PROVO -- Victory 250 for Coach LaVell Edwards came off key defensive and offensive second half series which propelled No. 16 BYU to a 27-20 defeat Saturday over the Air Force Academy.
Those two plays helped the Cougars, now 7-1 overall, maintain their first place position in the Mountain West Conference alone at 4-0. The Falcons, meanwhile, drop out of title contention with a 1-3 league record and a 4-3 overall record.
Following a 17-7 lead, BYU's opening second half possession put them in peril when AFA blocked Jesse Sowards' punt. The Falcons got the ball on BYU's seven-yard-line and had nine chances at the endzone, but had to settle for a 25-yard field goal. A critical sack of Falcon quarterback Mike Thiessen during this drive was delivered by Cougar linebacker Josh Lowe.
"I came on an outside blitz and the guy blocking me motioned away and I thought, 'wow, Happy Birthday,'" said Lowe.
"They only got three points out of that situation and that was huge," said Edwards. Edwards' 250th victory is the fastest climb to that level, second only to former Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne.
The 28-year-head coach lauded BYU's offensive effort to score a 26-yard field goal later in the third quarter when Owen Pochman booted his record-setting 10th consecutive field goal, his second of the afternoon. Pochman's streak broke the nine-goal mark set by Leonard Chitty.
The Falcons were stopped on the next series in part thanks to back-to back tackles for losses of Thiessen by Cougar defensive end Setema Gali. That forced AFA to punt for the second straight series in the second half and set up the Cougars' final score.
Air Force Coach Fisher DeBerry pointed to that first offensive Cougar series in the fourth quarter. With third and 10 from the BYU 43, Kevin Feterik found Margin Hooks in a soft spot over the middle for a 57-yard touchdown.
"That was a big play in the ball game and it gave BYU some momentum," said DeBerry of the TD which put BYU up 27-10.
"I slowed up because I knew I was going to get hit," said Hooks. "Then they hit me from the side and that actually kept me up. Then I just headed, high-stepping to the endzone, just hoping not to get caught from behind."
"He did a great job," said Feterik of Hooks. "He got to show that 4.2 speed he's always talking about."
On that play Falcon free safety Tony Metters collided with teammate Wes Glisson. Metters was knocked unconscious and taken by ambulance to the hospital following a 12-minute delay of the game.
Metters' teammates didn't quit in his absence as they recovered a Jaron Dabney fumble. Two plays later halfback Scotty McKay ran for a seven yard touchdown. Then the Falcons recovered a perfectly-executed on-side kick. They drove to score off a 32-yard field goal by Jackson Whiting with 2:37 remaining in the game and close the gap to 27-20.
The never-say-die Falcons had started the day with the ball, but had their initial drive thwarted when Dustin Staley intercepted Thiessen in the first quarter to the delight of 65,319 fans (the fourth sellout of the season).
"I can't say enough about Dustin Staley," said Edwards of the sophomore who was making his first start after being converted to strong safety earlier in the week to replace departed Tyson Smith. "He came up with that big interception on their first drive."
The pesky Falcons netted 212 yards rushing and 109 yards passing, barely losing to BYU also in possession time, 27:12 to 32:48.
"They were like gnats," said BYU middle linebacker Rob Morris. "You swat at them, but they just keep getting in the way."
Staley's younger brother Luke scored BYU's other touchdowns off a 14 yard pass from Feterik and a seven-yard run, both in the second quarter. Feterik's pass efficiency was 178.25 off a 24 of 33 performance for 336 yards and a pair of TD passes.
Date: Oct 30, 1999Site: Provo, Utah
Stadium: Cougar Stadium
Attendance: 65,319
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -----
Air Force........... 0 7 3 10 - 20
Brigham Young....... 3 14 3 7 - 27
Scoring Summary:
1st 10:18 BYU - POCHMAN, Owen 36 yd field goal
2nd 11:32 BYU - STALEY, Luke 14 yd pass from FETERIK, Kevin (POCHMAN, Owen kick)
09:26 AF - THIESSEN, Mike 37 yd run (WHITING, J. kick)
02:37 BYU - STALEY, Luke 7 yd run (POCHMAN, Owen kick)
3rd 10:05 AF - WHITING, J. 25 yd field goal
01:40 BYU - POCHMAN, Owen 26 yd field goal
4th 10:18 BYU - HOOKS, Margin 57 yd pass from FETERIK, Kevin (POCHMAN, Owen kick)
03:30 AF - MCKAY, Scotty 7 yd run (WHITING, J. kick)
02:37 AF - WHITING, J. 32 yd field goal
Team Statistics
AF BYU
FIRST DOWNS................... 17 22
Rushing..................... 10 8
Passing..................... 5 13
Penalty..................... 2 1
Rushing Attempts.............. 45 39
Yards Gained Rushing.......... 253 142
Yards Lost Rushing............ 41 51
NET YARDS RUSHING............. 212 91
NET YARDS PASSING............. 109 336
Passes Attempted............ 16 33
Passes Completed............ 7 24
Had Intercepted............. 1 0
TOTAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS......... 61 72
TOTAL NET YARDS............... 321 427
Average Gain Per Play....... 5.3 5.9
Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... 1-1 2-1
Penalties: Number-Yards....... 7-62 4-24
Number of Punts-Yards......... 6-261 5-193
Average Per Punt............ 43.5 38.6
Punt Returns: Number-Yards.... 2-19 2-1
Kickoff Returns: Number-Yards. 1-22 3-48
Interceptions: Number-Yards... 0-0 1-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yards.. 1-30 0-0
Miscellaneous Yards........... 0 0
Possession Time............... 26:56 32:48
Third-Down Conversions........ 2 of 12 6 of 14
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 0 of 0 0 of 0
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 4-30 4-33
Individual Statistics
Air Force Brigham Young
Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg Rushing No Gain Loss Net TD Lg Avg
-------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------
THIESSEN, Mike 22 119 41 78 1 37 3.5 STALEY, Luke 26 85 17 68 1 12 2.6
MCKAY, Scotty 7 65 0 65 1 15 9.3 FETERIK, Kevin 9 52 32 20 0 17 2.2
BEARD, Nathan 5 26 0 26 0 10 5.2 SITAKE, Kalani 3 5 1 4 0 5 1.3
WADE, Chris 2 11 0 11 0 6 5.5 DABNEY, Jaron 1 0 1 -1 0 0 -1.0
HEIER, Tom 2 9 0 9 0 7 4.5 Totals... 39 142 51 91 1 17 2.3
BECKER, Scott 2 9 0 9 0 5 4.5
LASTER, Jeremy 4 9 0 9 0 4 2.2
PALMER, Leotis 1 5 0 5 0 5 5.0
Totals... 45 253 41 212 2 37 4.7
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sck Passing Att-Cmp-Int Yds TD Long Sck
------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
THIESSEN, Mike 16-7-1 109 0 40 4 FETERIK, Kevin 33-24-0 336 2 57 4
Totals... 16-7-1 109 0 40 4 Totals... 33-24-0 336 2 57 4
Receiving No. Yds TD Long Receiving No. Yds TD Long
----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
MCKAY, Scotty 3 65 0 40 STALEY, Luke 8 69 1 27
FARMER, Matt 2 18 0 13 HOOKS, Margin 5 103 1 57
FLEMING, Ryan 1 14 0 14 PITTMAN, Jonath 3 44 0 18
CHANDLER, Ken 1 12 0 12 ATUAIA, Donny 3 35 0 16
Totals... 7 109 0 40 OFAHENGAUE, Tev 2 38 0 22
HORTON, Ben 2 27 0 21
TAHI, Fahu 1 20 0 20
Totals... 24 336 2 57
Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20 Punting No. Yds Avg Long In20
----------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
GRIBBEN, Scott 6 261 43.5 60 0 SOWARDS, Jesse 4 193 48.2 56 0
Totals... 6 261 43.5 60 0 TM 1 0 0.0 0 0
Totals... 5 193 38.6 56 0
Punts Kickoffs Intercept Punts Kickoffs Intercept
All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg All Returns No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg No.Yds.Lg
--------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
MCKAY, Scotty 0 0 0 1 22 22 0 0 0 STERNS, Ned 0 0 0 1 21 21 0 0 0
FARMER, Matt 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 STALEY, Dustin 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
AF TEAM 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DABNEY, Jaron 2 1 1 2 27 18 0 0 0
Totals... 2 19 4 1 22 22 0 0 0 Totals... 2 1 1 3 48 21 1 0 0
Field goal attempts Field goal attempts
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
WHITING, J. 3rd 10:05 25 yds - Good POCHMAN, Owen 1st 10:18 36 yds - Good
WHITING, J. 4th 02:37 32 yds - Good POCHMAN, Owen 3rd 01:40 26 yds - Good
BYU enters Saturday's game in a first-place tie with Utah at 3-0, while Air Force comes to Provo with a 1-2 Mountain West record, sitting in a tie for fourth place with Wyoming, Colorado State and UNLV. Air Force was last beaten by Utah, 21-15 in Colorado Springs. The Falcons lone Conference win came back on Oct. 2, a 23-22 win at San Diego State. The Cougars will have revenge in mind when the Falcons come to town. Air Force defeated BYU, 20-13, in Las Vegas last season in the WAC championship game. Air Force went on to defeat Washington, 45-25, in the Oahu Bowl on Christmas Day. The Falcons have won two straight over BYU, dating back to the 1995 game in Colorado Springs. Prior to that meeting, Air Force had won only one game in the series that dates back to 1956. BYU has not played the Falcons in Provo since the 1993 season, eventhough the two teams have played three times since then. BYU has won seven of eight in Provo, and have not lost to in Provo since 1982. Air Force is the fourth team this season the Cougars have faced following their opponent's bye week.
Scouting the Falcons
Air Force will enter the game with the nation's second-ranked offensive attack. The Falcon rushing game is lead by Scotty McKay, who has 419 yards on the season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. 14 different players have carried the ball for Air Force, while six different players have scored rushing touchdowns. Mike Thiessen, who has lined up at quarterback with the absence of Cal Bonds, has produced 355 yards over four games, averaging 88.8 yards per game. Air Force has produced 1757 yards on the ground this season, while the air atack has tallied just 647 yards, averaging nearly 108 yards per game. The Falcons have averaged 22 points per game, while the Falcon defense has allowed just 16.8 points per contest. The Air Force defense is led by senior linebacker Craig Thorstenson. The 6-1, 240-pound Illinois native has recorded 57 tackles on the season, including 21 unassisted tackles and one takedown for a four-yard loss.
Television Information
Saturday's game will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. (MDT) on ESPN+Plus and will be carried live locally on Salt Lake City's KJZZ, Ch. 14. Fans outside the viewing area can purchase the game on ESPN's Game Plan. Chris Marlowe will call the game with former South Carolina and Arena Football League quarterback Mike Hold offering color commentary. Beth Mowins will be on the sidelines. (See list of affiliates on page 5. Check local listings. Information is subject to change.)
Statistical Comparison
Team Statistics BYU AFA
Scoring 241 132
Points per Game 34.4 22.0
First Downs 182 128
Rushing Yardage 942 1757
Average per Rush 3.7 4.8
Average per Game 134.6 292.8
Rushing TDs 11 14
Passing Yardage 2298 647
Att-Comp-Int 293-182-10 90-45-2
Average per Game 328.3 191.0
Passing TDs 18 2
Total Offense 3240 2404
Kick Returns/No. Yards 10/270 13/292
Punt Returns/No. Yards 25/139 19/120
Interception Returns/No. Yards 9/242 6/36
Fumbles/Lost 15/8 12/8
Penalties/Yards 40/451 32/218
Punts/Yards 27/1125 35/1452
Time of Possession p/game 33:25 32:47
3rd Down Conversions 42/100 45/100
4th Down Conversions 3/5 4/6
Sacks by/Yards 20/140 9/69
Touchdowns Scored 30 16
Field Goals/Attempted 11/16 8/9
Score by Quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Brigham Young 56 75 58 49 3 241
Air Force 14 41 22 55 -- 132
Pound for Pound
The BYU offensive line totals a whopping 1,490 pounds, averaging 298 pounds per man. The Falcons' defensive line averages 255 pounds. Defensively, the Cougars' front four averages nearly 274 pounds, while the Air Force offensive line weighs in at 268 pounds per man.
Coach Edwards - (249-92-3; 28th season -- Career Game No. 345)
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 249-92-3 record during his tenure. Edwards' teams have passed for over 56 miles during his 27-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, 31 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 21 postseason bowl appearances, including a string of 17 straight. Only Michigan, Alabama and Nebraska have laced together a string of more consecutive appearances. Saturday's game (vs. Air Foce) will mark the 158th home game for Edwards since becoming head coach in 1972. In 27 seasons, Edwards is 128-30 (.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 seven 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 last weekend.
Last Week
Junior kicker Owen Pochman set a school record and tied another with five field goals as the No. 19 BYU Cougars shut out UNLV, 29-,0 in Mountain West Conference action, marking the third straight home loss and second shutout of the season for the Rebels. Pochman kicked field goals of 47, 26, 28, 31 and 30 yards to tied the 30-year old school record for field goals in a game. Pochman also connected on two PATs, giving him 17 points on the night, setting a BYU single-game scoring record. The previous record of 16 was held by Joe "The Toe" Liljenquist and Ethan Pochman. Cougar quarterback Kevin Feterik connected on 22-of-42 pass atttempts for 257 yards and one touchdown. The 12-yard touchdown strike to Doug Jolley was the 46th of his career and marked the 12th straight game he had completed at least one touchdown pass. The score was good for a 7-0 lead with 11:14 left in the first quarter. Brigham Young's defense limited UNLV to only 118 total yards, including just 24 yards rushing to mark the second straight game BYU has held its opponent to under 25 yards rushing in a single game. BYU's defense was led by Rob Morris, who missed the last four games with an abdominal strain and groing pull. The linebacker had a team-high 13 tackles, including seven unassisted takedowns. The Cougars got on the board in the first quarter on Feterik's TD completion to Jolley. Pochman would nail three field goals in the second quarter to give BYU a 16-0 lead at the half. Following intermission, BYU picked up where it left off, connecting on a 31-yard Pochman field goal in the third quarter and then sealed the game with a Luke Staley four-yard run in the fourth quarter, marking his 9th rushing touchdown of the season and keeping his consecutive-game scoring streak of six games in tact. Pochman added a 30-yard field goal with 9:21 in the fourth for good measure. The Cougars held UNLV to negaitve rushing yards until Joe Haro busted lose for a 38-yard scamper to end the game. With the win, BYU improved to 6-1 on the season and remained tied with Utah for first place in the Mountain West Conference at 3-0.
Home Sweet Home
Prior to the loss against Virginia, BYU had won eight straight home games in Cougar Stadium, dating back through the 1998 season. Last year, the Cougars went 6-0 within the friendly confines of Cougar Stadium. In 1999, BYU has posted a 3-1 mark, including wins over Washington, Colorado State and California. The Cougars have posted a 151-45-0 (.771) record through 36 season, averaging just over four home wins per season. During the 90s, BYU has posted a 47-12-0 record at Cougar Stadium. The Cougars outscored their opponents by a combined score of 212-93 at home last season, including a 13-0 shutout against San Diego State. Since becoming head coach in 1972, LaVell Edwards' teams have posted 128 wins over 158 games (.810) in Provo. Since 1964, the year Cougar Stadium opened, BYU has had just two losing home seasons (0-5, 1968; 1-3, 1971). Next season, BYU will host Mississippi State for its home opener. That game will mark the 200th game played by BYU in Cougar Stadium.
Did You Know?
Entering Saturday's game, BYU will look to extend its NCAA-record 307 games without being shutout. BYU was last shutout during the 1975 season (Sept. 27, 1975 vs. Arizona State). To put this streak in perspective, the Cougars have never been shutout during the entire lifetime of current BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik. (Feterik was born Sept. 14, 1977).
BYU has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 12 straight games. During that streak, when BYU connects on at least one TD pass, the Cougars are 9-3.
Senior quarterback Kevin Feterik has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 25 of his 30 games. Feterik has thrown 46 TD receptions (Conference championships and bowl games do not count) throughout his career and needs just two more to break in to the all-time top-10 list. Gary Sheide ranks 10th with 45 TD receptions.
After holding New Mexico to -10 yards rushing on Oct. 16th, the BYU defense held UNLV to -14 yards rushing until the last play of the game when the Rebels racked up a 38-yard run to give them 24 yards rushing on the night. Over a span of two games, the BYU defense has allowed just 14 yards rushing and ranks tied for 11th in the nation, allowing just 86.0 yards per game.
Senior Cliff Doman became the 17th different receiver to catch a Feterik pass this season with his 10-yard grab in the first quarter of the UNLV game. The reception also marked the first for Doman of the season, which came on his 26th birthday.
Last Saturday's win over UnLV guaranteed BYU its 26th consecutive winning season, ranking second only to Nebraska. BYU head coach laVell Edwards has had just one losing season since taking over the program in 1972. Since then, the Cougars have averaged 8.9 wins per season, including six already in 1999.
On The Defense
Over the last two games, the BYU defense has held its opponents to just 14 yards rushing, giving up just 7.0 yards per game and one rushing touchdown. In contrast, the Cougar defense was allowing 116.8 yards rushing through the first five games and had allowed an average one rushing touchdown per game. In Conference play, the Cougars have held their opponents to just 42 total yards over three games, averaging 14 yards per game and one total touchdown. In the Cougars' first five games, BYU gave up over 239 yards passing per game, while over the last two games, the BYU defense has permitted just 114 yards per game. Cougar opponents have scored just one passing touchdown in the last two games, as opposed to an average 2.0 per game through the first five games. Against MWC opponents, the Cougars have allowed just 172.3 yards passing per game. Equally impressive, the BYU defense was giving up 29.0 points per game through the first five games, but have allowed just 3.5 points per game over the last two games and have given up an average 6.67 points per game in Conference play. Through the first five games, the defense had recorded 11 sacks, while over the last two games, BYU has registered 12 sacks, including a season high seven sacks at New Mexico. Setema Gali picked up four sacks against the Lobos, including a school-record two sacks on back-to-back plays. Currently the Cougars have put together a streak of six straight games with at least one interception, including Tyson Smith's 52-yard interception return against UNLV.
Just Kickin' It, Pochman Named MWC Player of the Week
Junior place kicker Owen Pochman was named the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after connecting on five straight field goals against UNLV, leading BYU to a 29-0 win over the Rebels on Saturday. 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 in 1969. Pochman's 47-yard field goal with 8:13 left in the second quarter marked the longest of the season. The native of Mercer Island, Wa., has made eight straight attempts and is 11-of-16 (.688) on the season. Pochman currently ranks third on BYU's all-time scoring list with 217 points. He trails only Kurt Gunther (243) and Jamal Willis (240).
Cougar Stadium Records Fall
Three Cougar Stadium records fell by the wayside on Thursday, Sept. 9 (vs. Washington). Senior QB Kevin Feterik made 59 pass attempts, breaking both the individual and team records. The old individual record of 57 attempts was held by John Walsh (BYU, 1993), Anthony Calvillo (Utah State, 1992) and Sam King (UNLV, 1981). The team, stadium record was held by Utah State, which attempted 58 passes against the Cougars in 1976. Feterik also led BYU to 37 first downs, setting a new stadium record that had been established at 36 both in 1980 and 1990.
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).
For Whom the Whistle Blows
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 state, "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 have centered around Morris' candidacy for the Butkus Award. During each home game, some 33,000 wooden train whistles will be blown every time BYU makes a good play or when Morris makes a tackle. The Butkus watch list will be trimmed to 10 candidates (down from 65) on Oct. 21. Despite a third-quarter injury, Morris led the Cougars with five tackles against Colorado State, including three unassisted and two assisted takedowns. Morris tallied two quarterback hurries and a tackle for a six-yard loss. After missing four games due to injury, Morris returned with a vengence against UNLV. Morris recorded a team-high 13 tackles, including seven unassisted tackles and one sack.
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 15 10 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
TOTALS 193 100 26.5 1 1 1 6 1 19 8
Cougars on National TV (Saturday's Game Live on ESPN+Plus)
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.
On This Day (October 30)
Since the Cougars' first season in 1922, BYU has played a total of eight times on this date, posting a 4-4 record on Oct. 30. The Cougars are 3-0 in games played on Oct. 30 in Provo and 1-4 on the road. Following is a look at each Oct. 30th game in BYU football history:
Year Outcome Score Opponent
1993 L 58-56 at Utah State
1982 L 20-17 at Utah State
1976 W 43-21 Arizona State
1971 W 16-0 at UTEP
1965 L 34-21 at Utah State
1954 L 45-13 at Utah State
1948 W 26-20 Montana
1937 W 21-0 Western State
The Streak Continues
BYU will look to extend its NCAA record 307 straight games without being shutout on Friday. The Cougars were last blanked in 1977 when Arizona State defeated BYU, 20-0. That loss still marks BYU head coach LaVell Edwards' only shutout in 27 seasons (342 games). BYU has scored in 24 of its 29 quarters this season, including a season-high 21 points in the first quarter at New Mexico. Throughout the season, the Cougars have enjoyed the most scoring production in the second quarter, outscoring their opponents, 75-27.
Another Addition From BYU's Quarterback Factory
After seven games into the season, ranks 13th nationally in passing efficiency (142.3), eighth in total offense (315.4) and has lead the Cougars to a seventh-place ranking in passing offense, averaging 328.3 yards per game and also a eighth-place ranking in total offense (462.9 yards per game)SHas led BYU to its best start (after seven games) since the 1996 season at 6-1SNamed 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 passesSUsed 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 seasonSSet a Cougar Stadium record with 59 pass attempts and paced BYU to 37 first downs, another stadium record against the HuskiesSFollowed the season-opener with a 310-yard passing performance against Colorado State, leading BYU to a 34-13 victorySWas 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 RamsSCompleted 28-of-47 attempts against Virginia for 303 yards - his third straight 300-yard performance of the seasonSLed a BYU comeback that included three touchdown passes, as the Cougars fell just five points shy of overcoming a 22-point deficit against the CavaliersSEqualed a career-high four touchdown completions on 23-of-36 attempts for 289 yards in a 34-31 overtime win at Utah StateSTallied 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 seasonSImproved to 7-1 as a starter when passing for over 300 yardsSIn just three quarters of play, tallied 211 yards passing on 15-of-27 attempts in a 31-7 win at New MexicoSConnected with Doug Jolley in the first quarter (at UNLV) to collect his 46th career touchdown completionSRanks 10th on BYU's all-time touchdown completions listSWith his 200-yard performance at UNLV, improved to 15-4 as a starter when passing for over 200 yardsSIncluding the UNLV game, has completed at least one touchdown pass in 12 straight games, including 15 of his last 16 gamesSOver 278 attempts, has thrown just 10 interceptions, averaging only one miscue every 27.8 attemptsSHas thrown a career-high 18 touchdown completions on 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 7 180 289 10 .623 48 2285 18 326.4
TOTALS 30 512 841 22 .609 83 6796 46 226.5
Feterik Climbing All-Time Passing List
With his 289-yard passing performance at Utah State, Feterik moved into eighth place on the all-time passing list and is now just 668 yards from joining Steve Sarkisian as the seventh-ranked career passer. 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. 7,733 Steve Young (1981-83)
6. 7,637 Marc Wilson (1977-79)
7. 7,464 Steve Sarkisian (1995-96)
8. 6,796 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)
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. 50 Virgil Carter (1964-66)
10. 46 Kevin Feterik (1996-present)
Spreading the Wealth
In the Cougars 38-25 win over Washington, BYU quarterback Kevin Feterik used 12 different receivers to compile a career-high 501 yards passing, including three touchdown passes. Junior Margin Hooks was the Cougars' leading receiver, racking up 140 yards on eight receptions. The Cougars tallied 39 receptions, averaging 12.8 yards per catch. One week later, Feterik used 10 different receivers to upend Colorado State with 310 yards passing. All totaled, BYU has used 17 different receivers over seven games.
Leading the Nation
Freshman Luke Staley currently ranks 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging 10 points per game. Staley's name appears with many of the nation's top athletes, including Heisman hopefuls Shaun Alexander, Thomas Jones and Terence Kitchens. Of the names in the top-10, Staley ranks as the nation's top-scoring freshman.
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 have recorded all of the Cougars' 11 rushing touchdowns, including nine from Staley. The two have combined for 758 of BYU's 942 total rushing yards, accounting for over 80 percent of the Cougars' running game. Tahi leads the BYU offense with 399 yards rushing, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has two touchdowns. Staley has produced 359 yards on 60 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Staley has also reeled in 17 receptions for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Tahi has six receptions for 42 yards. Staley currently ranks 10th in the nation in scoring, averaging 10 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 three different games this season. Against Utah State, Tahi became the first BYU rusher in XX games to run for 100 yards, collecting 116 yards against the Aggies. In the past two weeks, Tahi picked up a pair of touchdowns at New Mexico and ran for 89 yards against UNLV. After seven games last season, BYU had totaled 748 net rushing yards. This season BYU has tallied 942 net yards rushing, averaging nearly 139 rushing yards per game, compared to 106.8 yards last season.
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
Total 79 419 20 399 2 28 5.1
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
Total 60 376 17 359 9 61 6.0
Feterik Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award "Watch List"
Sixteen senior quarterbacks have been selected as candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the nation's top senior collegiate quarterback. The award is selected by the Frank Camp Chapter of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. Included among the elite list of candidates for the award are BYU's Kevin Feterik, who completed 39-of-59 passes for 501 yards in the first game of his senior season and has added a 310-yard performance against Colorado State and another 303 yards against Virginia to start the season. Other candidates include, NC State's Jamie Barnette, Michigan's Tom Brady, West Virginia's Marc Bulger, Michigan State's Bill Burke and Jarious Jackson of Notre Dame, Giovanni Carmazzi (Hofstra), Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech), Todd Husack (Stanford), Doug Johnson (Florida), Tee Martin (Tennessee), Chad Pennington (Marshall), Tim Rattay (Louisiana Tech), Chris Redman (Louisville), Clint Stoerner (Arkansas) and Billy Volek (Fresno State). The 1999 winner will be announced on Nov. 24 with the award presentation to be made in Louisville on December 10. UCLA's Cade McNown won the award last season.
Brian Gray Named to Jim Thorpe Award "Watch List"
BYU senior Brian Gray has been named by the Jim Thorpe Association in Oklahoma City, Okla., as a candidate for the 1999 Jim Thorpe Award. The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the best defensive back in college football. Gray, a 6-2, 215-pound defensive back, is one of 37 names to appear on the "watch list". Other key players that will appear on the BYU schedule this season include, Rico Curtis of San Diego State, Al Rich of Wyoming and Brian Urlacher of New Mexico. Gray, who was questionable prior to the Virginia game with a groin injury, picked off a Dan Ellis pass to rumble 28 yards for his second career touchdown. 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.
Men in Blue
The August 16th announcement of a uniform change at BYU means 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.
Attendance Tracker
Averaging 62,702 fans per game during the 1998 season, the Cougars ranked 22nd nationally. (Michigan led the nation with 110,965 fans per game.) 376,210 fans passed through the gates at Cougar Stadium last season, ranking tops among Conference opponents. 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.
Quarterback U. Game-by-Game Comparison
Following is a breakdown of some of BYU's more notable quarterbacks of recent years and how current Cougar quarterback Kevin Feterik's numbers compare (Through 7 games):
Name Season Att Comp Yds Int TDs
Kevin Feterik 1999 289 180 2285 10 18
1998 162 95 1267 3 7
Steve Sarkisian 1996 231 158 2418 6 18
1995 243 149 2141 9 13
Ty Detmer *** 1991 224 123 2036 7 15
***/* 1990 324 214 2977 15 23
1989 248 154 2638 17 24
Robbie Bosco 1985 314 216 2707 14 18
** 1984 258 166 2380 4 20
Steve Young *** 1983 272 196 2633 6 20
1982 228 143 2067 16 11
Jim McMahon *** 1981 271 171 2183 5 19
1980 246 144 2312 11 24
* - Heisman Trophy Winner
** - National Championship Season
*** - Davey O'Brien Award Winner
Huddle Up!
The Cougars are 4-0 when they score first and have posted a 2-1 mark when their opponent scores first.
The Cougars are 1-1 when trailing the game at halftime. When BYU is outscoring its opponent at the half, BYU is a perfect 5-0.
After winning six straight coin flips to start the season, including the overtime toss at Utah State, BYU has lossed two straight. The Cougars are 2-0 when losing the coin toss.
BYU has scored an average 32.67 points against Mountain West opponents through three games and have held those same opponents to an average 6.67 points per game.
BYU will face five teams on the season that have (or will have) an off-week prior to playing the Cougars. This weekend's contest against Air Force will mark the fourth opponent to have a bye week prior to a date with the Cougars. ByU is curretnly 3-0 when playing a team 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.)
Next Week
Next Saturday, Nov. 6, BYU travels to southern California to face the Aztecs of San Diego State. The game will be televised by the Sports West Productions, locally on KSL Ch. 5 beginning at 7:00 p.m. (MDT).
