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Show carAVAiuUcc?r Inside Today Scoreboard ,. Business ..J.. Weather The Seattle Supersonics B7 B8 beat the San Antonio Spurs by three points to help the Jan take over first in the Midwest B12 PORTS EDITOR: TAD WALCH i mtn f Cougars rebound to sniff out Anteaters BYU's.Berlin Wall $f coaching stability 1'might finally fall By DICK HARMON (' ' BYU BOX : ( A rf Th Daily Herald Some of that bitter wind that blow 'Around the Silverdome in Pontiac, "Mich., on Dec. 27 has followed the 1YU football program home. And it's a wind of change. Of course, thin in the 14th time ..since 1974 that BYU and its fans have awallowed a bowl loss and tried jto digest it through long, wintry pnuary and February nights. ' AlmOHt every year, the pill finally zigpes down, March and Hpring practice .jqpme around and La Veil Edwards advances further toward the College aVootball Hall of Fame with the same I'CHHt of coaching characterH. u See, coaching changed at HYU about as often as NASA successfully lands a probe on Mars. ';. In 1993, Dick Felt retired and " Claude Bassett's contract was not 'Renewed. They were replaced by "Parry Lamb and DeWayno Walker, who left for the Big 12 a year later "8nd was replaced by Brian Mitchell. ''That's it for the '90s. v'"' Felt and Bassett made big contributions at HYU, but Walker, Lamb and Mitchell provided excellent new ideas, energy and recruiting, t . f 1 78-13-- 1 5-- 5 SINCE 1996, BYU is in November and December. Tho Cougars lost their final two amos in 1997, their final two in 1998 nd their final three in 1999. "Our whole objective in athletics is 10 have young people improve them- elves, Skouson said. "But we also want to present BYU in tho best light, We re in a society that focuses on thletica and entertainment. If we do hat well, it's seen positively and oflects well on the school and church." Is BYU doing it well? "I think we iaven't done as well as we're capa- le, Skouson said. "There has to bo lome change." Neither Skousen nor Halo were filling to say a coaching move will be art of any modifications, but both ire evaluating the situation in talks Mth Edwards and some assistants. Meanwhile, there's some discord mong assistants, some of whom loliove a fresh face or two is a necessity. Whether all this loads to the rare utirement or decision not to renew a ontract seems possible. Let's just say the level of concern is oeper than usual in the administra tion, and the unrest among fans has persisted longer. It might be a lethal combination. 5-- 8 ' Thd Walch is Vie Daily Herald's or e- porta editor, Phone 344-255- 0 frail twalchieraldextraxom. UC Irvln 77-6- Cal-Irvin- 6 e Cal-Irvin- e And he was a very sick bug. The Anteaters, who haven't had a win over a quality opponent since beating an average UNLV team in 1996, scored on six of their first seven possessions over the sluggish Cougars. They led H-- I after four minutes. BYU couldn't buy a basket to start the game. The Cougs would have struggled to score even on a PlayStation until Cooper buried a just over five minutes into the game, "We had no energy," said BYU coach Steve Cleveland, remembering how cement legs cost his team a year ago at Irvine. But Cooper led a Cougar defensive effort that weighed down UCI over the next 14 minutes. The Cougars outscored the Anteaters over at the that stretch to trail just half. Cooper finished with 14 points and earned Cleveland's praise. "Cooper really played an outstanding game." Clovelnl said. "We've had Lyday, Silester Rivers and Mekeli Wesley down with the flu all week. Nate and Michael Vranes were the only ones with energy all game long." ll ' 27-1- 31-2- ) Min BYU should be grateful the Anteaters couldn't swallow all the bugs spread out on the picnic table. Terrell Lyday scored 12 of his 22 points in a critical second half comeback and Nathan Cooper came off the win bench to inspire BYU in its before a Marriott over Center crowd of 9,574 on Wednesday. But it wasn't easy. a big The Cougars cut table cloth to munch on for 22 minutes. But the Anteaters let the big bug, ' Lyday, get loose for three minutes. , IS IT time for another shuffle? 0 While sacking an assistant or two w normal business at major Division A football schools, BYU athletic vice resident Fred Skouson and athletic i rector Val Halo say they aren't interested in change for change's sake, but 0 fix something which is broken. "Everyone's disappointed around acre, from the custodians on up," Hale iaid. "Kveryone's concerned," ! It's not just the loss to Wyoming, i'hich frosted the suits in the administration, or the loss to Utah, which Joubled the pain, It's not just the iobaclu in Detroit. "What's frustrating to me is how we've done at tho end of each of the last (hree seasons," Skouson said. "I know in he past November was the strength Lately, our November-Decembe- r record has been bad, "We need to correct that." in Indeed, BYU was November during Kdwards first 25 sea- over tho last three years. Ions, but is - PROVO n hap-ope- : teraL it .H IHI KSDVi JAM AK aW mi. ii Tad Walch hn I Bl BYU 77, IRVINE 66 1T Ml Division. 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Giwm 2 Jwfjfii f Ihinylixi, Okoru, Junatl blonl VU (10 3) t Malum Min ro a 21 34 2 3 3 7 6 12 Viaiwa Waalay Montauiio W 00 69 10 33 11 Oinalannan 30 Outfit 31 2 Hotmnt 0 Taggail Hiiward Totaaj a n 00 B6 6 0 00 10 13 00 22 4 00 00 ONP Cow;h ONPOoKh' II 18 0 0 0 3 8 0 2 4. 3 S 2 3 $ 6 2 2 1 4 6 10 DNPOiih' Allan Nwlwifi Ulnworth rr a 0 22 6 2 3 14 0 2 0 39 14 0 ilacitKin liM.ihum daciMon DNPIniuiBd DNP Inluiad , 300 36 47 33 31 77 10 632 FT: 742 3 fxunl giMin 4 It. 364 (Lyday 2 4 Waalay I 1, Chrialanaan I 3. Cwaiai 1)2, VranaaO t) Taam 3 (Vwaa, 3; wbDuiidn 2 Haiuawl tholn t (Wnauiy) luinivaia Lyiloy 3, E Nwalan 2. Muitbiyua 2, Waalay. Hivaia, Cuupail Summ 7 Mum 3, Lyday 2, E Naaaan, Cuupail P.reamnya. UC Irvlna VU FO 31 30 36 40 -- 00 77 -- The win lifted BYU to 10-- heading into a game at Utah State on dropped to Saturday. "I thought we made major strides," UCI coach Pat Douglass said. "We played BYU tough at home where they've been kicking butt." The Cougars tied the game, at 35 two minutes into the second half on a bomb by Mekeli Wesley, who ended with 18 points. After trading baskets the next six minutes, Wesley got his fourth foul. That's when Lyday, battling the flu with roommate Rivers, broke out and took charge of the game, nailing a making a pair of free throws, 2 Cal-lrvin- ) 6-- e burying another 3 and exploding down the court on a fast break' for a layin. His effort gave the Cougars a Sec BYU, B3 V 'a V. 0 XKVIN l.t.t. Hit Uiily llcraM The leaner: Mekeli Wesley shoots over UC Irvine's J.R. Christ during the first half of the Cougars' win at the Marriott Center on Wednesday. Warner chosen as NFL MVP 4 by Hornets, take first SCOTT TITTRINGTON NEW YORK (AP) The Dully Herald the 6 (20-10- 1999-200- OK. r Y s- if - Charlotto thanks to five Hornets 1 players scoring in double figures. Couple that with San Antonio's second loss in as ) many nights, and Utah is sitting atop tho a porch Midwest Division all but given to tho Spurs prior to the start of the season. "It can change tomorrow," Jazz center Olden Polynice said when asked about how it felt to be in front at this point on the schedule. "At tho end of the year, ask me that question." 18-9- vw : h iJ - Kurt Warner, quarterback of the upstart St. Louis Rams, was the overwhelming choice for the NFL's Most Valuable Player by The Associated Press. Here is a look at Warner's season highlights. Kurt sensational rise from obscure quarterback to passing wizard was capped Wednesday when he was Most voted the NFL's Valuable Player by The Associated Press. Warner, the only player other than Dan Marino to throw for 40 touchdowns in a season, was the guiding force as the St. Louis Rams moved to the NFC's from also-rabest record. The former Arena League, and NFL Europe player was an overn MX 4 , 'Z,. 0 Instead, let's shift and talk about M t.V l. C, W II.SON I Iw AaiKKimcd I'rcu Best of friends: Charlotte forward Derrick Coleman goes up with Utah's Karl Malone In his face during the Jazz's blowout victory at the Delta Center on Wednesday. Wednesday's offensive exhibi- Utah enjoyed a quick including a 5 of 6 effort by to grab an start out of the blocks, con- - Karl Malone tion at tho expense of a tired Charlotto ballclub. clip necting at a in the first quarter gears Winning Warner Warner's No SALT LAKE CITY more second fiddle. For one night, at least. The Utah Jazz put together their best offensive outing of the season Wednesday night at the Delta Center, routing uJ 22-fo- Jazz vault By - Sec JAZZ, B3 whelming choice in balloting by a national panel of 50 media members. "I thought we could be successful," Warner said, "but to think in training camp that it would happen for me this way was farfetched. They were not sure what they would do going in. They had some questions if I was an NFL backup." When Trent Green, signed to a huge free agent contract during tho offseason, wrecked I - A. taM 0UtltlC0 Year 199ft Cmp-A325-49- 1998: Yds TD Int 65.1 4,353 41 13 36.4 39 0 0 tt 9 1 Hlhllhtl Bocamo the wtcond quarterba in NFL history to throw for 40 touchdowns In a season. Rating of 109.2 led NFL. Voting The voting for the 1999 NFL Most Valuable Player named by the AP in balloting by a nationwide panel of the media. 1. Kurt Warner, St. Loula 33 2. Marshall Faulk, St. Louis 8 2. Peyton Manning, Indlannpollt 8 4. Edgerrln James, Indianapolis 1 Sourc: Comptlod tram AP wlm mporti a knee during the first season game, Warner AP pre- no longer was a questionable backup. He was the quarterback, a decision Rams full-tim- e Sec MVI B3 |