What will BYU football have to do in 2014 to appease its fan base?


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PROVO — When LaVell Edwards took over the head coaching position for BYU football in 1972, expectations in Provo were low. In the school's prior history, the football program had 10 head coaches and only two finished with winning records. In just over a decade, Edwards took a historically poor program and won a national championship.

Over three decades later, Bronco Mendenhall found himself in a similar situation to when Edwards took the helm. Mendenhall took over a program that had been mired in three straight losing seasons with the added stress of facing intense scrutiny after a high-profile case involving some of the players on the team. Needless to say, expectations for a coach with no head coaching experience in this situation were tempered.

To the surprise of many, Mendenhall got the team bowl eligible in 10 games. Despite losing to the Utes and then to Cal in the bowl game, many around Provo were pleased with the season the Cougars pulled out in 2005 because of the substantial progress. In 2006, Mendenhall guided the team to an 11-2 record with an emotional win with no time on the clock against Utah and a pounding of Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl. After the team won another 11 games with new faces in key positions in 2007, expectations turned to ideas of perfection in 2008. Mendenhall fueled the fire with his ill-advised "Quest for Perfection" motto for the season.

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Despite winning 10 games, the 2008 season will be remembered by many Cougar fans as one of the most disappointing seasons in school history. Likewise, the grumblings in Happy Valley were palpable in 2009 when the team again played in the Las Vegas Bowl after starting the season beating No. 3 Oklahoma. By the end of 2009, it was obvious that Bronco Mendenhall and Robert Anae had become victims of their own success as only an undefeated season would appease many Cougar fans.

After the season, BYU surprised many fans and pundits around the nation by announcing independence in football. It's safe to say the team's last season in the MWC was a forgettable one for the Cougars as they needed a bowl win to get over the .500 mark. It's also safe to say that independence has been a mixed bag for the Cougars. After winning at least 10 games for four straight seasons, since becoming independent the Cougars have only accomplished that feat once (2011) against a mostly mediocre slate of opponents. The last two seasons have both ended with a solid but unremarkable 8-5 record.

With the seeming downward movement of the program, many BYU fans have become restless. So, the question becomes: what will the Cougars have to do in 2014 to appease an anxious fan base? On paper, the 2014 schedule looks more manageable than the 2013 one. With a majority of offensive starters returning and Mendenhall's knack for getting the most out of his defensive players, the Cougars' prospects look good. Whether it will all come together or not is yet to be seen. My prediction is that anything less than a 10-win season will not sit well with the school's fan base.

How many games will BYU need to win to make you content as a Cougar fan?


Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com contributor and can be reached via email at DylanCannon86@gmail.com.

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