Building A Career: A NCAA Football Coaching Dynasty

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MWC champions BYU earn 10 All-MWC nominations
BYU Football News

BYU defended the Mountain West title they captured last season by completing an impressive 7-1 conference campaign. This success translated into a good number of All-Mountain West selections, including 8 to the 1st Team.

Davey O'Brien Award winner and 1st Team All-American junior QB Will Dunn headlines the list of Cougars that earned all-conference honors. Dunn put together an impressive collection of stats in leading the nation's #1 offense, including 49 total TDs.

Joining Dunn on the 1st Team is freshman WR/KR Ross Hill, junior TE Cody Atkinson, senior tackle Anthony Koger, senior MLB Garrett Cooper, junior CB Ed Holiday, junior FS Matt Hester and sophomore kicker Billy Parker. Hill, Holiday and Parker were also named All-Americans, explaining their spot on the All-MWC team.

Atkinson was one of BYU's top scorers surprisingly, finishing 2nd on the team with 8 TD catches. Koger anchored the Cougar offensive line that helped build their #1-ranked offense.

As for the defensive honorees, Cooper led the team in tackles with 56 and recorded a team-high 12 sacks. Hester was a ball hawk for BYU, picking off 5 passes and recovering 2 fumbles.

Earning spots on the All-MWC 2nd Team are junior WR Bryan Williams and junior CB Devon Huston. Williams quietly finished 2nd in the nation with 1301 receiving yards and scored 6 TDs. Huston got picked on the most by BYU's opponents and gave up the most TD passes, but he still worked hard. Huston finished 4th on the team with 39 tackles and recorded 2 interceptions.

TCU led the total nominations again with 11. Colorado State capped off a surprising 9-3 record with 10 selections, tied with BYU.

The rest of the all-conference squads are as follows.

All-Mountain West 1st Team (Offense)

QB: Will Dunn, BYU
RB: Jordan Mixon, TCU
RB: Brandon Hardy, Colorado State
WR: Ross Hill, BYU
WR: Jay Murphy, Colorado State
TE: Cody Atkinson, BYU
C: Andrew Williams, Colorado State
OG: David Robinson, TCU
OG: Roy Stevenson, Colorado State
OT: Matt Ingram, UNLV
OT: Anthony Koger, BYU

All-Mountain West 1st Team (Defense)

DE: Tom Morgan, Utah
DE: Adam Johnson, TCU
DT: Robert Long, TCU
DT: Reggie Dorsey, TCU
MLB: Garrett Cooper, BYU
OLB: Tony Singletary, TCU
OLB: Alan Bullock, Utah
CB: Ed Holiday, BYU
CB: Stephen Morris, Colorado State
FS: Matt Hester, BYU
SS: Andrew Caldwell, Utah

All-Mountain West 1st Team (Special Teams)

K: Billy Parker, BYU
P: Mark Robertson, TCU
RET: Michael Parker, WR, UNLV

All-Mountain West 2nd Team (Offense)

QB: Earl Vinson, UNLV
RB: Josh Young, New Mexico
RB: J.D. Hicks, Utah
WR: Bryan Williams, BYU
WR: Ricky Sims, Utah
TE: Alex Williams, TCU
C: E.J. Moore, TCU
OG: Garrett Byrd, New Mexico
OG: Mark Cruz, TCU
OT: Chris Taylor, Air Force
OT: Cory Jones, New Mexico

All-Mountain West 2nd Team (Defense)

DE: Ryan Gore, Colorado State
DE: Cory Lundy, San Diego State
DT: Scott Heckel, San Diego State
DT: Greg Motte, UNLV
MLB: Matt King, Colorado State
OLB: Quentin Dahl, Colorado State
OLB: Ronald Davis, New Mexico
CB: Nate Woods, Colorado State
CB: Devon Huston, BYU
FS: Kelvin Crenshaw, UNLV
SS: Travis Robinson, TCU

All-Mountain West 2nd Team (Special Teams)

K: Lawrence Clarke, Utah
P: Joe Butler, Colorado State
RET: Casey Butler, WR, Air Force

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Sun Devils build up big lead, hold off BYU for bowl win
BYU Football News

Arizona State turned numerous BYU mistakes into points in building up a 39-3 lead, and then held off a furious 4th-quarter comeback attempt from the Cougars to win the Las Vegas Bowl, 52-39. The Cougars scored 30 points in a wild 4th quarter, but it wasn't enough to overcome 5 turnovers and poor defense.

1st Team All-American junior QB Will Dunn had a rough game for BYU, throwing 3 interceptions, including two that were returned for TDs in the 1st half. Dunn did well after BYU fell behind by 36 points, accounting for 4 TDs to help keep the score respectable. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late for the Cougars.

Dunn and BYU put together a solid 1st drive, marching right into Sun Devil territory and deep into the red zone. Unfortunately, trouble struck early as Arizona State intercepted Dunn's pass and returned it 90 yards for the game's opening score. BYU would answer with a field goal, but it was all downhill after that.

Sun Devil QB Brandon Johnson and WR Lance Richardson hooked up for the 1st of two TD connections on the day and the Sun Devils got another interception return as time expired in the 1st half. On the final play of the half, Dunn dropped back to pass but got hit as he threw. The ball landed in the hands of the defensive end and he ran untouched to give the Sun Devils a 19-3 halftime advantage.

The 3rd quarter was even uglier than the previous two quarters, as the Sun Devils pushed their lead farther. RB Nick Holmes scored the 1st of 3 TD runs and Johnson fired 2 more TD passes to give ASU a 39-3 lead over the stunned Cougars.

BYU finally began to crack into the deficit when Dunn scored on a 5-yard run at the end of the 3rd quarter, but the Cougars still went into the final frame down 39-9.

Dunn accounted for 3 TDs and freshman WR/KR Ross Hill returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score as BYU put up 30 points in a frantic attempt to comeback, but Holmes scored 2 more TDs on the ground for ASU to put the game out of reach.

Dunn threw for 493 yards and 2 TDs on 35-of-63 passing and added 88 yards rushing and 2 scores, but his 3 interceptions proved to be too much for BYU to overcome. Junior WR Bryan Williams caught 13 passes for 231 yards and a score, while freshman WR Travis McCullar added 123 yards and TD.

Freshman RB Tim Brewer returned from injury for the bowl game but was largely ineffective against the tough Sun Devil defense, managing only 35 yards on 19 carries in his 1st game in over 10 weeks.

As for the winning Sun Devils, QB Johnson threw for 236 yards and 3 scores against the hapless BYU secondary. Two TDs went to WR Richardson, who totaled 171 yards on the day. RB Holmes piled up 131 yards rushing on 16 carries and scored 3 times. Arizona State's defense recorded 4 sacks, tons of hurries on Dunn and forced 5 turnovers.

BYU finishes their 2nd season under Coach Borland with a record of 8-5.

Box Score

ASU 6 : 13 : 20 : 13 - 52
BYU 3 : 0 : 6 : 30 - 39

1st Quarter
ASU --- O'Connor 90 INT return (kick blocked)
BYU --- Parker 30 FG

2nd Quarter
ASU --- Richardson 63 pass from Johnson (kick blocked)
ASU --- Thompson 58 INT return (McDaniel kick)

3rd Quarter
ASU --- Holmes 63 run (kick blocked)
ASU --- Richardson 62 pass from Johnson (McDaniel kick)
ASU --- Watts 17 pass from Johnson (McDaniel kick)
BYU --- Dunn 5 run (conversion failed)

4th Quarter
BYU --- B. Williams 16 pass from Dunn (Dunn pass to McCullar)
BYU --- McCullar 11 pass from Dunn (Dunn run)
ASU --- Holmes 1 run (McDaniel kick)
BYU --- Hill 93 kick return (kick blocked)
BYU --- Dunn 8 run (conversion failed)
ASU --- Holmes 33 run (Beck defensive conversion)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
ASU --- 15 ... BYU --- 39
Total Offense:
ASU --- 409 ... BYU --- 616
Rushes-Yards:
ASU --- 25-147 ... BYU --- 37-123
Passing (C-A-I):
ASU --- 12-19-2 ... BYU --- 35-63-3
Passing Yards:
ASU --- 262 ... BYU --- 493
Times Sacked:
ASU --- 5 ... BYU --- 4
3rd Down Conversions:
ASU --- 4-9 ... BYU --- 8-15
Turnovers:
ASU --- 3 ... BYU --- 5

Individual Stats

ARIZONA STATE

Brandon Johnson, QB --- 10 - 15 - 236 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; 9 att. - 16 yds

Nick Holmes, RB --- 16 att. - 131 yds, 3 TD

Lance Richardson, WR --- 4 rec. - 171 yds, 2 TD
Joseph Watts, TE --- 3 rec. - 37 yds, TD

Donald Powell, CB --- 13 tkls, FF
Darryl Nicholson, MLB --- 9 tkls (2 TFL)
Josh Coleman, SS --- 7 tkls
Eddie Hunt, OLB --- 6 tkls (2 TFL)
Dustin Stukes, DE --- 6 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack

BRIGHAM YOUNG

Will Dunn, QB --- 35 - 63 - 493 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT; 18 att. - 88 yds, 2 TD

Tim Brewer, RB --- 19 att. - 35 yds

Bryan Williams, WR --- 13 rec. - 231 yds, TD
Travis McCullar, WR --- 8 rec. - 123 yds, TD
Reggie Allen, WR --- 7 rec. - 90 yds
Ross Hill, WR --- 4 rec. - 34 yds; 131 KR yds, TD

Garrett Cooper, MLB --- 6 tkls (4 TFL), 3 sacks
Chad Mosley, DE --- 5 tkls (1 TFL)
Ed Holiday, CB --- 4 tkls, INT
Keith Castorani, DT --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack

[kblu54]

Bowl Week 1 Results

Poinsettia Bowl --- Missouri 56, UNLV 14
New Orleans Bowl --- Middle Tennessee State 42, Eastern Michigan 39
Papajohns.com Bowl --- Kansas State 30, Ball State 22
New Mexico Bowl --- Navy 28, New Mexico 10
Las Vegas Bowl --- Arizona State 52, BYU 39
Hawaii Bowl --- Hawaii 48, UTEP 38

Bowl Week 2 Results

Motor City Bowl --- FIU 52, Northern Illinois 7
Holiday Bowl --- #12 Arizona 22, #18 Oklahoma State 21
Champs Sports Bowl --- #24 Illinois 35, Virginia 3
Texas Bowl --- Houston 31, Central Michigan 24
Emerald Bowl --- Oregon State 37, UL-Monroe 34 (OT)
Meineke Car Care Bowl --- Maryland 31, Notre Dame 24
Autozone Liberty Bowl --- UAB 42, #11 Texas A&M 24
Alamo Bowl --- #19 Oklahoma 42, #22 Wisconsin 3
MPC Computers Bowl --- Nebraska 31, Miami (OH) 24
PetroSun Independence Bowl --- Colorado State 24, Toledo 21

Bowl Week 3 Results

Armed Forces Bowl --- Utah 21, Cal 20
Brut Sun Bowl --- Rutgers 35, #17 UCLA 14
Music City Bowl --- #25 Florida 17, Indiana 13
Chick-fil-a Bowl --- #21 Clemson 31, Ole Miss 6
Insight Bowl --- #15 Penn State 49, Troy 7
Outback Bowl --- Michigan State 34, Georgia 25
AT&T Cotton Bowl --- #9 Texas Tech 59, Auburn 56 (3OT)
Capital One Bowl --- #14 Ohio State 29, #16 LSU 26
Gator Bowl --- #23 Pittsburgh 21, #20 Florida State 20
International Bowl --- TCU 30, Bowling Green 17
GMAC Bowl --- Southern Mississippi 34, Kent State 14

BCS Bowl Results

Rose Bowl --- #4 Michigan 35, #7 Tennessee 31

Sugar Bowl --- #5 Arkansas 28, #10 Boise State 21

Fiesta Bowl --- #3 Texas 35, #13 Iowa 17

Orange Bowl --- #6 West Virginia 45, #8 Miami 28

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP --- #1 USC 31, #2 Virginia Tech 24

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BYU Individual Stats

Passing

Will Dunn --- 264 - 413 - 3952 yds, 40 TD, 20 INT
Derrick Jones --- 10 - 18 - 119 yds, 2 INT
Jake Newton --- 1 - 1 - 14 yds

Rushing

Tim Brewer --- 168 att. - 837 yds, 9 TD
Will Dunn --- 192 att. - 629 yds, 9 TD
Scott Taylor --- 89 att. - 336 yds
Walter McGrew --- 57 att. - 201 yds
Jermaine Hunter --- 5 att. - 13 yds
Ross Hill --- 4 att. - 11 yds, 1 TD
Derrick Jones --- 3 att. - 5 yds
Obadiah Williams --- 1 att. - (-5) yds

Receiving

Ross Hill --- 72 rec. - 926 yds, 15 TD
Bryan Williams --- 62 rec. - 1301 yds, 6 TD
Reggie Allen --- 53 rec. - 787 yds, 4 TD
Travis McCullar --- 37 rec. - 461 yds, 2 TD
Cody Atkinson --- 25 rec. - 254 yds, 8 TD
Tim Brewer --- 14 rec. - 216 yds, 4 TD
Dan Hamilton --- 5 rec. - 67 yds, 1 TD
Walter McGrew --- 4 rec. - 37 yds
Scott Taylor --- 2 rec. - 23 yds
Obadiah Williams --- 1 rec. - 13 yds

Defense

Garrett Cooper --- 56 tkls (35 TFL), 12 sacks, 1 pass def., 2 FF
Ed Holiday --- 52 tkls (3 TFL), 9 INT, 4 passes def., 2 TD
Adrian Martinez --- 44 tkls, 1 INT, 4 passes def.
Devon Huston --- 39 tkls (2 TFL), 2 INT, 5 passes def., 1 FF, 1 FR
David Johnson --- 37 tkls (2 TFL), 5 INT, 6 passes def., 3 blks, 1 TD
Jonathan Vinson --- 33 tkls, 1 FF
Terrell Porter --- 32 tkls (16 TFL), 9 sacks, 1 pass def.
Keith Castorani --- 30 tkls (10 TFL), 5 sacks, 1 FF
Logan Carter --- 30 tkls (7 TFL), 2 sacks, 3 INT, 3 passes def., 1 FF, 5 blks
Matt Hester --- 29 tkls (1 TFL), 5 INT, 3 passes def., 2 FR
Brendan Pierre --- 23 tkls (5 TFL), 3 sacks, 1 pass def., 2 FR
Markeith Beck --- 22 tkls (4 TFL), 1 sack, 1 INT, 2 passes def.
Chad Mosley --- 17 tkls (5 TFL), 4 sacks, 1 pass def., 1 blk
Troy Battle --- 15 tkls, 1 FF, 1 blk
John Richardson --- 11 tkls (1 TFL), 1 sack, 2 INT, 1 TD
Tony Roach --- 11 tkls, 1 blk
James Fletcher --- 7 tkls, 1 FF
Jaron Sanchez --- 7 tkls, 2 passes def., 1 FR
Andy Carey --- 4 tkls, 1 pass def.
Kenneth Polite --- 1 tkl
Jeremy Matthews --- 1 tkl
Victor Hale --- 1 tkl
Adam Daugherty --- 1 tkl (1 TFL), 1 sack

Kicking

Billy Parker --- 13/14 FG, 64/64 XP, 103 total points

Punting

Brian Nicholas --- 12 punts - 517 yds (43.0 avg), 0 in 20

Kickoff Returns

Ross Hill --- 37 ret. - 819 yds (22.1 avg), 1 TD
Scott Taylor --- 33 ret. - 691 yds (20.9 avg)
Reggie Allen --- 3 ret. - 60 yds (20.0 avg)

Punt Returns

Ross Hill --- 17 ret. - 246 yds (14.5 avg), 2 TD

BYU Team Stats & Rankings

Offense

Total YPG: 508.6 (1st in NCAA)
Pass YPG: 339.9 (2nd)
Rush YPG: 168.7 (27th)
PPG: 42.0 (3rd)
Pass TD: 40 (4th)
Rush TD: 19 (33rd)
1st Downs: 313 (1st)
Redzone Scoring %: 78% (27th)
3rd Down Conversions: 50% (9th)
Turnover Differential: -2 (75th)

Defense

Total YPG: 414.9 (99th)
Pass YPG: 292.4 (117th)
Rush YPG: 122.4 (56th)
Pts Against: 34.8 (104th)
Sacks: 38 (9th)
Interceptions: 29 (4th)
Fumble Recoveries: 8 (33rd)
Redzone Scoring %: 64% (10th)

[kblu54]

BYU brings in 12 new Cougars, steals transfer from conference rival
BYU Football News

It was a bittersweet offseason for the BYU Cougars, as they lost one player unexpectedly but still managed to bring in 12 new recruits, and another through a interesting transfer.

Junior CB Ed Holiday decided to skip his senior season at BYU and enter the NFL draft. Holiday was named a 1st Team All-American last year after leading the nation with 9 interceptions.

A source close to the team reports that Coach Borland was not happy with Holiday's decision, and had spent numerous hours deliberating with him about his choice. Holiday's departure removes their top corner and leaves an already struggling secondary with less talent.

On the bright side of things, BYU put together a solid recruiting season and got even sneakier by accepting a transfer from a rival Mountain West school. The Cougars will bring in 13 new players, 12 recruits and one transfer.

The transfer raised many eyebrows around the league and should provide an interesting storyline for years to come. Sophomore FS Ed Butler contacted Coach Borland following the season and informed him that he would be leaving TCU and enrolling at BYU in the fall. Butler was unhappy with his playing time at TCU and viewed the defending Mountain West champions as an opportunity for success.

Butler will sit out for a season due to the transfer rule but is expected to compete for the starting job next season.

As for the incoming BYU players that will be eligible, let's take a look at BYU's signings. The Cougars will bring in six 4-star players, four 3-star player and two 2-star recruits.

Headlining BYU's list of commits is MLB Ryan Prater out of Texas. Prater is BYU's highest-ranked recruit at #4 position and #21 nationally. Prater committed during the in-season period and is expected to compete for the starting job vacated by graduating senior Garrett Cooper.

The other 4-star players joining Prater are WR Tim Davis, tackle Aaron Martinez, OLBs George Parham and Steve Keller and FS Anthony Brown.

Davis and Keller are high school teammates from South Jordan, Utah and are solid talents. Davis is actually one of the top WRs in the nation, ranked #8 at his position. Keller comes to BYU ranked at #12 for OLBs. It in unclear what kind of role they will play next season, but it appears they more than likely will redshirt.

Martinez is the #34-ranked offensive tackle out of Oregon and should be a solid anchor for the BYU line. Parham (ranked #14) and Brown (#8) both hail from Texas and are expected to play solid roles for the BYU defense next season.

The 3-star recruits coming to Provo are guards Jason Wilson and Michael Williams, athlete Beau Allen and WR Corey Holloway.

Coach Borland went in-state this season to pull in his receiving talent, pulling in Davis as mentioned above and Holloway, who hails from Utah as well. Holloway is a HUGE receiver, measuring in at 6'7. Unfortunately, weighing only 174 pounds means he needs to hit the weights, which he will do often as he will most likely redshirt.

Wilson is a junior juco transfer from Texas and Williams brings some good talent (ranked #37) out of California. They should be solid interior players for the Cougar line.

Allen can play several positions, including fullback, tight end, defensive end or safety, and hails from California.

Rounding out BYU's recruits are 2-star talents in tackle Steve Jean and MLB Casey Ashley. Jean hails from Texas and brings decent size to the offensive line, while Ashley comes from Utah and should learn the ropes next season as a redshirt.

Here are the complete list of BYU's recruits.

Tim Davis, WR --- **** --- Utah (#8)
Ryan Prater, MLB --- **** --- Texas (#4)
Aaron Martinez, T --- **** --- Oregon (#34)
George Parham, OLB --- **** --- Texas (#14)
Anthony Brown, FS --- **** --- Texas (#8)
Steve Keller, OLB --- **** --- Utah (#12)
Jason Wilson, G --- *** --- Texas (#62)
Michael Williams, G --- *** --- California (#37)
Beau Allen, ATH --- *** --- California (#20)
Corey Holloway, WR --- *** --- Utah (#57)
Steve Jean, T --- ** --- Texas (#79)
Casey Ashley, MLB --- ** --- Utah (#72)
Ed Butler, FS --- Transfer from TCU

BYU moved up one notch from last year's rank among the top classes nationally. The Cougars wound up with the #34 class following last season's undefeated mark, but they finish at #33 this season despite an 8-5 overall record.

UCLA shocked the football world by finishing with the top class this season. 2-time defending national champions USC finish at a close #2 following by Ohio State, Miami and Arkansas.

The Top 10 are as follows.

Top 10 Recruiting Classes

1) UCLA
2) USC
3) Ohio State
4) Miami
5) Arkansas
6) Texas A&M
7) Tennessee
8) Texas Tech
9) Illinois
10) Texas
.
.
.
33) BYU

[kblu54]

Season Preview: BYU looking for conference three-peat
BYU Football News

Coach Borland has had two wildly different seasons in terms of record so far at his tenure at BYU, but one thing has remained constant: the Cougars are 2-time conference champions. Despite an 8-5 overall record and a disappointing loss to Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl, BYU still have 2 straight Mountain West titles in their hands and are looking to complete the trio this season.

It will be a different team compared to last season due to the experience factor, which plays heavily in BYU's favor. Last season, the Cougars returned only 7 total starters from their 13-0 season and limped to an 0-3 start to begin the year. BYU did eventually turn it around to have a great year, but this season should avoid those early season hiccups. The Cougars are going to return 15 of 22 starters this season, including Davey O'Brien Award winner and 1st Team All-American QB senior Will Dunn.

Dunn threw for 3952 yards and 40 TDs while rushing for 629 and 9 TD to lead the nation's #1 offense. Dunn returns with almost all of his skill players and most of his offensive line this season, meaning all signs are pointing to another conference title.

Sophomore RB Tim Brewer (837 yards rushing, 13 total TD in only 5 games), senior WR Bryan Williams (1301 yards receiving, 6 TD), sophomore WR Ross Hill (2000+ all-purpose yards, 19 total TD) and others return to help boost the explosive BYU offense.

The defense also has a ton of experience returning but the talent is still lacking in some area. BYU will return 7 starters on defense, where they finished 99th in the nation last season. The Cougars are looking to improve dramatically on that mark and help out the offense in anyway. BYU will have to replace important spots at corner and MLB, but the rest of the defense looks solid.

Let's take a look at the Year 7 Cougars.

OFFENSE (Returning Starters = 8)

Quarterbacks (Grade = B-)

QB Will Dunn returns for his senior year after being named the nation's top QB last season. The dual-threat signal-caller will be looking to be more efficient and careful with the ball (20 interceptions last year), but he is a strong talent that should improve on the great numbers he had last year. BYU lost two QBs to graduation, but they return the other youngsters. Sophomore John Crews will be the #2 man, while freshmen Trey Henderson and Clint Rodgers will battle for the #3 spot.

Tailbacks (Grade = B-)

Sophomore Tim Brewer returns to his starting spot and is looking to stay healthy this season. Brewer got off to a hot start but tore a shoulder muscle in his 5th game and missed the remainder of the regular season. In his place, senior Scott Taylor totaled 336 yards and will provide backup again. Juniors Jamaal Mackey and Chris Sledge and freshman speedster Derrick Horne will backup.

Fullbacks (Grade = B+)

Junior Jermaine Hunter makes his way back to the bruising fullback spot. Hunter didn't get many opportunities to touch the ball (13 yards on 5 carries) last season as he did as a freshman, but he was great in the blocking scheme for BYU. He will look to open holes again for Brewer and Dunn. Freshman athlete Beau Allen will backup Hunter.

Wide Receivers (Grade = B-)

The BYU receiving corps only lost one guy due to graduation but return the rest. The group is led by 2nd Team All-MWC selection senior Bryan Williams and 2nd Team All-American sophomore Ross Hill. Williams had a semi-quiet year but still finished near the top of the nation with 1301 yards and scored 6 TDs. Hill was an all-around threat for the Cougars, totaling over 2000 all-purpose yards and scoring 19 total TDs. As a receiver, Hill almost reached the 1000-yard mark (926) and caught 15 TDs. Returning to fill in for the departed Reggie Allen will be sophomore Travis McCullar. McCullar also played a good role in the BYU passing game, totaling 461 yards and 2 TDs last year. Filling out the rest of the depth chart is sophomore Obadiah Williams (13 yards last year), freshman Kevin McCormick and sophomore Willie Williams. Highly-touted recruit Tim Davis and fellow Utah-born recruit Corey Holloway will redshirt this season.

Tight Ends (Grade = B-)

BYU will return every tight end this season, including 1st Team All-MWC selection senior Cody Atkinson. Atkinson caught 25 passes and finished 2nd on the team with 8 TD catches. Backing him up will be sophomores Dan Hamilton (67 yards, 1 TD), Richard Meyer, Zach Houston and freshman Chase Clement.

Tackles (Grade = C+)

The Cougars lost 1st Team All-MWC pick Anthony Koger to graduation, but they return one and still have some young talent coming back. Senior Travis Jones returns and will be joined on the other side by sophomore Brandon Phillips. Freshman Jordan Gates and senior Mark Martin will backup, while incoming freshmen Aaron Martinez and Steve Jean will sit out a season.

Guards (Grade = C+)

Graduating offensive captain Cory Ruffin is gone, but BYU returns everyone else at the guard spot. Sophomore Kyle Coley earns the starting job after almost winning it last season, and senior James Boyd returns to his job as well. Juniors Steven Silva and Tim Rawlins will backup, while incoming recruits Michael Williams and Jason Wilson will redshirt.

Centers (Grade = B-)

Sophomore Erick Lacey made big strides over the course of the year in captaining the offensive line, but his offseason improvement was remarkable. Lacey missed last year's bowl game due to injury and it showed, as Arizona State pressured Dunn all game. Lacey returns healthy and ready to rock the offensive interior. Junior Tim Rucker will backup.

DEFENSE (Returning Starters = 7)

Defensive Ends (Grade = B-)

It should be a good year for the BYU defensive line, as all 4 starters return. That includes the defensive ends, where sophomore Terrell Porter and junior Chad Mosley reclaim their starting spots. Porter had an impressive freshman year, tallying 16 tackles for a loss and 9 sacks, but he is expected to take a big leap this season. Mosley (17 tackles, 4 sacks) needs to take a big step as well to help take the pressure off of BYU's shaky secondary. Junior Jeremy Matthews, freshman Leigh Wilson and sophomore Danny Callahan also return to provide depth.

Defensive Tackles (Grade = B)

Two senior defensive tackles will mann the defensive interior for BYU. Returnng defensive captain Keith Castorani and Brendan Pierre will try to plug up the gaps this season as BYU looks to improve on defense. Castorani had arguably a better year last year (30 tackles, 10 for a loss, 5 sacks) than when he did the year before when he was named to the 1st Team All-MWC squad, but he is expected to play well enough to earn a nomination this season. Sophomore Adam Daugherty (1 sack) and junior Victor Hale will backup.

Outside Linebackers (Grade = B-)

BYU lost two OLBs to graduation but return one starter and bring in two talented freshmen. Senior John Richardson returns this year after recording 11 tackles, 2 interceptions and a TD last year. The other OLB spot is taken up by a MLB, but junior James Fletcher returns at the #2 man. Freshmen George Parham and Steve Keller also fill the roster, but Keller will redshirt.

Middle Linebackers (Grade = B-)

BYU's leading tackler in MLB Garrett Cooper graduated this spring, but he will be replaced by a very talented freshman. Ryan Prater wowed the BYU coaches this fall and has earned the starting job over the other returners. Sophomore Troy Battle shouldn't be discouraged though, as he will start at the other OLB spot. Special teams star senior Jonathan Vinson (33 tackles, 1 forced fumble) returns as well, while freshman Casey Ashley will redshirt.

Cornerbacks (Grade = C+)

It will be an interesting year at the corner position for BYU after a rough season last year. Junior Ed Holiday opted to enter the NFL draft, leaving BYU without their top returning corner. That leaves the corner duties in the hands of a few guys that didn't really show their true abilities last year. Senior Devon Huston returns after earning 2nd Team All-MWC honors last year, but he needs to improve heavily for BYU to succeed. Junior Adrian Martinez (44 tackles, 1 INT) takes over the #2 spot, while junior Markeith Beck (22 tackles, 1 INT) earns the nickel spot. Senior Matt Hester, who earned 1st Team All-MWC honors as a free safety last year, converted into a corner this season to help out and will be BYU's dime back. Junior Kellen Polite will provide depth as well.

Free Safeties (Grade = C+)

With Hester converting to corner, there will be a new FS to start the year. Transfer Ed Butler is clearly the best candidate for the job, but will sit out this season. That leaves the centerfield job to freshman Anthony Brown, who showcased some impressive speed in the preseason. Senior Jaron Sanchez will be the backup again.

Strong Safeties (Grade = C+)

Sophomore David Johnson had a good year last year after a rough start, but didn't earn a All-MWC nomination. Johnson recorded 37 tackles, picked off 5 passes, blocked 3 kicks and returned one of his interceptions for a TD, but fell short of the all-conference squads. Johnson should improve on his numbers this season and leave no doubt in the voters' minds. Backing up Johnson will be junior Tony Roach (11 tackles) and senior Andy Carey (4 tackles).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (Grade = C-)

Junior Billy Parker takes up the placekicking duties again and will be looking for his 3rd All-American nod in as many season. Parker nailed 13-of-14 field goals and all 64 extra point attempts last year to earn 2nd Team All-American honors. Parker will be looking to reclaim the Lou Groza Award he won as a freshman.

Punter (Grade = C+)

Junior Brian Nicholas returns to do the punting again for BYU. Nicholas produced a 43.0 average on only 12 punts last season.

OVERALL

The expectations for BYU are high once again, as the high amount of returning players should produce an explosive offense and an improved defense. Dunn and his talented group of skill guys should rack up plenty of yards, 1st downs and points, but it will be on the defense's shoulders to limit their opponents' production. Overall, Dunn should be a Heisman and All-American candidate again and if the defense can play tough just for even a little bit, the Cougars will be looking at their 3rd straight conference title.

Predicted Finish: 9-3 overall (7-1 MWC)

[kblu54]

Four Cougars picked for Preseason All-American team as BYU prepares for season
BYU Football News

The individual expectations for this year's BYU Cougars have never been higher. Four Cougar players were named to the Preseason All-American squads, while 12 total were named to the Preseason All-Mountain West groups.

Headlining the list of Preseason picks are senior QB Will Dunn and sophomore WR Ross Hill. Dunn was named to the 1st Team All-American squad last season, and is picked to repeat his performance this season with a Preseason 1st Team nod. Hill earned 2nd Team All-American honors last year, but a Preseason 1st Team nod means the experts are predicting an even better year from him.

Senior WR Bryan Williams and junior kicker Billy Parker were named to the Preseason 2nd Team All-American squad. Parker was named to the 2nd Team last season, while Williams finished 2nd in the nation in receiving yards.

On the local front, those 4 join 8 other Cougars on the Preseason All-MWC list. Twelve Preseason nominations is the most for Coach Borland since his 3rd year at FIU.

Dunn, Hill, Williams and Parker were all named to the Preseason All-MWC 1st Team, and are joined by 6 others on the 1st Team and 2 more on the 2nd Team.

Earning Preseason 1st Team honors are sophomore RB Tim Brewer, senior TE Cody Atkinson, sophomore center Erick Lacey, senior CB Matt Hester, sophomore SS David Johnson and senior RB/KR Scott Taylor. Atkinson and Hester were named the All-MWC 1st Team last season.

Finding spots on the Preseason 2nd Team are sophomore DE Terrell Porter and senior CB Devon Huston. Huston earned a All-MWC 2nd Team nomination last season.

The individual expectations continue for BYU, as Dunn and Hill grace the coveted Heisman Watch to begin the year. Dunn sits pretty right at the top of the list, but Hill is right behind at #3. Coach Borland is hoping to have his 2nd Heisman Trophy winner in 3 years.

Last year's Heisman runner-up, Texas RB Bobby Turner, returns as the nation's top-ranked RB and sits right behind Dunn at #2 in the Watch.

Heisman Watch

1) Will Dunn, QB, BYU
2) Bobby Turner, RB, Texas
3) Ross Hill, WR, BYU
4) Brian Greene, QB, Rutgers
5) Nick Harrison, WR, Penn State

As for BYU's opponents this season, they will face their toughest schedule yet under Coach Borland. This year's schedule has the Cougars taking on 3 Preseason Top 25-ranked opponents in a row, and not a single bye until the end of the regular season. BYU also faces tough out-of-conference matchups with Georgia Tech and a rematch from last year with Central Michigan. The Chippewas shocked BYU to open the year last year.

Here is BYU's schedule.

Year 7 Schedule
Red = Conference Game

9/8 vs. Georgia Tech
9/14 vs. #23 Wisconsin
9/21 @ #6 Texas Tech
9/28 vs. #24 TCU
10/5 @ San Diego State
10/12 @ New Mexico
10/19 vs. Colorado State
10/26 @ Central Michigan
11/2 vs. Air Force
11/9 @ UNLV
11/16 @ Wyoming
11/23 vs. Utah
BYE
BYE

Despite winning the last two MWC titles, BYU is still getting no preseason respect as a team. This year, the Cougars are picked to finish third in the conference. Colorado State leaped BYU after going 10-3 overall last season with a bowl win. Preseason #24 TCU is picked to win the conference title.

Mountain West Outlook

1) TCU
2) Colorado State
3) BYU
4) UNLV
5) Utah
6) New Mexico
7) Air Force
8) San Diego State
9) Wyoming

On the national front, 2-time defending national champions USC will look to push their current 26-game winning streak even further. They begin the season at the top of the poll, followed closely by Texas. Texas also finished the season undefeated last season, but fell behind Virginia Tech in the final BCS Standings and didn't qualify for the title game. The Hokies begin the season at #4.

West Virginia, who has the nation's longest winning streak at 39 games, is looking for a shot at the national championship this year after being snubbed 3 years in a row. The Mountaineers start the season ranked #14.

Here is the Preseason Top 25 poll.

Preseason Top 25

1) USC (32)
2) Texas (21)
3) Tennessee
4) Virginia Tech
5) Arkansas (1)
6) Texas Tech (2)
7) Michigan (3)
8) Ohio State (1)
9) Miami
10) Arizona (1)
11) Penn State
12) Oklahoma
13) LSU
14) West Virginia
15) Iowa
16) UCLA
17) Texas A&M
18) Florida State
19) Boise State
20) Clemson
21) Rutgers
22) Florida
23) Wisconsin
24) TCU
25) Oklahoma State
.
.
.
44) BYU

Are you geared up and ready for another year of Cougar football?

[kblu54]

Brewer, Dunn outduel Tech's Bright for season-opening win
BYU Football News

It was one of those old fashioned "anything you can do, I can do better" matchups. Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, the BYU Cougars had the ace up their sleeve.

Sophomore RB Tim Brewer scored 4 TDs in the 2nd half and senior QB Will Dunn accounted for 3 TDs himself as the BYU Cougars overcame 308 yards rushing and 4 TDs from Georgia Tech RB Grant Bright to win their season opener 49-33. Brewer scored 2 TDs in the 3rd quarter to boost BYU's 2-point halftime lead to a 35-19 margin, then answered two Tech scores with 2 4th-quarter TD runs of his own to put the game away.

Brewer had a quiet 1st half but QB Dunn didn't, running for two scores as BYU took a 21-19 lead into the half. The Cougars also got an interception return TD from junior CB Adrian Martinez, which helped them overcome 3 rushing TDs from Tech's Bright.

In the 2nd half, Brewer erupted in leading BYU to victory. Brewer scored on a 77-yard screen pass and a 9-yard run in the 3rd quarter to boost BYU to a 35-19 lead. Tech wouldn't go away quietly though, as they used their solid running game to answer back. FB Anthony Burrell scored on a 63-yard gallop and Bright scored his 4th TD of the day on an 80-yard scamper to cut BYU's lead to 35-33.

In the 4th, it was all Brewer as the sophomore stud scored on runs of 2 and 81 yards to lift BYU to their winning margin. The BYU defense shut down Tech's passing attack to ruin any chance of a comeback.

Brewer ran for 232 yards and 3 TDs on 36 carries, and added 76 yards receiving and a TD. Dunn threw for 257 yards and his TD hookup with Brewer on 15-of-26 passing. The Heisman candidate also added 56 yards rushing and 2 TDs.

Georgia Tech rolled up 418 yards rushing against the BYU defense, which struggled against the pass last season. Bright ran for 308 yards on only 21 carries and scored 4 times. Burrell almost reached the 100-yard mark as well, totaling 93 on only 4 carries and his long score. Tech QB Joe Poole had a rough day throwing the ball, amassing only 40 yards on 4-of-14 passing and 2 interceptions.

BYU will look for win #2 next week at home, when they welcome a tough #23 Wisconsin team. Coach Borland is originally from Wisconsin and is a long-time Badger fan.

Box Score

GT 13 : 6 : 14 : 0 - 33
BYU 7 : 14 : 14 : 14 - 49

1st Quarter
GT --- Bright 29 run (kick blocked)
BYU --- Dunn 2 run (Parker kick)
GT --- Bright 50 run (Daniel kick)

2nd Quarter
BYU --- Martinez 54 INT return (Parker kick)
BYU --- Dunn 9 run (Parker kick)
GT --- Bright 72 run (conversion failed)

3rd Quarter
BYU --- Brewer 77 pass from Dunn (Parker kick)
BYU --- Brewer 9 run (Parker kick)
GT --- Burrell 63 run (Daniel kick)
GT --- Bright 80 run (Daniel kick)

4th Quarter
BYU --- Brewer 2 run (Parker kick)
BYU --- Brewer 81 run (Parker kick)

Team Stats

1st Downs:
GT --- 16 ... BYU --- 27
Total Offense:
GT --- 458 ... BYU --- 545
Rushes-Yards:
GT --- 33-418 ... BYU --- 53-288
Passing (C-A-I):
GT --- 4-14-2 ... BYU --- 15-26-0
Passing Yards:
GT --- 40 ... BYU --- 257
Times Sacked:
GT --- 4 ... BYU --- 2
3rd Down Conversions:
GT --- 2-9 ... BYU --- 10-16
Turnovers:
GT --- 2 ... BYU --- 1

Individual Stats

GEORGIA TECH

Joe Poole, QB --- 4 - 14 - 40 yds, 2 INT; 8 att. - 17 yds

Grant Bright, RB --- 21 att. - 308 yds, 4 TD
Anthony Burrell, FB --- 4 att. - 93 yds, TD

Sam Garrett, SS --- 11 tkls, 2 FF
David Bush, OLB --- 9 tkls (4 TFL), FF
Chris Long, DE --- 7 tkls (1 TFL), FF
John Green, CB --- 7 tkls (1 TFL)
Lamar Rivas, DE --- 7 tkls (2 TFL), FF

BRIGHAM YOUNG

Will Dunn, QB --- 15 - 26 - 257 yds, 1 TD; 17 att. - 56 yds, 2 TD

Tim Brewer, RB --- 36 att. - 232 yds, 3 TD; 2 rec. - 76 yds, TD

Travis McCullar, WR --- 6 rec. - 81 yds
Ross Hill, WR --- 3 rec. - 30 yds

Markeith Beck, CB --- 5 tkls
Ryan Prater, MLB --- 4 tkls (2 TFL), 2 sacks
Adrian Martinez, CB --- 4 tkls (1 TFL), 2 INT, TD