Game Notes: BYU vs. TCU

COUGARS OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY WITH TCU

BYU picked up its first win of the season, and the first of Coach Bronco Mendenhall's career, Sept. 10, against Eastern Illinois. The Cougars will open Mountain West Conference play coming off a bye week by hosting TCU, Sept. 24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU is 1-1 while TCU is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the MWC. In the Cougars win over Eastern Illinois, BYU racked up 431 yards of total offense, including Curtis Brown's 110 yards on the ground and John Beck's 255 yards through the air.

A LOOK AT THE HORNED FROGS

TCU has been up and down so far this season. After shocking the football world with an upset win, 17-10, over then-No. 7 Oklahoma, the Horned Frogs fell the next week to SMU 21-10. Last Thursday, Sept. 15, TCU defeated Utah 23-20 in overtime, ending the Utes 18-game win streak. The Frogs defeated Utah with a strong running attack and solid defense. Freshman running back Aaron Brown, playing in his first game, had his way against the Utes, running 17 times for 168 yards. Robert Merrill added 67 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Tye Gunn was 8-of-17 for 88 yards and threw a game-winning touchdown to Michael Depriest. Merrill has 189 yards on the season and Cory Rodgers leads the team in receiving with 172 yards on 20 catches.

COMPLETE BROADCAST PLANS

Television: ESPN+Plus will broadcast BYU's game against TCU. The game can be seen in Utah on KJZZ, Ch. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (MT). Saturday's game against TCU will also be rebroadcast by BYU Television and KBYU-TV. BYU TV will rebroadcast the game Saturday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. K-BYU will televise the game Saturday, Sept. 24 at 10 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 26 at 10:30 p.m. To check availability in your area, visit http://www.byutv.org/getbyutv/.

Radio: Fans can also catch the game by tuning into KSL Radio, 1160 AM and 102.7 FM, and follow the game live as Greg Wrubell calls the action, Marc Lyons offers expert analysis and James Dye reports from the sideline.

Internet: A live webcast of the game, which includes play-by-play and up-to-the minute statistics, can be viewed by logging on to: http://www.byucougars.com/football. For a link to the live stats, click here. In addition to the webcast, a live audio stream will be available on the following URLs: http://ksl.com and http://www.byuradio.org

SERIES INFORMATION

BYU and TCU have played played four times with the Cougars owning the series lead, 3-1. The last time the teams met was in 1997 in Provo. BYU defeated the Horned Frogs 31-10 to improve to 2-0 in Provo against TCU. After a slow first half that ended in a 3-3 tie, the Cougars scored 28 consecutive points, including 21 in the third. Brian McKenzie scored on a two-yard run to start the run and Drew Miller threw touchdown passes on the next three scores. Aaron Roderick caught the first and third while Ben Cahoon caught the second. Miller finished 16-of-26 on the day for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Cahoon caught 10 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. BYU defeated the Frogs 45-21 the previous season.

TWO GAMES, TWO TEAMS

Between the first and second games of the season, the Cougars have improved on penalties and backpedaled on turnovers. Against Boston College, BYU had 10 penalties for 85 and zero turnovers. In game two against Eastern Illinois, the Cougars had just 5 penalties for 30 yards but turned the ball over four times on two interceptions and two fumbles.

SLOW START, GOOD FINISH

While BYU fell 20-3 in its season opener to Boston College, historical trends indicate the Cougars should still have a successful season. Since 1974, BYU has opened 12 seasons with a loss. In those 12 seasons, the Cougars had winning records in 11 and were .500 in the other. The last time BYU opened the season with a loss and had a losing record was 1973 when the team finished 5-6. On the other hand, BYU opened with a win from 2002-04 and finished with a losing record. The following is a list of the 12 seasons since 1974 BYU opened with a loss:

Season Record

1974 7-4-1

1975 6-5

1976 9-3

1980 12-1

1983 11-1

1987 9-4

1988 9-4

1991 8-3-2

1995 7-4

1997 6-5

1998 9-5

2000 6-6

Total 99-45-5

BECK'S STREAK ENDS

Tristan Burge of Eastern Illinois intercepted a John Beck pass midway through the second quarter. It was the first interception Beck had thrown since BYU lost to New Mexico, 21-14, Nov. 13, 2004 in Provo. During that stretch, Beck completed 86-of-135 pass attempts (.637).

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

The BYU offensive line doesn't order salads when it goes out to eat. Each starter weighs over 300 pounds for an average of 325 and a total of 1,625. They will be going up against a TCU defensive line that weighs an average of 264 pounds. The Horned Frogs' offensive line weighs on average of 297 pounds while BYU's defensive line weighs an average of 317.3.

CURTIS BROWN'S BIG DAY

Curtis Brown rushed for 110 rushing yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown against Eastern Illinois, Sept. 10, 2005. It was the first time since BYU played San Diego State, Nov. 6, 2004, that a Cougar player had 100 yards rushing. That day Brown had 106 yards in BYU's 49-16 win. Brown also had four catches for 14 yards against Eastern Illinois. Brown has run for over 100 yards six times in his career.

300 YARD EFFORT

John Beck completed 41-of-60 passes for 330 yards against No. 22 Boston College in the season opener, his fifth-career 300 yard game. He is now tied with Gary Sheide and Sean Covey for the 10th most career 300-yard games.

SETTING RECORDS

Beck's 41 completions on 60 attempts against the Boston College Eagles, Sept. 3, was a career high for the junior quarterback. It was also a LaVell Edwards Stadium record and a Mountain West Conference record. He set the MWC and Edwards Stadium records for attempts when threw 67 passes against UNLV in 2004.

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Davey O'Brien Award candidate Beck has comlpeted a pass to 10 different players this season, including nine different players in each of BYU's two games. Agaisnt Boston College, each player that caught a pass had at least two receptions. Against Eastern Illinois, eight of the nine players that recorded a reception had multiple catches.

MOVING AT WILL

After failing to reach the endzone in the season opener against Boston College, the Cougars made sure to get there early on Saturday against Eastern Illinois. BYU received the opening kickoff and scored on a one-yard run by Curtis Brown to cap an 8-play 67-yard drive that took 3:26. The Cougars mixed it up on the drive, running the ball five times and passing three.

17 IN A QUARTER

The Cougars scored 17 points in the first quarter against Eastern Illinois. The last time BYU scored at least 17 points in the first quarter was against Colorado State in 2001 in Provo, when the Cougars defeated the Rams 56-34. BYU scored 21 in the opening frame on a seven-yard run by Brandon Doman and two two-yard runs by Luke Staley.

NOT GONNA GET THESE GUYS OFF THE FIELD

Several Cougars have been mainstays in the lineup for the last few years. Outland Trophy and Lombardi award candidate Jake Kuresa has started every game since 2003, a total of 25. John Mackey Award candidate Daniel Coats has 22 starts since 2003. Brian Sanders, Lance Reynolds and Cameron Jensen started all 11 games in 2004, while John Beck, a Davey O'Brien Award candidate, and Todd Watkins, a Biletnikoff candidate, each started 10-of-11 games in 2004. Each of those players have started both games so far in 2005. Senior linebacker Paul Walkenhorst leads the team with 31 career starts and 37 career games played.

BROTHERS DON'T SIT, BROTHERS GOTTA PLAY

BYU has a long tradition of several members from the same family suiting up to hit the gridiron. Brothers Lance, Jr. and Dallas Reynolds have started both games this season. Lance, a senior, is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in the nation. Dallas, a freshman, was heavily recruited out of high school and joined the Cougars this season after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seattle, Washington.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

The BYU coaching staff leads the Mountain West Conference with five members of its coaching staff who have played football in the National Football League or the old USFL. Associate Head Coach and running backs coach Lance Reynolds was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978 and also played for Philadelphia. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae was drafted in the third round by the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. Quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman was drafted by the San Francisco 49'ers in 2002 and also played with the Washington Redskins. Cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons where he played for three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys.

ON THE AIR

The exclusive radio home of BYU Football and flagship of the Cougar Sports Network is KSL NEWSRADIO (1160 AM and 102.7 FM) in Salt Lake City. The "Voice of the Cougars" is Greg Wrubell, now in his 5th season as play-by-play commentator. A BYU alum, Wrubell joined the broadcast crew in 1992 as the sideline/lockerroom reporter. He began calling BYU basketball games in 1996.

Joining Wrubell is game analyst and former BYU quarterback Marc Lyons. Lyons is a 24-year veteran of Cougar football broadcasts and co-host of the midweek "Bronco Mendenhall Show." A pair of BYU greats join the KSL Broadcast team this season, with two-time all-conference kick returner James Dye reporting from the sidelines and lockerroom, and three-time NFL Pro-Bowl selection Chad Lewis joining Lyons and Dye on the pregame "Cougar Countdown Show." The gameday studio host is KSL's Scott Haws, a former BYU student-athlete and all-conference pitcher for the baseball Cougars.

Chief Engineer John Dehnel returns for his 21st season, while veteran statistician Ralph Sokolowsky and spotter Doug Martin complete the lineup in the booth.

KSL's game day coverage begins two hours prior to kickoff with the "Cougar Countdown Show." The "Cougar Pregame Scoreboard Show" starts the broadcast's second hour, with the "Cougar Pregame Coach's Show" 35 minutes prior to kickoff, followed by the "Cougar Kickoff Show."

After the game, KSL presents the "Cougar Postgame Scoreboard Show," followed by the "Cougar Locker Room Show," "Cougar Postgame Coach's Show," "Cougar Call-In Show" and "IFA Country Store Replay."

In-week programming includes, "Coach's Corner with Bronco Mendenhall and Greg Wrubell," Mondays and Thursdays at 8:45 am and "Cougar Matchup," Thursdays and Fridays at 8:15 am and 4:15pm. The "Bronco Mendenhall Show" airs Wednesdays at 7:00pm, while the "Coordinators' Corner" with coaches Barry Lamb and Robert Anae hits the air Thursdays at 7:00pm. KSL's Tom Kirkland co-hosts the "Bronco Mendenhall Show" on Wednesdays, while Rod Zundel host the "Coordinators' Corner" on Thursdays.

KSL also airs Cougar Sports programming exclusively online at ksl.com, including "CougarRadio," Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00pm. The weekly "Bronco Mendenhall Press Conference," live from Legends Grille, is heard live online Wednesdays at noon. In addition, Greg Wrubell will provide a weekly look inside Cougar Football on "Cougar Tracks." All online programs are archived, download-able and formatted for podcasting.

Stations on KSL's Cougar Sports Network include:

KSL-AM - Salt Lake City, UT

KSL-FM - Salt Lake City, UT

KDXU-AM - St. George, UT

KMGR- FM - Delta, UT

KSLJ-AM - Idaho Falls, Blackfoot & Pocatello , ID

KSSL-AM-Idaho Falls, Blackfoot & Pocatello, ID

Games can also be heard on ksl.com, byuradio.org and on BYU Radio on channel 980 of Dish Network.

FIRST-HALF SHUTOUT

The Cougars led 31-0 at the half against Eastern Illinois. It was the first time BYU shutout its opponent in the first half since leading New Mexico 10-0 before the break in 2003. The Cougars went on to win that game 10-7.

CAREER 300-YARD GAMES

BYU has traditionally focused on the pass, leading to 19 different Cougars throwing for 300 yards in at least one game for a combined 174 games. Junior John Beck has made a contribution of five games to that list. He entered the 2005 season with four but threw for 330 yards against No. 22 Boston College, giving him five. Beck is currently tied with Gary Sheide and Sean Covey for 10th most. Ty Detmer tops the list with an astronomical 34. Cougars with 300-yard passing games:

Player 300-yard Games

Ty Detmer 34

Jim McMahon 17

John Walsh 16

Robbie Bosco 15

Marc Wilson 14

Steve Young 13

Steve Sarkisian 12

Kevin Feterik 11

Gifford Nielson 9

Sean Covey 5

Gary Sheide 5

John Beck 5

Ryan Hancock 4

Brandon Doman 3

Brandon Doman 3

Steve Lindsey 3

Charlie Peterson 2

Bret Engemann 2

Matt Berry 1

SURPASSING THE CENTURY MARK

With six 100-yard rushing games to his credit, junior Curtis Brown is already tied for fifth in Cougars history for the most career 100-yard rushing games. Against Eastern Illinois, he ran 18 times for 110 yards and scored one touchdown. In 2002, Brown had 217 against Utah State, the most by a BYU player since 1998 when Ronney Jenkins had 259 versus San Jose State. Cougars with 100-yard rushing games:

Player 100-yard Games

Luke Staley 10

Lakei Heimuli 10

Brian McKenzie 10

Jamal Willis 8

Jeff Blanc 7

Ronney Jenkins 6

Pete Van Valkenburg 6

Curtis Brown 6

Kalin Hall 5

Steve Young 5

Casey Tiumalu 5

Marcus Whalen 4

Tom Tuipulatu 2

Robert Parker 2

Stacey Corley 2

Eric Lance 2

Curtis Brown isn't the only one threatening to move up the rankings. Senior receiver Todd Watkins, who has five career games with over 100 yards receiving is tied for 11th most. His 211 yards against Boise State were the most receiving yards registered by a Cougar since Ben Cahoon had 219 against Arizona State in 1997. Cougars with 100-yard receiving games:

Player 100-yard Games

Eric Drage 12

Chris Smith 11

Margin Hooks 10

Andy Boyce 9

Mike Chronister 9

Matt Bellini 8

Gordon Hudson 8

Mark Bellini 7

Lloyd Jones 6

John Van Der Wouden 6

Reno Mahe 5

Glen Kozlowski 5

Dan Plater 5

Todd Watkins 5

Ben Cahoon 4

Brent Nyberg 4

Chuck Cutler 4

David Mills 4

Mike Johnston 3

Micah Matsuzaki 3

Neil Balhom 3

Clay Brown 3

BIGGEST HALF

With the Cougar offense firing on all cylinders in the first half against Eastern Illinois, BYU racked up 31 points before halftime. It was the most points the Cougars had scored in a half since totaling 36 in the second half against San Diego State, Nov. 6, 2004.

BIGGEST FIRST HALF

Up 31-0 at the half against Eastern Illinois, it was BYU's biggest first half since Oct. 4, 2003 against San Diego State. In that game, the Cougars led the Aztecs 31-24 before the break.

ON THE BOARD FIRST

When the No. 22 Boston College Eagles scored with 30 seconds left in the first quarter on Quinton Porters' 14-yard pass to Chris Miller, it was only the third time in 12 games an opponent scored before BYU. In 2004, the Cougars scored first in 9-of-11 games. BYU scored on its first drive against Eastern Illinois and has now scored first in 10-of-13 games.

COUGARS ON TELEVISION

Three of BYU's games are already scheduled for regional or national broadcast. The season opener was on ABC and broadcast to a regional audience. The San Diego State game, slated for Oct. 1, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN Classic. It will be a sequel of sorts as the 1991 game between the teams ended in an epic 52-52 draw, and is often replayed on the station. The second nationally televised game is against Notre Dame, scheduled for Oct. 22 in South Bend, Ind. NBC will broadcast the game from Notre Dame Stadium. This Saturday's game (Sept. 24), will be broadcast by ESPN+Plus at 1 p.m. (MT) and will be shown on KJZZ Channel 14.