Brigham Young Cougars: NCAA College Football 2010 Preview
In the Las Vegas Bowl, the BYU Cougars football team posted an 11-2 record that culminated with a win over Oregon State in 2009. As coach Bronco Mendenhall has led them to five straight bowl games since arriving, BYU has become accustomed to high expectations going into the season. However, this season, they aren’t getting a lot of buzz and looks like a rebuilding one, going into the 2010 campaign.
From strong quarterback play, BYU has benefited for much of its time as a top-notch college football program. Ty Detmer, Jim McMahon and Steve Young established the school as a strong quarterback institution in the past years. In each of the last four seasons, John Beck and Max Hall have put up strong numbers to help them win 10 plus games, in recent years. With the departure of Hall, the starting job will be given to either Jake Heaps or Riley Nelson, this season.
Heaps was the number one rated quarterback in the country, coming out of high school. However, with Utah State transfer Riley Nelson as his biggest threat, he will have to compete for the job. BYU may be able to surprise some people this season and make a run at winning the Mountain West, if Heaps can live up to the hype.
In past years, in BYU’s wins, defense has been the key element. They have lost under Mendenhall in the 15 games, 12 have been when their opponents scored 30 points or more. When allowing at least 30 points and 41-3 when allowing fewer, they have gone 4-12. With several departing starters, their defense is undergoing an overhaul, with all that said, including D-line fixtures Jan Jorgensen, Brett Denney and Russell Tialavea.
BYU may be in for their first single digit win season since 2005, with holes to fill and a brutal MWC and non-conference schedule (road games at Florida State, TCU, and Utah). If they get help from a few unexpected players, they may head to yet another bowl game, they may thrive off the lack of belief in their squad.
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