39 vs. Washington
Field goal attempts 5 vs. UNLV
Field goals made 5 vs. UNLV
Punts forced 10 vs. New Mexico
10 vs. UNLV
Interception return yards 125 vs. Colorado State
First downs 37 vs. Washington
INDIVIDUAL
Total Offense Feterik vs. Washington (490 yds)
Passing yds. Feterik vs. Washington (501)
Passing att. Feterik vs. Washington (59)
Passing TDs Feterik vs. Utah State (4)
Feterik vs. California (4)
Passes completed Feterik vs. Washington (39)
Field goals attempted Pochman vs. UNLV (5)
Kick returns Dabney vs. Utah State (6)
Kick return yds. Dabney vs. Utah State (156)
Huddle Up!
The Cougars are 5-1 when they score first and have posted a 3-2 mark on the season when their opponent scores first.
The Cougars are 1-3 when trailing the game at halftime. When BYU is outscoring its opponent at the half, BYU is a perfect 7-0.
BYU scored an average 23.1 points against Mountain West opponents and have held those same opponents to an average 12.3 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 teams 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. Coaching in his 28th season, Edwards tied Joe Paterno as the second fastest coach to reach the 250 milestone. Tom Osborne reach 250 wins in 25 season.
BYU recorded at least one interception in nine of the Cougars' 11 games on the season, including four games with two or more INTs. Against Colorado State, BYU picked off a season-high three Matt Newton pass attempts -- all by different players. During an eight game stretch in the middle of the season, the BYU defense forced 12 interceptions, averaging 1.5 picks per game. Jared Lee led the Cougars with four interceptions, followed by Brian Gray with three.
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 performance.
Besides Colorado State making a one-week appearance in both the ESPN and AP Polls, the Cougars were the only Mountain West team to appear in the national rankings. The Cougars were ranked in nine of the first 12 weeks in the AP poll.
Bowl Facts
Following is a year-by-year look at the Cougars in their 21 previous bowl appearances:
Year Bowl Opponent Result
1998 Liberty Tulane L, 41-27
1996 Cotton Kansas State W, 19-15
1994 Copper Oklahoma W, 31-6
1993 Holiday Ohio State L, 28-21
1992 Aloha Kansas L, 23-20
1991 Holiday Iowa T, 13-13
1990 Holiday Texas A&M L, 65-14
1989 Holiday Penn State L, 50-39
1988 Freedom Colorado W, 20-17
1987 All-American Virginia L, 22-16
1986 Freedom UCLA L, 31-10
1985 Citrus Ohio State L, 10-7
1984* Holiday Michigan W, 24-17
1983 Holiday Missouri W, 21-17
1982 Holiday Ohio State L, 47-17
1981 Holiday Washington St. W, 38-36
1980 Holiday SMU W, 46-45
1979 Holiday Indiana L, 38-37
1978 Holiday Navy L, 23-16
1976 Tangerine Oklahoma St. L, 49-21
1974 Fiesta Oklahoma St. L, 16-6
* - National Champions
This year's trip to Detroit will mark only the fifth time in BYU football history the Cougars have traveled east of the Mississippi River to play in a bowl game, including the second straight season.
The Cougars are 0-4 in bowl games played east of the Mississippi River.
BYU has played 13 of its 21 bowl games in California, two games in Florida and Arizona and one game each in Tennessee, Texas, Hawaii and Alabama. This year's appearance in the Motor City Bowl will mark the eighth different state the Cougars have participated in a bowl game.
The Cougars have never played a bowl game on Dec. 27th. 11 of the Cougars' 21 bowl games have been played later than Dec. 27th, including one appearance on New Year's Day, one game on Dec 31st, three games on Dec. 30, four games on Dec. 29th and two games on Dec. 28th.
The Cougars have posted an all-time bowl record of 3-8-1 when playing in bowl games after Christmas Day, as opposed to a record of 4-5 when playing before Dec. 25th.
BYU has never played a game in an indoor stadium, In fact, the Cougars have played only one bowl game on artificial surface. (BYU has not played a single game on artificial turf since playing at Hawai'i on Oct. 17, 1998.)
The Cougars have posted an average 22.0 points per game in bowl games, while their opponents have averaged 29.0 points per game.
Avoiding Three Straight
BYU lost two straight games to end the regular season, marking the first time since last year the Cougars have lost two straight. BYU has not lost three straight games in a single season in over 80 consecutive games, dating back to the 1993 season.
