HOMECOMING: BYU vs. COLORADO STATE
After Saturday's come-from-behind win over New Mexico, BYU is now 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars will be back home this Saturday after two weeks on the road as they take on Colorado State in this year's homecoming game. The Rams are also coming off a comeback win, a 21-17 victory over Utah. In BYU's game against New Mexico, the Cougars went up 6-0 but found themselves down 21-13 at the half. The Lobos added a field goal in the third to go up 24-13. John Beck led the charge back as he engineered a 13-play, 93-yard drive in the fourth that ended with Curtis Brown scoring on a nine-yard run, cutting the decifit to 24-19. After a failed two-point conversion, BYU's defense stopped the Lobos and forced a punt. With 2:48 remaining, Beck took his team 80 yards in 1:08 on five-of-five passing and finished the drive with a 23-yard scoring strike to Matt Allen. Brown punched in the two-point conversion to make the score 27-24 and the defense again stopped the Lobos to seal the win.
A LOOK AT THE RAMS
The Rams are off to a 3-2 overall start and have a 2-0 MWC record. Colorado State started 0-2 with losses to Colorado and Minnesota before defeating Nevada. From there the Rams started MWC action and beat Air Force 41-23 and then Utah 21-17. The Rams run a balanced offense, with Kyle Bell and Justin Holland leading the attack. Bell has accumlated 604 rushing yards and five touchdowns in five games while Holland has thrown for 1,269 yards and 12 touchdowns. Holland's top target is David Anderson, who has 37 receptions for 470 yards and four touchdowns.
COMPLETE BROADCAST PLANS
Television: SportsWest will broadcast BYU's game against Colorado State locally. The game can be seen in Utah on KJZZ, Ch. 14. Fox Sports Rocky Mountain will also broadcast the game in the Denver area. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. (MT). Saturday's game against the Rams will also be rebroadcast by BYU Television and KBYU-TV. BYU TV will rebroadcast the game Monday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. K-BYU-TV will televise the game Monday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 p.m. To check availability in your area, visit http://www.byutv.org/getbyutv/. The Church Satellite System will also broadcast the game.
Radio: Fans can also catch the game by tuning into KSL Radio, 1160 AM and 102.7 FM, and follow the game live as Greg Wrubell calls the action, Marc Lyons offers expert analysis and James Dye reports from the sideline.
Internet: A live webcast of the game, which includes play-by-play and up-to-the minute statistics, can be viewed by logging on to: http://www.byucougars.com/football. In addition to the webcast, a live audio stream will be available on the following URLs: http://ksl.com and http://www.byuradio.org/streaming.
SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday's game will be the 64th meeting between BYU and Colorado State. The Cougars lead the overall series 33-27-3 and hold an 18-11 advantage in Provo. Dating back to 1980, BYU holds a 7-3 edge in Provo. Last season, the Cougars defeated the Rams 31-21 and were led by the running of Fahu Tahi and Curtis Brown, who combined for 191 yards and three touchdowns. The last time Colorado State visited Provo, the Rams won 58-13.
MORE BIG NUMBERS FROM BECK
After scoring just 10 points in the loss San Diego State, John Beck did his part to get the offense back on track against New Mexico, completing 34-of-44 passes for 371 yards and three touchdown passes. The 371 yards were the second most yards he has passed for this season, the third most in his career and the seventh 300-yard game of his career. Beck also moved into 10th for most career passing yards in BYU history with 5,161, surpassing Virgil Carter who has 5,125.
HARLINE EARNS NATIONAL TIGHT END WEEKLY HONOR
After totaling over 100 yards receiving in back-to-back games, and helping BYU to a come-from-behind win over New Mexico, BYU tight end Jonny Harline has been named the national John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. Harline grabbed a career-high 10 receptions and equaled a career-high 123 yards. A week earlier he had seven receptions for 123 yards against San Diego State. Harline is the first BYU tight end to record 246 yards over two games since Chris Smith totaled 284 yards over two games in 1990. Smith had 125 yards on eight receptions against Utah and eight receptions for 159 yards against Utah State. Gordon Hudson holds the tight end record for receiving yardage over a two-game stretch, posting 396 yards in two straight games during the 1981 season. He totaled 137 yards against Colorado State, followed by 259 yards against Hawaii the following week.
MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
John Beck was named the MWC Player of the Week after completing 34-of-44 passes (77.3 percent) for 371 yards and three touchdowns in BYU's come-from-behind 27-24 victory at New Mexico. Trailing 24-13 with over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Beck put together two different scoring drives that led to 14 unanswered points. The comeback started on a 13-play, 93-yard drive that cut the Lobo lead to 24-19. During the drive, Beck was 8-of-10 for 94 yards. With the Cougars still down by five points with 2:48 remaining in the game, Beck drove BYU 80 yards in five plays, connecting on five straight pass attempts, including a 23-yard pass to Matt Allen for the game-winning touchdown. This marks his second player of the week award this season and the third of his career.
BIG-TIME SCORE
Matt Allen picked an opportune time to score his first career touchdown. With the Cougars down 24-19 late in the fourth quarter against New Mexico, Allen took a pass from John Beck and ran it in from 23 yards out for the go-ahead score. Allen caught two passes for 40 yards in the game.
RETURNING IN STYLE
After sitting out BYU's game against San Diego State with injuries, linebackers Cameron Jensen and Paul Walkenhorst didn't miss a beat as they returned to the field for BYU's 27-24 win over New Mexico. Jensen had a team season-high and career-high 13 tackles (nine solos and four assists) while Walkenhorst had 11 (five solos and six assists).
TRAILING AT THE HALF
Including the 2004 season and Saturday night's game at New Mexico, the Cougars have trailed at the half in nine of 16 games. With the 27-24 win, BYU's record is 2-7 in those nine games. The Cougars trailed 21-13 at the half against New Mexico but BYU outscored the Lobos 14-3 in the second half to earn the win. It was the Cougars' first win after being down at the half since defeating Air Force 41-24 on October 23, 2004. BYU trailed 10-3 at the break against the Falcons.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Through his freshman and sophomore years, John Beck compiled 3,427 yards passing. Only two BYU quarterbacks passed for more yards in their first two years of college football. Heisman trophy winner Ty Detmer recorded 5,812 yards in 1988-89, including 4,560 in 1989 as a sophomore. John Walsh had 4,678 yards from 1991-93, including 3,727 as a sophomore in 1993. He threw for 857 in 1992 before going down with a shoulder injury and being granted a medical redshirt. Five games into his junior season, Beck has thrown for 5,161 yards, including 1,734 yards this season. Following lists each players' total yards through five games as a junior.
Total (through fourth game of junior season)
8,009
6,248
5,161
BECK NOTES:
yý With 5,161 career yards, Beck needs just 12 yards to move into fifth place on the
Mountain West Conference career passing list.
yý With 371 yards passing against New Mexico, Beck has seven career 300-yard games.
yý With 31 career touchdown passes, Beck needs four more to move into fifth place
on the Mountain West Conference career touchdown completions list.
yý With 517 yards against TCU, Beck became only the third player in league
history to pass for over 500 yards in a game.
STAT WATCH
John Beck and the Cougar offense are among national and conference leaders. Beck currently ranks third nationally in passing yards per game (346.8 p/g) and is fifth in total passing yards (1,734). He leads the Mountain West Confernce in both categories. BYU's passing offense is sixth in the nation and first in the conference while its total-offense average of 430.4 yards per game is second in the conference and 23rd in the nation. Beck leads the conferenece and is sixth nationally in total offense (335.6 yards p/g). Jared McLaughlin is fifth in the conference in scoring (6.2 pts/g).
TOUCHDOWN DROUGHT ENDS
When Daniel Coats scored with 10:27 left in the first quarter against New Mexico on an 11-yard pass from John Beck, it was a reunion with the endzone more than two years in the making. The last time Coats scored a touchdown was September 20, 2003 against Stanford. The Cougars lost that game, 18-14, in Provo.
EASY AS 1-2-3
Coming off a game against San Diego State in which he caught seven passes for 123 yards, Jonny Harline did his best to match that performance against New Mexico. The junior tight end caught 10 passes, a new career high, for 123 yards, matching the total yards he had against the Aztecs.
TWO-POINT CONVERSION
Curtis Brown punched it in for a two-point conversion after Matt Allen's go-ahead touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter against New Mexico. It was BYU's first two-point conversion since Toby Christensen converted against Boise State on October 30, 2003, in Provo. BYU lost to Boise 50-12.
WAY TO GO JOE
Filling in for Fahu Tahi against New Mexico, Joe Semanoff made an impact in the first half, running one time for six yards and catching two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown--the first of his career. His touchdown came on a five-yard swing pass from John Beck with 11:27 left in the second quarter. He also caught a 20-yard pass during the scoring drive.
WHERE'S THE BEEF?
The BYU offensive line doesn't order salads when it goes out to eat. Each starter weighs over 300 pounds for an average of 325 and a total of 1,625. They will be going up against a Colorado State defensive line that weighs an average of 269.0 pounds. The Rams' offensive line weighs on average of 294.2 pounds while BYU's defensive line weighs an average of 317.3.
THIRD-DOWN CONVERSION
Entering the game against New Mexico, the Cougars were converting just 35 percent (22-of-62) of their third downs. BYU stepped it up against the Lobos, converting 58.3 percent (7-of-12).
OPENING DRIVE SCORE
After failing to score on its opening drive against San Diego State, the Cougars got in the endzone on their first drive against New Mexico on an 11-yard pass from John Beck to Daniel Coats. The pass capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive in which BYU carried the ball six times for 48 yards, including four for 29 yards by Curtis Brown. BYU scored on its first-two drives against Eastern Illinois and TCU.
BROTHERS DON'T SIT, BROTHERS GOTTA PLAY
BYU has a long tradition of several members from the same family suiting up to hit the gridiron. Brothers Lance, Jr. and Dallas Reynolds have started all five games this season. Lance, a senior, is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in the nation. Dallas, a freshman, was heavily recruited out of high school and joined the Cougars this season after serving an LDS mission in Seattle, Washington.
ON THE AIR
The exclusive radio home of BYU Football and flagship of the Cougar Sports Network is KSL NEWSRADIO (1160 AM and 102.7 FM) in Salt Lake City. The "Voice of the Cougars" is Greg Wrubell, now in his 5th season as play-by-play commentator. A BYU alum, Wrubell joined the broadcast crew in 1992 as the sideline/lockerroom reporter. He began calling BYU basketball games in 1996.
Joining Wrubell is game analyst and former BYU quarterback Marc Lyons. Lyons is a 24-year veteran of Cougar football broadcasts and co-host of the midweek "Bronco Mendenhall Show." A pair of BYU greats join the KSL Broadcast team this season, with two-time all-conference kick returner James Dye reporting from the sidelines and lockerroom, and three-time NFL Pro-Bowl selection Chad Lewis joining Lyons and Dye on the pregame "Cougar Countdown Show." The gameday studio host is KSL's Scott Haws, a former BYU student-athlete and all-conference pitcher for the baseball Cougars.
Chief Engineer John Dehnel returns for his 21st season, while veteran statistician Ralph Sokolowsky and spotter Doug Martin complete the lineup in the booth.
KSL's game day coverage begins two hours prior to kickoff with the "Cougar Countdown Show." The "Cougar Pregame Scoreboard Show" starts the broadcast's second hour, with the "Cougar Pregame Coach's Show" 35 minutes prior to kickoff, followed by the "Cougar Kickoff Show."
After the game, KSL presents the "Cougar Postgame Scoreboard Show," followed by the "Cougar Locker Room Show," "Cougar Postgame Coach's Show," "Cougar Call-In Show" and "IFA Country Store Replay."
In-week programming includes, "Coach's Corner with Bronco Mendenhall and Greg Wrubell," Mondays and Thursdays at 8:45 am and "Cougar Matchup," Thursdays and Fridays at 8:15 am and 4:15pm. The "Bronco Mendenhall Show" airs Wednesdays at 7:00pm, while the "Coordinators' Corner" with coaches Barry Lamb and Robert Anae hits the air Thursdays at 7:00pm. KSL's Tom Kirkland co-hosts the "Bronco Mendenhall Show" on Wednesdays, while Rod Zundel host the "Coordinators' Corner" on Thursdays.
KSL also airs Cougar Sports programming exclusively online at ksl.com, including "CougarRadio," Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00pm. The weekly "Bronco Mendenhall Press Conference," live from Legends Grille, is heard live online Wednesdays at noon. In addition, Greg Wrubell will provide a weekly look inside Cougar Football on "Cougar Tracks." All online programs are archived, download-able and formatted for podcasting.
Stations on KSL's Cougar Sports Network include:
KSL-AM - Salt Lake City, UT
KSL-FM - Salt Lake City, UT
KDXU-AM - St. George, UT
KMGR- FM - Delta, UT
KSLJ-AM - Idaho Falls, Blackfoot & Pocatello , ID
KSSL-AM-Idaho Falls, Blackfoot & Pocatello, ID
Games can also be heard on ksl.com, byuradio.org and on BYU Radio on channel 980 of Dish Network.
THE BRONCO MENDENHALL SHOW
The Bronco Mendenhall Show hosted by Tom Kirkland airs live, Sundays at 11:00 p.m. on KSL-TV, Channel 5. Join Mendenhall and Kirkland as they review the previous weekend and discuss the Cougars' upcoming game.
BIG-TIME YARDS
The BYU offense racked up 614 yards of total offense against TCU, including 97 on the ground and 517 in the air. It was the first time BYU had over 600 yard total offense since the Cougars had 615 yards against Syracuse in 2002. It was the first time since 1999 BYU had over 500 passing yards when Kevin Feterik had 501 against Washington. The TCU game was the first time a quarterback had three-or-more touchdown passes since 2004 against San Diego State when Beck had three. Three of those touchdowns went to Todd Watkins, making it the first time since 2001 when Doug Jolley had three against Air Force. One of his scores was a 67-yard grab, the first time BYU scored on a 50-yard-or-more passing play since Austin Collie caught an 82-yarder against San Diego State in 2004. Watkins' 176 yards was the first time a receiver had 150-or-more yards since he had 153 against Air Force in 2004.
CAREER HIGHS AND SINGLE-GAME RECORDS
When John Beck completed a 37-yard pass to Jonny Harline against TCU, he had 420 passing yards, surpassing his career high of 390, which came against Boise State in 2004. He finished the day with a Mountain West single-game record 517 yards. Beck also set a new career high and tied a MWC record for touchdown passes with five when he completed a 25-yard scoring strike to Todd Watkins in overtime. His previous high was four against Air Force in 2004 when the Cougars won 41-24. Watkins finished with 176 yards and an MWC record three touchdowns.
OVERTIME
Before the Cougar's overtime loss to TCU, BYU was 5-0 in overtime games since it was implemented in 1996. BYU's last overtime game was a 27-20 victory at UNLV in 2003.
CAREER 300-YARD GAMES
BYU has traditionally focused on the pass, leading to 19 different Cougars throwing for 300 yards in at least one game for a combined 174 games. Junior John Beck has made a contribution of seven games to that list. He entered the 2005 season with four but threw for 330 yards against No. 22 Boston College, 517 against TCU and 371 at New Mexico, giving him seven. Beck has now taken sole possession of 10th place. Ty Detmer tops the list with an astronomical 34. Cougars with 300-yard passing games:
Player 300-yard Games
Ty Detmer 34
Jim McMahon 17
John Walsh 16
Robbie Bosco 15
Marc Wilson 14
Steve Young 13
Steve Sarkisian 12
Kevin Feterik 11
Gifford Nielson 9
John Beck 7
Sean Covey 5
Gary Sheide 5
Ryan Hancock 4
Brandon Doman 3
Brandon Doman 3
Steve Lindsey 3
Charlie Peterson 2
Bret Engemann 2
Matt Berry 1
SURPASSING THE CENTURY MARK
With seven 100-yard rushing games to his credit, junior Curtis Brown is already tied for fifth in Cougars history for the most career 100-yard rushing games. Against Eastern Illinois, he had 110 yards and scored one touchdown and versus New Mexico, Brown had 104 yards and one score on 20 carries. In 2002, Brown had 217 against Utah State, the most by a BYU player since 1998 when Ronney Jenkins had 259 versus San Jose State. Cougars with 100-yard rushing games:
Player 100-yard Games
Luke Staley 10
Lakei Heimuli 10
Brian McKenzie 10
Jamal Willis 8
Jeff Blanc 7
Curtis Brown 7
Ronney Jenkins 6
Pete Van Valkenburg 6
Kalin Hall 5
Steve Young 5
Casey Tiumalu 5
Marcus Whalen 4
Tom Tuipulatu 2
Robert Parker 2
Stacey Corley 2
Eric Lance 2
Curtis Brown isn't the only one moving up the rankings. Senior receiver Todd Watkins, who had 176 receiving yards in BYU's 51-50 loss to TCU, now has six career games with over 100 yards receiving is tied for 9th most. His 211 yards against Boise State in 2004 were the most receiving yards registered by a Cougar since Ben Cahoon had 219 against Arizona State in 1997. Cougars with 100-yard receiving games:
Player 100-yard Games
Eric Drage 12
Chris Smith 11
Margin Hooks 10
Andy Boyce 9
Mike Chronister 9
Matt Bellini 8
Gordon Hudson 8
Mark Bellini 7
Lloyd Jones 6
John Van Der Wouden 6
Todd Watkins 6
Reno Mahe 5
Glen Kozlowski 5
Dan Plater 5
Ben Cahoon 4
Brent Nyberg 4
Chuck Cutler 4
David Mills 4
Mike Johnston 3
Micah Matsuzaki 3
Neil Balhom 3
Clay Brown 3
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Davey O'Brien Award candidate Beck has comlpeted a pass to 13 different players this season, including nine different players in each of BYU's two games and 11 against New Mexico. Against Boston College, each player that caught a pass had at least two receptions.