OCR Text |
Show The Salt LakeTribune COLLEGE FOOTBALL Cougs Wonder Where They’d u Oct.1 Y. hopesit isn’t victim of ‘$8 million holding call’ when bowlseasonarrives THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Having dlispate hed the Air Force team that cost them a championship ast year andmed upto 1th the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and 15th in the AP Top25 on Sunday, the BYU Cougars are looking ahead at a wide and open road to the Mountain West Conference championship. All they have to dois ke nd they will be right thei on their fingers at the Asn. Considering the success they ie how high they mig) t now had they not suffered etback of the y § are: painful conspiracy of minor the Cov gars would be 1 in the ked per: haps as high as sixth jdgin the 0.17 rankingtheyheld in the AP Top the week before losingto the Vir. ivaliers 4540 in their third Certainly there eason. vuld be alot of weeping id whining and gnashing of teeth by the BCSpeople tryingto kee] p us out of 1 and praying that we lose, thletic ‘ i 1 the folks in Series which manages thefo jor bowl games do not haveto worry about the Cougars throwing a wrench into the possibilities the way they did in 1996. That year, the Cougs ran through the regul: son 12-1 and captured a_ lot of nationalattention before beating Wyomingin the WAC championshipgame, only to be denied aninvitationto one of the major bow! games. So the Cougars wereleft to beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, al thoughthe public outery that accom: paniedtheir rejectionby the bow! alli ancehelped form the basis for a more distinct definition of the terms by which teams not affiliated with the major conferences can be invited to the Rose, Orange, Sugar or Fiesta bowls. ‘The most important? teamnotin the Big Ten, Big12 Pac-10, m a ences must be ranked sixth ¢ in the BCSpoll. Andthat pol prised of fourparts a team’s ranking in the media and coaches polls, its ranking by a combination ofseven computer services, its strength of schedule, andits number of losses. hanks to that loss to Virginia, the Cougs are not even closeto being con sidered for a spot in one of the big bowls; they werenotonthe list of 15 teamsin the first BCS poll releasedlast week. And what makes that most painful for BYU is theway it lost to the Cavs, “knowing how easily it could havegone the other way for us,” said defensiveend Byron Frisch Even after playing almost the en tire game with walk-on Dan DeCoite in place of injured middle linebackers Rob Morris and Jeff Holl watching Virginia scorethe touchdown on pass against backup cornerback Rob Warcup (starter Brian Gray had left the field briefly with an injury), the Cougars hada chance af ter marching downfield in the final two minutes. But offensive tackle Ford Poston wasflagged for holding ona play that would have given BYU second-and. goal from the Virginia 2, and the Cou. gars never recovered ‘That could turn out to be an $8 million holding call,” said Hale. That's because the Cougars will earnonly a little more than $1 million ifthey windup in the Liberty Bowl as the championsofthe Mountain West And few people on the team really want to go back the anyway. The weatherlast year was lousy, and the players were mostly bored with noth ing to do whilespending morethan a week including Christmas Memphis beforelosingto Tulane. “We took a vote,” in wide receiver Margin Hooks joked to Hale during : (7-1) Sept.9 Sept. 16 Si Be If Not for Loss to Cavaliers BY MICHAEL C, LEWIS Monday, November1 BYU 35, Washington28 BYU 34, Colo. St. 13 Virginia BYU 40 BY PHIL MILLER ate that his Utes would rush s well as the Rams, that Utah in) 120 more passing yards and never turn the ball over, that his team would block a kick and returnit for a touchde thenit’s hard to imagine being unhappywiththat So perhapsthecoach hadgoodrea- tated, over Utah's 31-24 loss in it Collins. There's no disgrace in losing to such a physical, talented foam on the read. Nothing is routine with these 1 | tes, so all those positives merely give the players some nagging regrets to victory, just asit did twicein 1998's 7-4 campaign. Thistime, it was the punt coverageteamatfault, allowing CSU returner Dallas Davis two long returns for touchdowns, the second one yard highlight 24 tie with jus “This hur id defensive tackle Richard Seals, whohadeight tackles and ck as part of a Utah defensive effort that allowed CSU's offense to ore just 17 points, nonein the second half. expectedus to be 9-1 or10-1 and control our owndestiny But even at 3-1 (6-2 overall) with three games remaining, two at home and one in Provo, the Utes do indeed still control their owndestiny. New Mexico and Brigham Youngare the onlyother Mountain West Conference teams with fewerthan two losses, Utah coincidentally finishes its and on spoil their weekend off, and McBride a by playing both. Which means, by winningall three games,starting next deficit} to tie, I thought we were going to win the game,” McBride said. Saturday against Wyoming, ah wouldstill be MWC champion. “They knowwecanstill doit,” MeBride said. “I donit haveto tell them, j ave to win ournext three lingering feeling that Utah let a win: same slip away. In fact, “when e Gane back [from a 24-3 halftime But poor special-teamsplay in the yame’s waning moments cost Utah a games, Playing as well as they did in Aggies Looking Uea Roi est For Positives Utah 38, USU 18 To End Season Oct1 BYU34,USU31(OT) BY DICK ROSETTA Oct.9 __USU20, Arkansas St. 14 Stadium. Residue of post-game tears ed his cheeks, Earlier, he had rushed for 239 yards, the Seventhbest performancein theschool’s history. Twice in the third quarter, whenherolled up 106 yards, he scored touchdowns,keeping his Big West Conference scoring lead with 54 points for theyear. Personal yards and points wereof ittle consolation this day. Brown and his Aggies had succumbed to the ral. lying Boise State Broncos,33-27, effectively not mathematically killing any USU chancesfor the BWCtitle. USU again had frittered away a chanceat vict 500 season in Coach Dave Arslanian’:: second year. Plus, infalling to 1-2 in the BWC, the Aggies would have to ep its final three league games and get a lot of help froma lot of teams to havea shot at thetitle. The Aggies again failed to showup in thefourth quarter, They have been outscored 8217 in the final period of their eight games, “We wanted to make sure we played four quarters,” said Brown, a senior ontheway to becoming the sec‘usher in BWChistory. yards in three games to x- Aggie Abu Wilson's school record a 3 yards. Down 16-7at the half, Brown said the Agules talked of starting from scratch” in the third quarter, “We wanted to comeout with a newness of life and try to finishoff strong.” The third quarter was the best for the Aggies sincethe second quarter of the Stephen F, Austin game Sept. 11 when USU outscored the Broncos,20-7. Then, says Brown, “we beat ourselves. ‘There's nothing that the other teams are really doing to get us out of our game.” USU tookitself outof the game with # controversial third-and-1 call near midfield with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. When a naked boot Jog call went awry,the Ags were forced left. “T.D. dida real good job,” McBride said. “Hewas makingsomebig On the heels of Arcen player-of-the-week performance against San Diego State a week ago. Utah seems morewillingthanever to play both quarterbacks. Injuries and illness have kept thestarter out of parts of the last five games, and as stepped forward BYU 38, California 28 Oct. 16 BYU 31, New Mexico 7 Oct. 23 BYU 29 UNLV 0 Oct. 30 BYU 27, Air Force 20 Nov. 6 BYU at SDSU, p.m. Nov. 13 BYUat Wyoming, Noon Nov. 20 Utah at BYU, TBA practice last week. “We'll promiseto win the rest of our games if you prom ise we don't have to go back there. Hale has suggested that if the team nis season, perhaps it will travel to St of practice be: stinas, then return homefor holiday before leaving for Tennessee Noteverybody, however is willing to concede such big thi ys to the “what-if” scenario. You never know,” said quarter back KevinFeterik. “If we would have wonthat game, then maybe we would have lost to Utah State or something, bya fluke, just because we couldhave gottenoverconfident and not prepared as well as we shouldhave. “That loss might have given us kind of a gut-check to see where a team,” he added, “M in the end. We know w Joss feels like, you know’? And forthe Cougars, the roadto the league title is still wide and clear (6-2) Sept.4 Utah 27, Washington St. 7 Sept. 18 Utah 38, UtahSt. 18 Sept. 25 Utah 52, UNLV 14 Oct. 2 Boise St. 26, Utah 20 Oct. 9 Utah 42, La.-Monroe 0 Oct. 16 Utah 21, Air Force 15 Oct. 23 Utah 38, SDSU 16 Oct. 28 SUE 1-800-821-0504 J) Seminoles, Penn State Again Top AP Poll THE ASSOCIATED PRESS When 20 of the top 25 tea ms win, with two idle there is not much chance of change in ‘The Associated Press’ Top 2 5 college football poll For the seventh consecutive week Florida State and Penn State were 1-2 with Virgin in the AP bol Sund second we wk Tech a solid No. fo ina ae The top eight teams remained t he same with Nebraska, tied for No. 8 with Mississippi State last wee ping to No. 9and Wisconsin moving up spot to No. 10. WSCina ol ear. - FOOTBALL BACK TOE Colo, St 31, Utah 24 Nov.6 Wyoming at Utah, 7 p.m. Nov. 13 __N. Mexico at Utah, 1 p.m. Nov. 20 Utah at BYU, TBA with aneffective passing game. ‘Theunderstudy is less mobile the Arceneaux, leading to moresacks and fewerscrambling gains, but Croshaw has demonstrated a more accurate armdownfield “Thaveconfidencein both ofthem,” McBridesaid Idaho 31, USU 3 Boise St. 33, USU, 27 Oct.30 OurBiggest Selection of Trucks Ever! CHEVY2000Silverado TRUCKExt CabMONTH 4x4 #700136 MSRP 26,673 YOUR PRICE Nov. 6 _N.Mexico St. at USU, noon Nov. 20 _USUai Nevada, 1:05 p.m. All imes Gavin Reid dashed 77 yards for a TD to finishoff USU, which went scoreless in the fourth quarter its fifth scoreless final stanza ofthe seasot ‘The Aggies, while solving their season-long penalty woes only6 for-49 never could solve Bois third-down mystique. The Broncos, with scrambling quarterback Bart = ye 2000 Silverado Ext Cab 4x4 LS #700290 MSRP 29,568 YOUR PRICE 18 third downs. Plus, the Broncos controlled the clock aided by two Brownfumbles and a Jeff Crosbie interception by a 36- to 26-minute margin. ‘The Broncos are 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big West. And they, too, control their destiny to play host to the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise on Dec. 30, with home games against Arkansas State and New Mexico State anda possible BWC. aeNenS road game at Idaho on The peopreparefor their final home game Saturdayat Noon against New Mexico State. “Right now, we feel lousy,” said Arslanian after the Aggies lost at homeforthe secondtimethis season. $26,995 OR 5349 per mo. + tax 1999 Suburban 4x4 #710349 MSRP37,868 YOUR PRICE $32,29 Hendricks consistently running for third down yardage, converted eight of LeU leay OR 5329 per mo. + tax Nov. 27 USU at No. Texas, 1:35 p.m. to punt. Boise needed just oneplayto recapture the leadand the mome $23,995 9 per mo. + tax 1999 Tahoe 4 Door 10326 MSRP 34,930 YOUR PRICE 29,99 2°359 per mo. + tax ‘Al rebates to dealer 39 mo. $1500 cash or trade equity req, 12K peryear Excess miles @ 17¢ per mile Genuine Chevrolet: PVA UT OL AUTO. MALL eye! 10770 South Utah Auto Mall in Sand DON'T BE BALD! » Grow a.new hairline with your own natural hair! HAIR TRANSPLANTS ARE THE ONLY PERMANENT SOLUTION TO MALE PATTERN BALDNESS *Board Certified Physician »20 years experience sAmazingly affordable oto364-5006 TODAY ition consultation eere LLL 2FREE WINNER COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLLS The Associated oday ESPN Top25 Poll _ Georgia 38, USU 7 __USU 51, S.F. Austin 17 Sept. 18 Tite SALT LAKETRIBUNE LOGAN Demario Brown was staring vacantly at the turf in the north end zoneof Utah State's Romney stride for stunning 59-yard touch down that evened the game with 11:24 ral (2-6) Sept. 4 Sept.11 Thursday’s second half would be a good start. Oddly enough for a team with a 6-2 record, Thursday's loss was oneof the Utes’ best efforts of the sea son. The defense allowed only one drive of morethan50yards, and made the remarkable CSU running back Kevin McDougal earn his 115 yards with 28 punishing carries. T.D. Croshaw. whohaddifficulty witha blitz-happy CSU defense in the first half and was temporarily re placed by virus-stricken quarterback Darnell Arceneaux, led Utah’s come backin the secondhalf. Heengineered a touchdowndrive of 89 yards,ca by Mike Anderson's seventhscot theseason, and hit Steve Smith in E 33 BYU 34, Utah State 31 (OT) Oct. 9 Against Rams, Just Game VEE SALT LAKETRIBUD If you had told Ron McBridebefore Thur lay night's football gameat Col- 1999 PETERSON Is Pinute Sait Lake City » WWW.EASYGRAFT.COM Family Fun Fest Entire F Enjoy iy & Gamesat the uth End Zone Plaza. New at Every Game & It’s Free. (with your admission to the game) FOR TICKET INFORMATON CALL 98 1 -UTIX Available at All Smith's TIX Outlets Find|us atwww.utahutes.com |