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From various reports, it looks like the MWC-affiliated bowls are shaping up like this:
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU v. Arizona/Arizona State winner (Emerald Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl officials have an agreement to allow the Emerald Bowl to choose Cal for its game)
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU v. Boise State
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State v. Fresno State
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force v. Tulsa/East Carolina/Houston
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By the way, it looks like Boise's Humanitarian Bowl will pit Nevada v. an ACC team in the final year of the bowl's affiliation with that league.
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Word out of Seattle is former BYU quarterback (and current USC Offensive Coordinator) Steve Sarkisian has interviewed for the head coaching post at Washington. In BYU's 14-1 season of 1996, Sark's only loss came at the hands of the Huskies in Seattle.
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To basketball now...
BYU's 92-62 win at Weber State last night leaves many still wondering: just how good is this Cougar team? Good enough to be 7-0, and to win three road games by a combined 79 points, that's how good.
The Cougars' schedule has not been a "murderer's row," but after struggling to dispatch Long Beach State in the opener (49ers have won four in a row after losing at BYU and Wisconsin to open the season), BYU has won five of its ensuing six games by at least 20 points, and the seven-game average margin of victory is now 23.6 points.
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BYU walloped Weber State with one starter (Jackson Emery) limited to 6 points in 19 foul-plagued minutes, and another starter (Jonathan Tavernari) shooting 4 for 13 from the field.
Helping to compensate were Lee Cummard (30 points) and Jimmer Fredette (18 points), combining to shoot 19 of 23 from the field. Throw in BYU's post players (Miles, MacGregor and Anderson) combining to score 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting. And don't forget Lamont Morgan, Jr., playing a career-high 27 minutes (9 pts, 2 reb, assist, steal, 4/4 ft) and helping to hold Weber State's leading scorer, Kellen McCoy, to seven points--and no points after halftime.
All in all, it was another confidence-boosting team victory, in an historically tough place to play.
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BYU has won the last two road games without the services of freshman power forward Noah Hartsock. He may still be another week-and-a-half away from returning from his sprained ankle. BYU's options at the backup "four" spot are somewhat limited in Hartsock's absence; witness recently-returned Archie Rose as the first player off the bench last night in Ogden.
I think Jonathan Tavernari needs to stay on the floor and have a big game Saturday, since any mismatch at the "four" could be crucial for whichever team creates it. JT clearly has the ability to draw opposing power forwards away from the basket, and he's quick enough to cause some defensive havoc when guarding his man inside. USU's Tai Wesley makes his living exclusively down low (24/31 fg--all inside the arc, 15/21 ft), while JT has taken more three-pointers (55) than Wesley has field goal and free throw attempts combined. It's not the only matchup that will help determine Saturday's winner, but it's an intriguing and important one.
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Cummard's 30-point outing is his second 30-plus effort of the season. The last Cougar to score 30 or more twice in the same season was Rafael Araujo, five years ago. Rafa scored 31 at Boise State, then followed up with 32 v. Oklahoma State in a game played at Energy Solutions Arena. Cummard's next outing is also at ESA--could back-to-back big nights be in the stars?
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