Bleacher Report - Articles by Bryan Gonzalez

BYU Vs Florida St: So What Happened?

Bryan Gonzalez — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:24:38 -0400

In the first two games of the 2009 season, the BYU cougars defense allowed only 16 points. In the first half of the game on Saturday against Florida State, the Cougar D allowed 30, in the first half!

The question is what happened to the aggressive hard hitting D that played against Oklahoma and Tulane? It looked as if the Cougars didn't want to hit anyone and dove at the feet of the Seminoles players instead FSU rolled over the Cougar D and converted every third down conversation until late in the third quarter.

The soft bend but not break defense that BYU has made its triumphant return to Provo and FSU made a huge statement by blowing the doors off of it.

The hard thing to really grasp is that this should have been a closer game. The Cougar offense looked as if they were running on all cylinders as they scored touchdowns on two out of three possessions in the first half with the only stop coming off of an O'Neil Chambers fumble.

The problem is they only had the three possessions. After the Cougars fumbled, they were playing catch-up while FSU was able to convert on every possession and score a crushing 30 points in the first half.

Playing from behind, it seemed like the Cougars just fell apart. It looked a lot like the Cougars from last year and that's not a good thing. A year ago BYU folded under the pressure of big games but it looked as if BYU had shaken that as they were able to pull off the upset of Oklahoma in week one. They then put on an offensive clinic against Tulane in week 2. Then in week three, history seemed to repeat itself.

Could it have been that the Cougars overlooked Florida St? It is really hard for me to get there but as poorly as the defense played I can't seem to find another reason. FSU was clearly ready for BYU but the Cougars were clearly not ready for the Seminoles.

Now the Cougars have to concentrate on trying to win their 3rd MWC title in 4 years as they open conference play next week vs. Colorado St.

Have The BYU Cougars Learned Their Lesson From Last Year?

Bryan Gonzalez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:18:55 -0400

The BYU Cougars have upset Oklahoma in week one...and won the national championship? That doesn't sound quite right does it? Well that is the attitude and the reaction I have gotten from listening to talk radio and just conversations with BYU students.

Now I must say this. Will the REAL BYU fans please stand up?!

There are a few things wrong with BYU but the absolute worst thing is that there are a LOT of bandwagon and fair-weather fans. In Utah County football is not at the top of the list for a lot of people, only when BYU is winning is it the cool thing to do.

As a true Cougar fan, this embarrasses me. Not only are these people fair-weather, but as soon as BYU starts winning, they start talking and the problem gets 10 times worse.

I've heard so many people saying that BYU is going to win a national championship and it is already played out.

Now the TRUE BLUE fans have to stand up and tell these people to SHUT UP!!

The fact is that the win over Oklahoma was huge beyond words and not just to BYU but for all non-BCS teams. The Cougars are now ranked in the top 10, at No. 9 in the country. and yes they are in position to strike.

But this is all after one week of college football! One single game out of 12! The Cougars still have a very difficult schedule with Florida St., Colorado St.(who beat Colorado last week),Air Force, TCU, and Utah. So pump the brakes and slow down!

Listen to me Cougar fans PLEASE!! The media is going to make a huge deal about BYU and talk about it all the time because it's a story. But last year what happened to our Cougars? They spent to much time paying attention to the media and the rankings than they should have spent watching film and preparing for their next opponent.

Because of that they had meltdowns against TCU, Utah, and Arizona. Cougar fans should make note of this and encourage that the Cougars should be focusing on Tulane and not January. The absolute worst thing that could happen is getting caught up in all the media hype instead of taking care of what they can control and that is beating Tulane, let the rest take care of itself.

As far as the team goes however it seems that they have learned their lesson. They played with a chip on their shoulder against Oklahoma and they should continue to do so. Bronco Mendenhall hasn't even addressed the national championship questions from the media, which is a good thing.

I think they will be focused for this week and what a better game to get the Cougar offense rolling on all cylinders? But don't forget that Tulane had LSU on the ropes for 3 quarters last year.

Cougar fans all you need to do is support BYU unconditionally and fully not because it's the cool thing to do. You don't need to go out on ESPN chat rooms and scream "We are going the win the National title!" That is just asking for trouble and it gives you a horrible reputation.

If people bash BYU just take the high road they are just bashing because they are scared all you have to do is defend the Cougars not fight their battles on-line. Let them do that on the field that will take care of everything else.

BYU Upsets Oklahoma: Cougars Start the '09 Season with a Bang!

Bryan Gonzalez — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:02:57 -0400

Who would have thought that late in the fourth quarter the BYU Cougars would have the ball with a chance to take the lead against the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners?

Well in the next eight minutes and 44 seconds the nation witnessed the Cougars drive 78 yards in 16 plays, including a clutch fourth and four conversation, that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Max Hall to McKay Jacobson in the back of the endzone with 3:03 left that would eventually win the game.

If you are one of those people who thought this was possible you are one of the few people in the world who thought it could happen. Before the game if you listened to the so called "experts" at ESPN or just about anywhere you would have thought all the Sooners had to do was show up and win.

Well, that was not the case as from the opening kickoff the Cougars went toe to toe with the Sooners in every aspect of the game. What really is bothering me though is the apologists that I'm hearing already making excuses for Oklahoma as to why they lost when in the long run there are none.

In the first quarter BYU's defense was able to keep the high powered Sooners in check in every aspect of the game. The Sooners could not seem to find a rhythm against this very impressive Cougar D that was able to pressure Bradford, stop the run, and manage to keep the Sooner receivers in front of them.

Oklahoma, however, was able to put seven points on the board after a muffed punt by McKay Jacobson but other than that BYU's defense had Oklahoma baffled.

In the second quarter BYU was able to tie the game on a Max Hall touchdown pass to Andrew George that capped a five-play, 63-yard drive. On Oklahoma's next possession, just before halftime, they found themselves in striking distance after two critical BYU penalties.

But what they also saw was QB Sam Bradford on the ground after a clean hit from BYU LB Colby Clawson. Bradford would be forced to leave the game, he would not return. The Sooners would settle for a field goal to take a 10 to 7 lead into the half.

The third quarter saw both defense's grit their teeth and shut out two of the most prolific offenses in college football. Oklahoma without Bradford seemed as if they were unwilling to do anything risky and never took any chances down field with back up QB Landry Jones.

All of which just made things easier for the BYU defense which was dominating even when Bradford was in the game. The Cougar offense, despite getting some good numbers were unable to get a rhythm going against a very good Oklahoma D.

The fourth quarter is where the fireworks started to happen. Oklahoma drove the ball inside the BYU five-yard line the the Cougar defense were able to hold the Sooners off and only give up a field goal increasing the Sooner lead to six, 13 to 7, but leaving the door open for Max Hall and the BYU offense.

Hall would then lead the Cougars down the field completing 9 of 10 passes, converted three third downs, and of course one huge fourth down. In my opinion that drive could help Hall show up on some Heisman watch boards and most defiantly could help springboard the Cougars to one of their most prolific seasons ever. He finished the game with 329 yards 2 touchdowns and two picks on 26/38 passes.

I've already seen the excuses flying out of ESPN for the lose from Oklahoma but I think anyone that watched the game of even sees the stat sheet can tell you that BYU won that game and quite simply outplayed the Sooners.

The BYU defense held the Sooners to just 264 yards of total offense which is their lowest since a loss to TCU in 2005. The Sooners were also only 2 of 11 on third downs and had the ball for 22:58 compared to the Cougars 37:02.

Did the Bradford injury hurt Oklahoma? Of course it would be stupid to say it didn't but the BYU defense was shutting him down when he was in the the game anyway. Not to mention that BYU's star Running Back, Harvey Unga, did not even play in the game due to a bad Hamstring. Plus this was basically a home game for the Sooners as they had probably 70,000 fans in the stands. But the Cougars never backed down.

"Rise and shout, the Cougars are out. We're on the trail to fame and glory.." Those are some of the lyrics from the BYU fight song, and the BYU Cougars certainly gave Cougar fans everywhere one heck of a reason to rise and shout. And they most defiantly are on the right track to fame and glory.

Go Cougs!! Rise and Shout!!

BYU vs. Oklahoma: So 1990? The BYU Cougars Have Been Here Before

Bryan Gonzalez — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:24:44 -0400

Well it is finally here Cougar fans, the opening week of college football has come and yet as the BYU Cougars season opener vs. the 3rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners draws closer, I can't help but notice the similarities to a game played almost 20 years ago.

The year was 1990 and, much like this year, the BYU Cougars we slated to play one of the most dominant teams in the country, the Miami Hurricanes who were ranked number one in the country.

The Cougars came into the game ranked 16th, but still no one really gave them a chance to give "the U" much trouble. But behind a superman like performance from Heisman hopeful Ty Detmer the Cougars were able to defeat the Hurricanes 28-21 despite their disadvantage in size and speed. The win would eventually help Ty Detmer win the only Heisman trophy in school history.

That game keeps coming up in my mind when I look at what is in front of the Cougars this week in Oklahoma. They are obviously superior in talent, speed, and they have the returning Heisman trophy winner in Sam Bradford. Also, no one is giving them a chance to win despite BYU faithful around the country. It's just so similar to 1990 and that gives me a good feeling about Saturday.

Oklahoma is no doubt extremely talented, but there are a few things that BYU could exploit to get an edge. The Sooners do return a load of offensive starters along with Bradford, but only one on the offensive line which could give BYU the chance to put pressure on Bradford. BYU senior DE Jan Jorgenson is one of the best pass rushers in the country and should get some help from the rest of the D Line this year which will allow him to be more effective off the edge.

However, Mendenhall will have to revert to his old blitzing ways because last year he seemed reluctant to bring blitzes with any regularity and never on third down. I don't really know what happened to his play calling because when he started at BYU he instantly made the Cougar defense one of the top 25 best every year because they pressured the QB and last year they showed signs of it earlier in the year, but disappeared at the end when it mattered.

The Cougars must also be more physical than the Sooners on offense and defense. Much like the Cougar D was in 1990 in the fourth quarter when they stuffed the Hurricanes two times to preserve the win. Also, the Cougars will also be breaking in a new O line vs. one of the better D lines in the country.

Max Hall, I really hope, has shed all last year from his memory because in honesty it wasn't great. Personally, I would take sophomore Max Hall over junior Max Hall simply because in his sophomore year he spread the ball around and made the right reads. Last year he threw to Collie and Pitta and that's about it. He could learn a lot from watching Ty Detmer torch the Hurricane defense for 406 yards with six stitches in his chin because it will take that kind of gutsy performance against the Sooners.

If the Cougars are looking for inspiration, that incredible game in 1990 is it. Everything that they are about to face is in that game. If I was Bronco Mendenhall that is the tape I would for sure play at least once.

"Great moments come from great opportunity." Kurt Russel said that when he played Herb Brooks in the movie Miracle right before the USA hockey team played the USSR in the 1980 Olympics. Well Cougar fans opportunity is knocking now let's see if the 2009 Cougars can answer like that of the 1990 Cougars.

Rise and Shout!!

BCS Party Crashers: Top Non-BCS Teams Looking To Crash The BCS In 2009

Bryan Gonzalez — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:15:01 -0400

In the past few years, the whisper that once was the non-BCS conferences has now become a distinct roar. It started in 2004 when Utah went undefeated and was the first to crash the BCS party. Since then we have seen Boise St, Hawaii, and Utah once again crash the party. This year is no different and has the potential to possibly put a non-BCS school in the National Championship game.

Here is a preview of the top teams in non-BCS conferences that have a chance to make some noise.

7. Utah: The BCS busters from last season return a load of starters for a very stingy D and monster RB Matt Asiata. But they also lose QB Brian Johnson and place kicker Louie Sakoda not to mention the core of last years wide receivers. Even though watching Utah spank Alabama was one of the greatest things I've witnessed in recent memory, it is hard to expect that Utah will once again be standing alone a top college football as the only undefeated team. With road games at Oregon, TCU, and BYU I would be shocked if they were able to win 2-of-3.

6. ECU: The Pirates made a lot of noise in the first few weeks last season but faded as the year went on. This year however they return starting QB Patrick Pinkney and every offensive lineman. The Pirates certainly have there work cut out for them as they have road games at West Virginia and North Carolina then host Virginia Tech later in the season.

5. Houston: Are we sure that these guys are in the right conference? Because the Cougars can put some serious numbers up on the board and in a hurry. They also have loads of talent which makes you wonder why the heck they aren't in the Big Twelve. Case Keenum is returning at QB for the Cougars and in a lot of ways reminds me of Drew Brees; He is an undersized QB from Texas that can straight up throw the football. With games against Oklahoma St. and Texas Tech the Cougars will for sure have a chance to show the country what they are made of and could be in the top 15 when the regular season is said and done.

4. Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles might be something of a sleeper to people who haven't really payed any attention to C-USA, but to those who have they know USM has some serious play-makers. At the top of the list is freakishly good WR DeAndre Brown and a very good young QB in sophomore Austin Davis. He is surrounded by a lot of players that could start in the SEC as well as every o-linemen from last year. On defense the Eagles also return the entire D-Line and defensive phenom Scottie Williams should create havoc at OLB/DE. What hurts the Eagles is the lack of a stellar non-conference schedule; Don't get me wrong road games at Kansas, Louisville, Houston, and ECU is no easy task but I think USM should come through it unscathed and end up in the top 10.

3. TCU: The Horn frogs are a team that I love to watch play football, and being a BYU fan I got to see them destroy my Cougars last year. They are athletic, intelligent, and tough as nails. What more is head coach Gary Patterson says that this year's defense could be even faster than last year's. Which will give Offensive Coordinators nightmares preparing for. TCU in my opinion does the best job recruiting out of all the non-BCS schools, I mean look where they are deep in Texas territory having to compete against all the Big 12 schools and yet they still get the speed that they have. QB Andy Dalton returns for his junior campaign and has some good talent around him. With a preseason ranking of 17th, TCU can make noise early with games at Virginia and Clemson, then later get Utah at home and travel to Provo to play BYU. Despite some youth on defense I think the Horn frogs are a scary team in 2009 and a legit shot at being undefeated, if not maybe 11 wins will be enough to get them into a BCS game.

2. BYU: Ahh yes the BYU Cougars, I've been a fan since birth and have been through much pain and turmoil with them but I'm still here rising and shouting even through all the BS that was last season. But I must say the 2008 BYU Cougars are still to this day a tough pill to swallow.

You might think that after their 3rd straight 10 win season you would think I'm on fertility drugs(thanks Manny) to say something like that but let me explain. In my entire life as a Cougar fan I've not seen them cry and moan as much as last year. Maybe they should have spent less time crying to the Media about their ranking and more time preparing for TCU, Utah, and Arizona eh? That usually is the best plan.

This year hopefully they have learned their lesson because the Cougars have set the stage for a possible national title run, even though its unlikely. Stud WR Austin Collie is now with the Indianapolis Colts but BYU gets speedster McKay Jacobsen back from his LDS mission. Senior QB Max Hall returns along with TE Dennis Pitta and bruiser RB Harvey Unga to create one dangerous offense. BYU also returns nearly all of its defense and that a good thing because the Cougars will open the season against Oklahoma in the new Cowboy Stadium.

The Cougars will then host Florida St in Provo. Fortunately for BYU most of their challenging games, aside from Oklahoma, will all be in Provo. TCU, Air Force, and Utah will all come to Provo where BYU plays much better than on the road. If BYU can get through with just one loss they could still be ranked in the top ten by seasons end. But by some miracle they were to win out they could very well in position to play in the BCS National Championship game.

1. Boise State: The Broncos have been the most consistent non-BCS team for the last five years in my opinion. They have always scheduled well and have finished well every year. This year is no different and the good thing for the Broncos is they return nearly every player from last years team that only lost one game to a very good TCU team. Sophomore QB Kellen Moore will be looking to build on a fantastic Freshman year last season and he has the offensive weapons around him to make it happen. This years schedule is actually pretty simple for Boise, at home against Oregon and that's about it. Win that game and the 15th ranked Broncos should be on the high road to another BCS game. Lose that game and even if they win out they might could be left out of the coveted 15th place needed to qualify for a BCS game.

Utah Valley Thunder: Utah Gets It's First Look at New Team

Bryan Gonzalez — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:48:05 -0500

Usually all the attention of sports fans in Utah is diverted directly at the Utah Jazz when March rolls around. Recently, the Utah Blaze has thrived in a supporting roll to the Jazz, but now that the AFL has suspended its season where do football fans go to for their fix in the summer?

Say hello to the Utah Valley Thunder. The Thunder is an expansion team from the American Indoor Football Accociasion and will play their home games at the Mckay Events Center on the University of Utah Valley campus.

Utah will get its first look at the new arena team tomorrow, March 2nd, as the team will bring training camp to a close with an in squad scrimmage at the McKay Events Center. Admission is free the public. Kick off is set for 6PM.

Super Sunday: This Is Is Why We Watch Sports

Bryan Gonzalez — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:44:49 -0500

Most people associate the phrase "Super Sunday" with, you guessed it, the Super Bowl. This past Sunday was no different, but in a large way it was much more than that.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to hold off the Arizona Cardinals in one of the greatest Super Bowl's in history. In this game, we saw a once-lowly organization show us what heart and determination is all about.

The Arizona Cardinals trailed 20-7 and looked as if they could be on the verge of finally folding like they were supposed to in their first three playoff games. But it would not happen, not with this team.

Led by Kurt Warner and a massive fourth-quarter performance from Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona came back to cut the lead to 20-16. Then on a 64-yard strike to Fitzgerald, the Cardinals took the lead with just over two minutes remaining.

It seemed as if the Cardinals had shocked the world, and in a way, I believe they did. But the Steelers would drive down the field and Ben Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone with 35 seconds left to seal the sixth Super Bowl for the Steelers organization.

That game alone would have been a fantastic sports day, but the fact is that down under in Australia early Sunday morning another epic battle started the day off and after watching it, you couldn't help but feel that this was a special day.

The two top tennis players in the world, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, faced off in the Australian Open Championship as Federer tried to make history and tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand-slam championships.

What we saw here in the states from 3:30 to 8 a.m. EST was two great champions battle each other into another five-set finish. Nadal found himself forced to a fifth set yet again as Federer showed the kind of champion he is. But Federer was overwhelmed in the final set and Nadal won his first Australian Open title.

This type of drama is what draws people to the arenas, even in a economic crisis. These two incredible sporting events show us the very best that sports has to offer. It is the feeling of being a part of something that is larger than yourself.

Fans are the backbone of every team, because without them there would be no team. The never-give-up mentality, even when your back is against the wall. The fellowship that athletes and fans have for one another as we saw with Nadal embracing Federer. The ability to lose yourself in a game and enjoy it with friends and family.

There are some critics around the world that always ask the question about why sports is such a large part of human culture. After all, it has no real significance as far as the ability to survive and in a few ways could even be a strain on fans' financial situation. So, why pay to see an event when money is tight and the world economy is struggling?

Well, this past Sunday is a day that every sports fan can point to and say, "That is why."

Utah Jazz: Top Five Problems Facing The Jazz

Bryan Gonzalez — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:45:52 -0500

Remember at the beginning of the season when the Utah Jazz streaked to a 5-0 start and looked as if the problems that had plagued them in last year's campaign where eliminated?

Since then, the Jazz have been, well, mediocre at best. What bothers me the most is that Utah has had flashes of brilliance against good teams, but somehow falls apart against the Thunder? I don't get it.

Here are the top five issues I see that need to be rectified for Utah to have a legit shot in the playoffs, if they can make it.

1. Injuries

Since opening day, the Jazz have not had their starting line-up in a single game at full strength. So I don't see a reason how this can not be the number one problem that has hurt the Jazz.

First, it was Deron Williams with a high ankle sprain in the preseason that kept him sidelined for a good three weeks into the regular season. Not only that, but it has taken him a long time to get back to full speed.

Carlos Boozer has been out, it seems like forever now, with a knee injury and could be back after the All-Star break.

Matt Harpring, Mehmet Okur, Paul Milsap, Brevin Knight, C.J. Miles, and Andrei Kirilenko have all spent time on the bench with injuries this season.

If Utah can get completely healthy they could be a tough team to deal with come playoff time. Luckily for the Jazz their depth on the bench has kept them in contention for a playoff spot.

2. Trouble on the Road

What is it with the Jazz on the road?

At home they are one of, if not the, toughest team to beat, with a record of 16-4. On the road, however, they are a sub .500 team with a dismal 8-13 record.

This has been a problem for a long time now, and it is something that needs to be fixed. I don't quite understand how this is, because Utah is a team that is known for toughness and discipline.

But somehow, on the road all that seems to disappear and the Jazz seem to play down to the level of the competition that they are playing instead of playing Utah Jazz basketball.

3. Lack of killer instinct

When was the last time you saw the Jazz just obliterate a lesser team? I honestly can't remember.

I know it happens every once in awhile, but that will happen in the NBA occasionally.

With the Jazz, however, it should happen more often, yet doesn't. Utah doesn't seem to have that killer instinct to finish off opponents and get them out of the game. Even when they are up big, they seem to let teams back in the game and make it harder than it should be.

I would usually say that is just a lack of coaching, but I doubt it is that with Jerry Sloan on the bench running things. Someone on the floor needs to take charge and keep the pedal to the metal until the final horn blows.

4. Consistency

It's rare to see the Jazz play a full game at top form. There always seems to be a point in the game when the Jazz just let up or don't run their offense and either let teams back in the game or shoot themselves out of one.

Bringing the ball down, shooting one jump shot, and that's it as far as offense goes, (you know what I'm talking about Jazz fans) it is something that needs fixing. Teams in the West will open a big lead if you give them a window like that.

5. Carlos Boozer

I guess you could spin this a lot of different ways, but whatever way you look at it, Carlos Boozer has been a problem for the Jazz ever since his injury.

There has been a very large positive with the emergence of Paul Milsap, but with that they lost a big boost off the bench. Also, his contract opt-out drama is not a healthy thing to have around a team.

There has been a large amount of trade talk, but I don't see it happening because who wants a guy coming off an injury that is going to play 20 games for you then opt out? It just doesn't make sense.

What I think will have to happen is, when he finally comes back, he well put up the same kind of numbers he was in the opening month of the season, help the Jazz in the playoffs, then do his thing in the offseason.

The Jazz are a very good team—many people know this but there are just a few things keeping them from playing like one.

If they can get just one or two of these things fixed, then the Jazz will have a legit shot at playing well into the playoffs.

Do you think Jazz fans can we do it? Only time will tell.

Mountain West Should Take BCS by the...Uh..."Happy Place" and Adopt Boise State

Bryan Gonzalez — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:25:48 -0500

This year the Mountain West Conference, I believe, was the third or even second best conference in college football this year.

With the bowl season right around the corner, the MWC has four teams going bowling, three in the top 16, and one team in the Top 10 also in a BCS bowl game.

This year, the MWC owns a 6-1 record vs the Pac-10, and a 10-5 record vs all BCS conference teams. This includes Wyoming getting a 13-7 win at Tennessee, a 59-0 thrashing of UCLA at the hand of the BYU Cougars, a 23-20 win in overtime by UNLV over then-15th ranked Arizona State, and a thrilling 31-28 Utah win over Oregon State.

Now with a record like that you would imagine the Mountain West wouldn't have any problems getting respect around the country. But the fact is they still have none.

Despite the horrible performance from the ACC and Big East, along with a below average Big 10. I'm not sure what else the MWC has to do to gain respect around the country. But sometimes when people don't give you respect you have to take it.

This year, a true crime was made when Boise State was left out of the BCS. They did everything they could, ending the regular season undefeated and recording a win over 17th-ranked Oregon in Autzen Stadium.

The problem is you can only beat who is on your schedule and being in the WAC is clearly hurting the Broncos.

Since both parties have a legit beef against the powers that be I would suggest an alliance. Boise State has one BCS appearance and should have another, while Utah is headed towards their second this year.

If the MWC has the guts to try it, I would love to see them try and get Boise State into the conference. It would help out everyone in the situation.

Think about it: Utah, Boise, BYU, TCU, and even a talented Air Force team would be the brunt of a powerful conference. All of these teams are the likes of what upper BCS teams are scared of.

The MWC would then not ask for, but take the BCS by the..."Happy Place" and demand an automatic BCS berth. It would easily be a better conference than the Big East and ACC, even though I think it is already.

We all think a playoff would be best, but if the powers wont play by those rules, then I suggest playing by theirs.

Strength of schedule, quality opponents every week, and the possibility of five teams capable of being in the top 25. It just makes sense for it to happen.

Now I have no idea what it takes to get a team into your conference, but they got TCU to make the conference better and it worked. But now it is time to take the next step, and adding Boise State is that step.

BYU-Arizona: Wildcats Could Provide Problems For The Cougars

Bryan Gonzalez — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:17:52 -0500

Now that the bowl picture has settled the BYU Cougars will face a fairly familiar face, the Arizona Wildcats, in this year's Las Vegas Bowl.

Sam Boyde Stadium might as well be renamed Lavell Edwards Stadium South because the BYU Cougars just never seem to lose there and they always seem to end up there in the post season.

It has been three years since the Cougars have lost at Sam Boyde and that was to Cal-Berkeley in the Las Vegas Bowl in head coach Bronco Mendenhal's first year.

Not many people remember that bowl game because it was the last game of the "rebuilding" period for BYU football finishing 6-7. Since then the Cougars have turned out three straight 10 win seasons and two bowl victories with a possible third on the horizon.

This year BYU has had a very up and down season. Looking completely dominant for most if the year but then sad and pathetic in short spurts.

For the Las Vegas Bowl, however, expect to see a lot of the dominant side of the Cougars as they look to avenge their last loss in Sam Boyde and another loss to the Wildcats in 2006.

Arizona is no pushover though and if BYU is smart they will put them away early. The Wildcats, in the pre-season, were picked to contend for the Pac-10 title and have shown glimpses of what kind of talent they have throughout the year. And they are only a few plays away from being an 11 win team with close losses to New Mexico (who played BYU very tough), Stanford, USC, and Oregon St.

Earlier in the year I wouldn't have worried so much because BYU poured on points like chocolate syrup on ice cream. But as of the New Mexico game the Cougars have struggled to put teams away and as a result have been involved in much closer games.

If BYU doesn't put Arizona away early then the Wildcats have the weapons to grind out a win in the fourth quarter with two running backs with 10 plus touchdowns on the year.

BYU-Utah: Six Cougar Turnovers Help Utes Clinch Second BCS Berth

Bryan Gonzalez — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:48:38 -0500

You would have thought, after reading my preview of last Saturday's BYU-Utah game, that I would have been prepared for what happened, considering I picked Utah to win and only missed their final score by three points. But what I was not ready for was the way it happened.

I had to take yesterday completely off from everything and bury my thoughts in anything except the game, I was so upset. I would end up making fun of Notre Dame fans on Xbox Live. That would cheer up anyone.

Well, now to the game. With the 48-24 win over BYU Saturday, the Utah Utes clinched a spot in their second BCS game in five years. Utah quarterback Brian Johnson threw for 303 yards, four TDs, and completed an amazing 30 of 36 passes.

The Utes played a fantastic game and deserve their BCS bowl game and should dominate a lowly Big East opponent again.

But what I want to talk about is what happened on the other side of the ball. What drove me to near insanity yesterday was not that I feel Utah won the game, but that BYU lost it.

Cougar quarterback Max Hall has been fantastic this year, but as we saw Saturday, forces the ball far too much. I would call this Brett Favre syndrome, as where he stops taking what the defense is giving him and just tries to make too much happen. When this happens, his throws are errant and his reads are nonexistent.

As a result of this, Max Hall accounted for all six of BYU's turnovers on five interceptions and one fumble.

After a slow start, the Cougars defense played well enough to win in my eyes. I can't hold it against them that the offense continually gave them horrible field position and always had to come out on quick changes.

Granted, they did allow Brian Johnson to do what he wanted, but we expected something like that. We did not expect them to be able to contain the run the way they did, allowing the Utes only 108 yards on the ground.

Most importantly, though, they came up with stops when the Cougars needed them and put their team in a position to take the lead or tie multiple times in both halves.

But despite all the defense's efforts, the offense never could get going and fell short on several occasions where they could have taken the lead or even blown the game open. That is what is so frustrating as a BYU fan. Great teams take advantage of opportunities like that.

Great teams also adjust to the game as it is happening. This is BYU's largest flaw as I see it. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae seems to have a mental block in his mind to running the ball, because BYU averaged a blistering 7.7 ypc on Saturday and could have pounded the ball with Unga and Vakapuna all night.

When your quarterback is struggling the way Hall was, five interceptions compared to 7.7 yards per carry, I would think that would be a no brainer—but I'll let you decide.

Something has to be done about BYU's inability to adjust on the fly, or they will never get to where Utah is now—looking at a BCS game.

Not all was bad for the Cougar offense. Harvey Unga once again looked like himself and was running with power. He would finish with 116 yards on 15 carries.

Austin Collie started his game off with a bang as he took a kick return 70 yards to put BYU in scoring position, but BYU would settle for a field goal. He would finish the night with 104 receiving yards on 10 catches. That makes 10 straight games of 100+ receiving yards for Collie.

The Cougars now will wait to see what bowl game chooses them and who their opponent will be. Most likely it will be the Las Vegas Bowl simply because Las Vegas is pretty much BYU's South campus. They always pack the house with at least 30,000, and they usually win too. The other option is the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX.

BYU-Utah: There Has Never Been More at Stake in This Week's "Holy War"

Bryan Gonzalez — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:15:48 -0500

Rivalry week has finally come in the state of Utah—a week where friendships will be strained, families torn apart, marriages tested, and a state divided. This week the colors of blue and red will be a regular sight to see.

Saturday night, when the "Holy War" kicks off, there will arguably be more at stake than in any other game in the Rivalry's history.

The No. 7 Utah "Runnin'" Utes will try to crash the BCS party for the second time, while on the other side of the field, the BYU Cougars will be looking to grab a share of the Mountain West Championship, making that three in a row for the Cougars—and oh yes, denying the Utes a spot in the BCS.

For the last eight years this rivalry has experienced a huge rise in intensity, with six of the eight games decided on the very last drive. The last two games went to BYU in very dramatic fashion.

In 2006, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, John Beck connected with TE Jonny Harline with no time on the clock. Then last year, at LaVell Edwards Stadium, Max Hall hooked up with Austin Collie to convert a 4th-and-18. That would lead to a Harvey Unga touchdown with just seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Cougars.

This year we all should expect one of the better games in the Holy War's history.

Utah, I feel, has a very distinct advantage this year. They not only are playing at home, but they can also watch film of BYU vs. TCU, the one game the Cougars were unable to win. In fact, BYU just didn't lose—they were taken apart.

All the things TCU did well to win the game, look for Utah to do as well. This includes bringing a lot of pressure off the edge from blitzes and stunts. If they leave Max Hall with time, he will tear their defense apart. Unlike the BYU defense, Utah will not allow that to happen. They also have the athletes on defense to contain the likes of Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta.

On the offensive side for Utah, they are led by QB Brian Johnson, who likes to spread the ball around to all his talented receivers and does so very well.

What I would look for the Utes to do a lot of is the direct snap to Matt Asiata. TCU did that and had huge gains on nearly all of those play types. But with Asiata it will not be speed but power running coming at the Cougar secondary. Darrel Mack has also given the Cougars fits for the last two years.

Now BYU is my team, don't get me wrong, and I hope they go to Salt Lake and win, but I don't see it happening.

The Cougars, ranked No. 14, have one of the most powerful offenses in the country, but with exception to that, Max Hall has to have time to throw the ball or else he tends to force the ball to Collie or Pitta. Also Unga has not been himself for weeks now, and without his power running, look for BYU to look to senior back Fui Vakapuna to carry the load.

Austin Collie now has the most receiving yards in a single season at BYU with still two games to play. Dennis Pitta is as good a tight end as you will find anywhere in the country. He makes catches that just make you say wow, and all seem routine. If Max Hall has time to throw to these weapons, then look for BYU to score in the 30s to 40s.

What concerns me is the Cougar defense. BYU has a tendency to just play a certain defense no matter what is happening on the field. In the TCU game they failed to adjust to what the Horned Frogs were doing well and allowed a 32-point game. Since the TCU game the defense has allowed 28 ppg.

The Utes, I think, will pound the ball with Mack and Asiata and then use a lot of play action and get some big passing plays against the Cougar D.

This game is going to be action-packed, no doubt about it. Don't look for a 13-10 score like the Utah vs. TCU game was. I would say that this game will be 45-35 with Utah coming out on top and earning their second BCS bid.

BYU will then finish third in the MWC and end up in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, with their opponent coming from the C-USA.

Mountain West Conference Teams Causing Major BCS Problems

Bryan Gonzalez — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:38:06 -0500

After the first article in this series, I feel very much like Jim Rome when he says, "This is what I'm burning on today."

And "this," of course, is the BCS and the so-called power conferences of college football.

Last Thursday, on ESPN's talk show PTI, Tony Kornheiser said that if teams like Boise State, TCU, Utah, etc. want to get consideration for a national championship, they need to get into a better conference.

I cannot say how infuriated that made me.

What else can the teams in the non-BCS conferences do to gain respect?

You cannot put Boise State in the same sentence as a Utah State or Idaho. After what they have done in the past five years or so, you would have to consider them an elite football school.

Maybe they don't have the same talent as the SEC or Big 12, but the results they put out are undeniable.

The Broncos are undefeated and looking to make it to their second BCS game in three years.

Utah is currently ranked No. 7 in the BCS after beating then-No. 12 TCU in a thriller last Thursday. It seems that even though the Hornfrogs were ranked 12th, Utah's win was diminished a little because it is in the Mountain West Conference.

But because of this win, the Utes are looking at their second BCS appearance.

As you probably remember, Utah became the original BCS buster in 2004, when it blew out Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

How can you say that a team looking at its second BCS game in five years is not among the top programs in the country?

The MWC, in my opinion, is either the second- or third-best conference, behind only the Big 12 and, maybe, the SEC.

Utah, TCU, BYU, and Air Force are all ranked in the top 30. Some people have said the lower half of the MWC is horrible, but this past week Wyoming went across the country and beat Tennessee, an SEC team.

The Big East's highest-ranked team is No. 21 Pitt. The ACC's highest-ranked team is No. 16 North Carolina.

Both of those teams have two losses. Meanwhile, the MWC has three teams in front of them.

The Pac-10 has No. 6 USC and, uh, Oregon (I'll whisper their name). But USC is the Pac-10.

The Big Ten suffered a huge blow when Penn State lost to Iowa this past weekend. Ohio State has been playing better, but I'm still not sold on the Buckeyes.

As a whole, the Big Ten has struggled this year.

The SEC and Big 12 have great teams, but I fear that we have overrated the SEC quite a bit. However, there still are great teams that hold down that conference.

And in the last three weeks, we all have seen the great games that have come from the Big 12.

In ending this edition, I'll close with this: All the naive, one-sided people in the country need to open their eyes to the quality of football outside of the BCS conferences.

No longer can they continue to deny the respect that non-BCS schools have clearly earned.

BYU Cougars Look Like a Team Running Scared

Bryan Gonzalez — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:57:52 -0500

Its amazing to look at what the BYU Cougars were just four weeks ago and then see the difference in what they have become today.

From the beginning of the year up to four weeks ago, all of Cougar nation, including myself, was up in arms to try to bust the BCS and gain respect on a national level once more. After two consecutive shutouts and a convincing win at Utah St., BYU looked poised to be the front-runner for a BCS game out of all non-BCS schools.

But what BYU failed to do was look at the reality of their situation. The Cougars were in denial that any team in the MWC would give them any problems and focused too much on whether they were being dropped or jumped in the polls instead of the next opponent. That problem seems to still be there.

It started in the New Mexico game, when the Cougars failed to put away the Lobos. If New Mexico had better talent, they would have won that game. The offense looked sluggish, and the defense looked soft—not exactly the type of game you want to play before you play arguably the best team on your schedule.

When the Cougars stepped on the field in Texas, the game was over before they took a breath. TCU was better prepared and better coached. They played with more emotion, and they punched BYU in the face and kept punching 'til the game was over.

That game really made me sick. BYU refused to adjust to what TCU was doing, and for some reason I'll never understand, thought that what they were doing would work no matter what or who they were playing.

Well, I thought a 32-7 score would give the coaching staff and players a wake-up call, but I was wrong.

In the last two weeks, BYU's defense has been nonexistent. There is no intensity or emotion, they are just flat. I don't know why BYU thinks that they can play a bend but don't break kind of defense, because teams aren't stupid—they watch the game tape and will attack you.

What once was an aggressive hard-hitting defense now looks like a piece of paper trying to stop a freight train. What is so infuriating is the coaching staff will not change it.

Whenever a team needs a first down, all they have to do is run a 10-yard hitch or out and they will get it, because the corners are 10 yards off the ball and backpedaling on the snap. I'm 21 years old, and I can make an offensive game plan to beat a defense like that.

The offense seems to be back to where they were in the earlier part of the season, but I personally think it is just an illusion because they have played weak teams. Max Hall is a great QB, but he still has a very bad habit of throwing to Collie or Pitta just because, not because it's the right read.

If he can break this habit and take what the defense gives him instead of forcing the ball, he will be truly great.

Collie, Pitta, Vakapuna, and Hall (other than the aforementioned) have been great and done their best for the team to win. But I see major problems with the rest of the offense.

Harvey Unga is a great back, but he is not running with power like he has shown us all last year and some of this year. He has been trying to be a finesse back and trying to run around people instead of through them, and it's not working. I blame it on an obviously sore ankle. Despite good numbers, he has not been nearly as effective as in the past.

The offensive line has looked confused at times when teams bring a lot of blitzes at them and aren't very fast. TCU killed them with speed off the edge, and if they cannot adjust, I promise Utah will bring heat all day long to pressure Hall.

Finally, what is wrong with Michael Reed? He is starting to look like Todd Watkins in his senior year. He just can't catch the ball right now. He is letting the ball get into his chest and isn't catching the ball with his hands. This is a big problem because without him to balance the defense, they can focus on Collie and Pitta.

There is so much more I could vent on, but I will close with this. If BYU does not toughen up and start playing the aggressive kind of football they were earlier in the year, they could end the year third in the MWC.

After a Week of Upsets, Could BYU Play for the BCS Title?

Bryan Gonzalez — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:44:36 -0400

When this season started, I was extremely optimistic that the BYU Cougars were most definitely in the driver's seat to crash the BCS.

But this Sunday, I found myself in a very intriguing conversation with my family. We were actually talking about BYU possibly playing for the National Title!!

Now, I don't want to get ahead of myself or anyone else, because I know it is only Week 6 and so many things still have to fall into place for the Cougars to have a shot. But after so many upsets in Week 5, the Cougars are in a position to strike.

Five teams that were ranked higher than the Cougars lost, including previous No. 1 USC.

So in turn, BYU jumped from No. 11 to No. 8. But Week 5 should just be a taste of what could be coming, because six of the seven teams in front of BYU in the polls play each other.

Some teams even have two games remaining against top 10 opponents. Here is a brief look at the very tough schedule ahead for teams in front of BYU.

1. Oklahoma: No. 5 Texas, No. 16 Kansas, No. 7 Texas Tech, and No. 21 Oklahoma State.

2. Alabama: @ No. 4 LSU and No. 14 Auburn

3. LSU: @No. 12 Florida, No. 11 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama, and Ole Miss.

4. Missouri: No. 21 Oklahoma St., @ No. 5 Texas, and No. 16 Kansas.

5. Texas: @No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Missouri, No. 21 Oklahoma St., @No. 7 Texas Tech, @No. 16 Kansas.

6. Penn St.: @No. 18 Wisconsin, @No. 14 Ohio St.

7. Texas Tech: @No. 16 Kansas, No. 5 Texas, No. 21 Oklahoma St., @No. 1 Oklahoma.

So looking at all of this, it is very clear that, for any of these teams, going the rest of the season undefeated is going to be extremely difficult.

I wouldn't put my money on any of them. The one I say has the best chance would be Penn State. But they have struggled to beat the likes of Michigan and Ohio State in recent years, so we will see how that plays out.

But for the sake of the article, we will assume all of the aforementioned teams lose at least one game.

So let's just run through the rest of the season and what needs to happen. BYU, of course, needs to take care of their business in the Mountain West Conference, the way they have for two consecutive years.

Their toughest games are all on the road, against TCU, Air Force, and then the season finale versus Utah. Hopefully, for BYU's sake, Utah will be able to get through the conference schedule undefeated as well, no doubt putting them in the top 10 as well.

Then, when the two teams met, not only will it be a heated rivalry game, but BCS and possible National Championship hopes will be on the line.

If the Cougars are able to beat Utah, that would give them the quality win they needed over a Top Ten opponent. Now with that resume, you would think that there is no way the Cougars could be denied a shot at winning the Crystal Ball in the National Championship game.

Well, you would be mistaken. If a team somehow makes it out of the SEC with just one loss, then look for that team to jump the Cougars. The same goes for any team in the Big 12. USC could also jump BYU later in the season if they are able to keep it together.

Even though the Pac 10 is weak and they shouldn't, we all have to factor in that it happens to be USC and that's the way it is. In the Big East, USF could also be undefeated come December and could quite possibly pass the Cougars. We will just have to wait and see.

I would give the Cougars a 10 percent chance of making it to the championship game, even though they have a legit resume to post up against anyone in the country. The BCS will stop at almost nothing to leave BYU out of it.

Now, 10 percent isn't much, but it is still a chance. With as tough as the Big 12 and SEC are, you could very well see the conference champion having two losses, and that would make BYU's case even stronger.

So BYU fans will have to swallow some pride and cheer for Utah all the way up until Nov. 22, when the two teams meet. Then we will just have to wait and see what happens.

BYU Who? How About Some Love For The Not-So-Little Guy?

Bryan Gonzalez — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:06:27 -0400

For the second straight week, the BYU Cougars shut out their opponent at Lavell Edwards Stadium. This week it was a 44-0 beating of Wyoming. That means that BYU has scored 103 unanswered points in the past two games.

I realize that the two teams that the Cougars played weren't exactly stellar, in fact they were pretty bad. But I don't care who you are or who you're playing, when you score that many points and don't let the other team score at all, it deserves some respect!

Even though BYU head football coach Bronco Mendenhall wont say that it is complete garbage that the Cougars are overlooked by just about everyone in Bristol (ESPN), I have no problem saying that.

I love watching SportsCenter and I've always loved the college football programs, but every week I'm loosing more and more respect for the so-called experts. I couldn't even find a clip on espn.com about the game! What kind of crap is that?

BYU is a top 15 team and they were just about left out of the show. Now, I don't know about you, but that is wrong. Especially when BYU is making a serious push to a BCS game. Quarterback Max Hall has 15 touchdowns already and is just barely on the Heisman list, then BYU's defense shuts out two opponents in a row and it isn't even a blip on the national radar.

Well, it's a cryin' shame, but it is what the Cougars and the rest of the non-BCS schools have to deal with. Until, of course, another mid-tier team beats a ranked BCS team, like Boise St. did this weekend to then-No. 17 Oregon (which, by the way, only dropped three spots in the polls).

TCU will no doubt deserve some much-needed respect if it is able to take down Oklahoma next week. Utah already has a good win over Michigan in the "Big House." And Boise St., as I mentioned before, handed Oregon its first loss of the season.

I just think its about time that the big boys give respect where respect is due. The normal teams in the normally powerful conferences are just not that good anymore. The better teams in the country are noticeably better than the bad ones this year, but the thing is that a few of those really good teams aren't in a BCS conference.

BYU, Utah TCU, Tulsa, Boise St., and Ball St. are all undefeated, and it's wrong to think that they do not deserve to be mentioned with the former powerhouse schools of college football.

Ladies and Gentleman of the BCS, You Have a SERIOUS Problem!

Bryan Gonzalez — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:13:33 -0400

For all the fans who absolutely hate the BCS, this weekend in college football couldn't help but leave you smiling.

We all remember the joke that was the Utah-Pitt game in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, as Utah destroyed the Big East Champs 35-7. Well, this year, it looks as if the same result could be on its way.

Except there are a few more kinks in the process this year. In 2005, Utah was the only non-BCS team even close to busting the party, but this year not only are ECU, BYU, and Utah all ranked in the top 25, but all have quality wins over BCS schools and are looking better than most of the BCS conference teams.

The luster of the BCS conferences is gone. Teams are no longer afraid of the BCS teams and come expecting to win now.

It started last year with Appalachian State over Michigan and has overlapped into this year. Here is how I see things so far in each of the BCS conferences and potential BCS busters this year.

ACC

In the pre-season, this conference certainly was talking the talk, as Clemson was ranked No. 9 in the country and was supposedly looking to make a national title run.

But in Week One, the Tigers were embarrassed by a young Alabama team on national TV, 34-10. Virginia Tech would have been the choice after Clemson, but the ECU Pirates gave the Hokies a bit of their own medicine, winning on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

Even though it is known as a basketball school, Wake Forest looks to be the top team in this conference. They have a good offense and are a very solid team, nothing great, but good enough to win this weak conference.

Big East

This conference might not be as bad as people think, but it still is just an average conference as a whole.

No. 18 South Florida proved they are a good team, beating No. 13 Kansas this week 37-34 on a game-winning field goal. They look as if they will win the conference.

UConn is undefeated after three weeks of play, but is untested and needed overtime to beat Temple in week two.

ECU strikes again, as they ended the then No. 8 Mountaineers national title hopes in week two. The Pirates dismantled West Virginia 24-3 and put the two-time Big East champs on their backs.

Big Ten

This is the most overrated conference in the country. Not to say there are no good teams, because Penn State and Wisconsin are very good teams with Ohio State right behind them.

But after that there is a significant drop. These teams are always put in games against the SEC and just get trashed, most notably Ohio State in the last two national championships.

I think Penn State will win this conference with one loss and will do well in a BCS game.

Pac-10

Well, so sorry for teams in the Pac-10, but in week 3, the Pac-10 was swept in four games by the Mountain West Conference.

This includes No. 15 Arizona State losing to UNLV in the final seconds and UCLA getting shut out by BYU 59-0.

Oregon is a good team and is ranked No. 16, but the Ducks needed double-overtime to beat lowly Purdue. What has kept this conference alive this year has been the best team in the country, the USC Trojans.

In Week 3, USC convincingly beat No. 5 Ohio State in L.A. and looks poised to be in the BCS title game come January.

Big 12

This is a conference I do not have a problem with sending a team to the BCS. There is a lot of talent and plenty of good teams to choose.

Oklahoma and Missouri look as if they are at the top of the conference, with Texas right behind them. It's hard to pick against OK, but I think it is Missouri's year to shine with their powerful offense scoring over 50 points per game.

SEC

There is only one problem with the SEC. THEY ARE TOO GOOD!! It's hard to even call this a problem, but it's true.

The SEC has four teams are in the Top Ten, with Alabama not far out at No. 11. There are no gimme games in this conference, and I honestly am not brave enough to try and pick a winner right now simply, because I just don't know.

This conference is just scary good.

BCS Busters

Well, after an eventful Week Three, the list has been trimmed from four hopefuls to three: BYU, ECU, and Utah.

ECU snuck by Tulane 28-24 Saturday in unimpressive fashion, but then again Alabama didn't exactly kill Tulane either.

Utah beat lowly Utah State 58-10 and has looked fantastic all year so far. Finally, BYU slaughtered UCLA 59-0 in Provo. Quarterback Max Hall tied a school record with seven touchdown passes, six coming in the first half.

Sadly, not all three can end the season undefeated, because BYU and Utah play each other at the end of the year. If they meet and both are undefeated at that point, how awesome will that game be?

Being a BYU fan, I must give the edge to BYU. The Cougars silenced critics with a beat-down of UCLA, who beat No. 18 Tennessee in Week One. The defense has played solidly all year and the offense is one of the best in the country, if not the best.

This year is going to be one of the best in recent memory. The quality of play is now not only in the BCS conferences but all over in every conference.

Teams who used to have no business beating BCS teams now do it a lot more than we are used to seeing. I truly feel that the boundary between BCS and non-BCS teams is closing in a hurry.

BYU Cougar Fans to Face New Rivals As UCLA Bruins Roll into Town

Bryan Gonzalez — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:04:08 -0400

Saturday marks the third meeting between BYU and UCLA in less than a year, and once again the stakes are extremely high, as 18th-ranked BYU is looking to take another step toward a possible BCS birth. UCLA, which is just outside the top 25, is looking for a second straight victory against a top-25 opponent.

In their first meeting last year, BYU dominated the game offensively but was unable to finish drives and seemed to make untimely turnovers just when it seemed they would be able to break the game wide open.

UCLA played excellent defense and pressured quarterback Max Hall from the outside all game long. Their offense was by no means even close to what BYU's was, but they were able to put enough points on the scoreboard to beat the Cougars in Pasadena, 27-17.

The two teams met again in the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl. BYU was riding a nine-game winning streak and a dramatic win versus hated rival Utah. The Cougars once again seemed to dominate the game offensively, and early in the game it looked as if it could turn into a blowout victory. But, once again, the turnover bug bit BYU, as Harvey Unga fumbled in his own red zone, with just 19 seconds left in the first half. UCLA recovered and was able to put the ball in the end zone with no time left.

UCLA rode the big swing in momentum through the entire second half, shutting out the Cougars. The Bruins offense by no means was impressive, but, once again, made enough plays to put the team in a position to win.

With just three seconds left, in a finish very similar to last week's BYU win over Washington, UCLA lined up for what seemed like the winning 28-yard field goal. But BYU's Eathyn Manumaleuna was able to get just enough of the ball to leave it short of the goal posts and the Cougars escaped with a 17-16 win.

As the BYU faithful rushed the field to celebrate a second straight Las Vegas Bowl victory, UCLA players were left in shock and some even in tears.

With new head football coach Rick Neuheisel bringing a breath of fresh air to the Bruins, UCLA will most certainly be out for blood to avenge the last second lose in the desert last December. UCLA has a lot of momentum as the Bruins were able to pull of an upset over then-No. 18 Tennessee in a dramatic overtime win two weeks ago, with a bye last week.

This week, look for the Bruins to use their extremely fast defense to put a lot of pressure on Hall, much like they did one year ago in Pasadena. On the offensive side, the Bruins have a ton of speed at the receiver position. If Kevin Craft can get them the ball the way he did in the fourth quarter of Week One, BYU's less-than-average secondary will have fits stopping the talented wideouts.

No doubt UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who was an assistant at BYU from 1973-1999, will look to attack the obvious weak point in BYU's defense.

The Cougars have one of the best offenses in the country. Hall is completing 78 percent of his passes and has thrown for 824 yards and five touchdowns in only two games. He will be throwing to the nation's leading receiver, who happens to be a tight end. Dennis Pitta has caught 21 passes for 361 yards and one touchdown.

BYU can also run the ball very well, as running back Harvey Unga is averaging just shy of five yards per carry and has 200 yards along with two touchdowns this year.

What worries me is BYU's defense. The D-line and linebackers are as solid as you'll find in the country. But that secondary is vulnerable, as we saw last week at Washington. And the Cougars have the most predicable 3rd-and-long defense I've ever seen. It's a soft-cover three-zone that gets killed by any team with an above-average passing attack.

It drives me crazy, because they have done it as long as I can remember and it never works! All the receivers have to do is run past the first down, find the hole in the zone, and turn around. Pretty simple if you ask me.

"They say the definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different result." That is from "Try it Again," a song by the band The Hives. Maybe one day BYU will recognize this error, but, according to history, it's unlikely.

This game has all the ingredients needed for a rivalry. Close finishes, bad blood (see Ben Olsen), plenty of motivation, and conference pride as BYU represents the Mountain West and UCLA the Pac-10.

The advantage I feel is still in BYU's favor. The Cougars have won 14 straight at Lavell Edwards Stadium since loosing to Boston College in 2005. The house for sure is gonna be rockin' in Provo on Saturday as BYU looks to increase the nation's longest winning streak to 12 games.

BYU-Washington: No. 15 Cougars Escape Husky Stadium With 28-27 Win

Bryan Gonzalez — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:09:14 -0400

Usually when a team blocks a field goal, it is regarded as a great play of desire and effort. In last year's Las Vegas bowl, the BYU Cougars did just that on the final play to end the game and edge UCLA, 17-16.

But on Saturday, when BYU again made a huge play on special teams and blocked the 35-yard extra point to seal a 28-27 win over Washington, there was a much different tone coming from fans and commentators alike.

The really sad thing is that this was a great, hard-fought football game. BYU showcased how good they really are on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Max Hall looked extremely sharp for the second straight week, throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. I really think that he is a dark horse this year for the Heisman trophy if he continues to play this way.

Running back Harvey Unga ran the ball 23 times for 136 yards as the BYU offensive line dominated the Huskies' front men the entire game, opening lanes for Unga and keeping Hall comfortable.

Tight end Dennis Pitta had another 100-plus yard game, finishing with 148 yards on 10 catches. Pitta is emerging as one of the top tight ends in all of college football. In just two games he has 21 catches for 361 yards and one touchdown.

Washington looked much improved from the team that got spanked last week by Oregon 44-10. Jake Locker completed 17 of 32 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 68 yards and one touchdown. But that was not enough to upset the BCS-minded Cougars.

The Cougars hadn't won a road game against a BCS conference team since beating Mississippi St. in 2001. Critics have been skeptical of BYU's chances of making a BCS run because of this streak.

In the fourth quarter, things looked like they were about to swing in the Cougars' favor when BYU had the ball in the red zone. But a Harvey Unga fumble on the one-yard line ended the drive and gave UW a sigh of relief.

However, the BYU defense held and gave Max Hall a chance to give the Cougars the lead. Hall led the Cougars down the field and finished the drive with a 15-yard toss to Dennis Pitta with 3:32 left on the clock.

The next few minutes saw Locker miss open receivers but make up for it by scrambling for first downs and converting on a 4th-and-10 on a 13-yard scamper. Then, with only two seconds left and the ball on the BYU three-yard line, Locker again found himself slipping past BYU defenders and stumbling into the end zone.

Now this is where it gets interesting. When Locker got up to celebrate what looked like a classic finish, he threw the ball high in the air—and almost immediately a yellow flag followed. The call was unsportsmanlike conduct, and a 15-yard penalty was assessed to the PAT.

"It's unfortunate, but it's one that they almost have to call," Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham said. "It really should be a no-call, but it's one that they have to call when they see it."

On the PAT try, BYU got a huge push up the middle, and defensive end Jan Jorgensen was able to get a hand on it and block the kick. The Cougars snapped their road losing streak against BCS opponents and escaped a hard-fought game with a 28-27 win.

The hard part about this is that, as a BYU fan, I'm ecstatic because this was a huge win for the Cougars—but as a college football fan, I'm sickened by it.

Locker wasn't trying to taunt anyone—he just led his team down the field and gave them a chance to win the game. As a result of all the emotion, he threw the ball in the air.

I don't see the problem with that at all because the emotion and passion of the game is what separates college sports from professional sports. When you penalize a young man for showing his emotion, you hurt the game.

I do not blame the officials because they did their jobs and followed the rule. The rule is you cannot throw the ball in the air, period. It's like the speed limit: You may not like it, but it is still a rule.

And for those who are saying the official was just thinking of how to get involved and affect the outcome, look at the game tape. These were Pac-10 officials, and there were blown calls on both sides all game.

In my opinion, it was extremely one-sided in Washington's favor, but that is part of the game! Sometimes you get good breaks, and sometimes you get bad ones.

I blame the board that made this rule how it is. Hopefully this rule will be changed in a hurry because it will only hurt the game.

Nevertheless, when a penalty is called, you still need to be able to execute on special teams. The penalty did not take away the PAT and automatically give BYU the win.

Yes, it made it more difficult, but the last time I checked, a 35-yard field goal, dead center in the middle of the field, isn't exactly hard either. Good kickers make that 99 percent of the time, and Washington has a good kicker in Ryan Perkins.

A big play was still needed to either tie the game for Washington or win the game for BYU, and BYU made the big play when it was needed. That is what great teams do: They make the big plays at the right time.

Next week BYU will play host to UCLA in Provo. This is arguably the toughest challenge the Cougars will see until they play Utah at the end of the season.

BYU Cougars Survive Mistakes, Take Care of Business in Week One

Bryan Gonzalez — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:03:38 -0400

There has not been a team in Provo with such promise and hype in recent memory as the one that is there now at Brigham Young University. Week One was supposed to be more of a scrimmage than a game, but the Northern Iowa Panthers gave the 16th-ranked team in the country a bit more than they bargained for.

The Panthers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to come within 10 at 27-17 before BYU seized back control of the game in a 41-17 victory Saturday.

The first half went very much according to plan as the Cougars dominated all aspects of the game with UNI getting one big play that led to a field goal. BYU running back Harvey Unga scored two touchdowns on the ground and caught another from quarterback Max Hall in the first half. He finished the game with 64 yards on 18 carries. The Cougars went into halftime with a cozy 27-3 lead.

The third quarter, however, was a completely different story. Penalties, turnovers, and a trick play resulted in the Panthers being down just 10 with 5:59 left in the third quarter. BYU fans were clearly not happy as their team was clearly dominating the game but could not finish drives that should have ended in scores. Instead, the Cougar defense kept trotting out after a BYU fumble.

Despite all the mental mistakes, the Cougars never seemed as if they thought they were in danger, and more than half of UNI's 362 total yards came on two plays. All of the anxiety in the game was self-inflicted by the Cougars.

The offense, besides the turnovers, was virtually unstoppable; Hall threw for 486 yards and two touchdowns, and ran in another score. Tight end Dennis Pitta set a new personal best with 213 yards receiving.

In the fourth quarter, the Cougars put away the Panthers by extending their lead to 34 on a Hall run. Then a Bryan Kariya 14-yard touchdown run was icing on the cake for the Cougars, as they pushed the longest winning streak in the country to 11 games.

With one of their toughest tests coming next week at Washington, the Cougars cannot make all the mistakes they made today if they want to come home from Seattle 2-0.

With Utah winning at the big house and the Cougar offense looking very very good, Nov. 22, when the two teams play, could have both teams looking for a berth in a BCS game. Like the BYU vs. Utah rivalry needs anymore fuel to the fire, as the last two games were literally settled on the final play.

Utah Jazz Fans Should Be Very Excited for New Season!

Bryan Gonzalez — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:16:09 -0400

After the disappointing loss in the playoffs to the Lakers, I've heard a lot of griping and moaning about the play of Carlos Boozer.

Well, I am here to let you know that all Jazz fans should be very excited about what they saw from not only Boozer, but Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko in the summer Olympics.

Granted Boozer had extremely limited minutes. But what we saw from him when he played was a healthy looking back and hustle on defense, something that was missing from him for the last part of last season. Also, he is entering a contract season, and this usually brings out the best in a player as he is trying to get his money.

Kirilenko played big minutes and was by far the best player on the Russian national team. Just looking at his stats made me very optimistic that he could come back and possibly even, though not likely, have another all-star year.

After signing a three-year deal to remain in Utah, Williams earned a spot on the Team USA roster alongside draft rival Chris Paul and Jason Kidd. Not only do I think playing with Paul and Kidd will make Williams that much better, but learning and playing with players of that caliber will give him an edge that we saw a little bit of in the playoffs last year.

The edge is the ability to take over a game and carry the team to a win. Just being around the type of players that are on the team, the attitude is contagious. Because of this, I expect to see Williams in the MVP race this year.

Along with the three players that were in the Olympics, the Jazz return every major contributor. Also, trading Jason Heart and adding Brevin Knight can't be a bad thing.

Memo Okur showed at the end of last year that he can play down low and grab rebounds with anyone. He became a double-double machine.

If he can play like that for a full season, that gives the Jazz three or four players that will tough it out down low for rebounding dominance. And we all know of the "money man's" ability to make the big play in crunch time.

To sure up the starting lineup, I think Ronnie Brewer will have his breakout year. Last year was solid for him, as he averaged just over 12 PPG. This year if he will be a threat from long-range and shoot the ball the way he did earlier last year he could be around 16 PPG. This would make teams guard him and open the middle of the lane for Williams and Boozer.

Now to the bench. I believe the Jazz have one of the top three benches in the league. All that is missing is a back-up center. Hopefully first round draft pick Kosta Koufos can play a roll early on.

Ronnie Price obviously has the spot in backing up Williams and with his hustle (see block on Luke Walton) and offensive aggressiveness Williams will have some time to rest.

Kyle Korver finished third in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award last year. This year, expect to see much of the same. A full year in the system can only help the sharp shooter, whose defense is vastly underrated.

Matt Harpring is old no doubt being the oldest player on the roster. But he is so tough, solid, and consistent, how can you not play the man? His 15 ft. jumper is butter on a role and his leadership is good for when Williams is off the floor.

Is Paul Milsap the future for the Jazz at the power forward position? Who knows? But for now, he is the enforcer off the bench. His energy, passion, hustle, and determination are huge off the bench for the Jazz.

My theory is if he doesn't get a rebound, he gets fouled. Also, his offense is getting better and has shown flashes of brilliance on the low block.

All in all, when you have a bench that goes four, possibly five deep, it gives your team such a lift when the starters aren't in that they can not only maintain a lead but increase it.

A lot of things are in the team's favor this year. Is this the year the Jazz finally bring home a title? The West is too talented to make any guarantees, but I believe this year is as good a chance as they have ever had. But only time will tell.

Olympic Men's Basketball: Redeem Team Puts USA Back On Top

Bryan Gonzalez — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:02:31 -0400

"This team is not big enough. They can't compete with experienced international teams. They have no half-court offense."

All of these things were said about the "Redeem Team," the 2008 USA Men's Basketball team—yet when it was all said and done, the gold medals were hung around their necks and the American national anthem was played once more.

Since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the USA has not won an international basketball tournament. In that time, the United States Basketball has experienced its lowest points in history.

In the 2004 Olympic Games, a team led by Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan was stunned by Argentina in the semifinals and walked away with the bronze. Then in 2005, the U.S. placed fourth in the FIBA Americas championships. It was clear that the world had not only caught the USA, but passed them, as far as the way of the team game and not talent alone. Change was needed—and fast.

The Americans no doubt had their backs against the wall. Not only had the USA not won a tournament in six years, but there was a very real possibility that the United States would even not have a team in the Beijing Olympics, as they needed to advance to the finals of the FIBA Americas Championships to even qualify.

The U.S. abandoned the old formula of building a team by getting some All-Stars together three weeks before a tournament. Micheal Colangelo, the director of USA Basketball, hired Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who brought with him a very experienced coaching staff that included new New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.

Along with the change at head coach the entire team was given a major overhaul with only four players (James, Wade, Boozer, and Anthony) returning from the 2004 squad that won the bronze. Players were asked for a three-year commitment, and responded with enthusiasm and the will to put USA Basketball on top.

It was clear early on that the formula was working, as the Americans cruised through the FIBA Championships and won the gold—along with a spot in the summer games in Beijing.

This new group of players impressed many with their dominance in exhibition games in preparation for the Olympics. The "Redeem Team" was now firing on all cylinders on the road to Beijing.

When the team arrived in Beijing, they played with a fire and determination that had not been seen in a long time for USA Basketball. Led by Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and a resurgent Dwayne Wade off the bench, the "Redeem Team" looked unbeatable in pool play.

The U.S. dominated China, Angola, Greece, Spain, and Germany, winning by an average of 32 points—including a 32-point rout of defending world champs Spain. and a spanking of Germany by 49. The U.S. entered the medal rounds at 5-0.

Breezing past the Aussies in the quarterfinals behind a 25-point effort from Kobe, the U.S. faced Argentina in the semis. Despite a tough challenge from Argentina, the "Redeem Team" moved onto the gold-medal game against Spain.

Here is where the Americans' resolve was truly tested. LeBron and Kobe both had early foul trouble, and it looked as if Spain had a window of opportunity. But in came Dwayne Wade, who had a massive game with 28 points, and helped to hold off Spain in the first half.

The USA was now just a half away from redemption and the gold medal. Into the second half, Spain played out of their skulls and would not let the U.S. pull away. Every time the U.S. went on a run, the Spaniards had an answer. Rudy Fernandez and Paul Gasol both kept Spain in it the entire game.

But behind clutch shots from Dwayne Wade, Deron Williams, and Kobe Bryant, the "Redeem Team" pulled ahead and won the gold medal, 118-107. The look on all the players' faces said it all.

Watching this team was a thrill for myself and the whole country. Not only did they win, but they did so with class and represented our great country as well as anyone could. This team was not just about a basketball redemption—but the spirit of wearing the colors red, white, and blue. All of the members of the team were seen at other Olympic events cheering on their countrymen—most noteably LeBron and Kobe with their arms in the air when Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal.

This will not only be a victory for this team but I feel for many teams to come. They have set the bar where it needs to be—and it once again means something to wear the jersey of the USA.

America is proud of what this group of athletes did over there. Tthey most certainly have accomplished what they set out to do—redeem!