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By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Ending a three-year run of losing seasons wasn't good enough for Brigham Young quarterback John Beck.
Going 6-6 was an improvement, but it still wasn't a winning season.
"Getting there was great, but our record was 6-6. We had two overtime losses and that really hurt us, and then the loss in the bowl game," Beck said. "We could have easily had nine wins last year."
The Cougars are looking for more than just breaking even, especially with Beck and seven other starters back on an offense that regained its high-powered form last fall.
More success is expected from second-year coach Bronco Mendenhall and offensive coordinator Robert Anae.
"We know what Coach Anae expects and we know what Coach Mendenhall expects," said tackle Jake Kuresa, one of three seniors on the offensive line. "So instead of trying to figure out what they want and then trying to do it, we already know what they want, so we started off doing it."
The chaos of a rookie coach running his first camp seems well in the past.
The meticulous Mendenhall, who spent two years as defensive coordinator before taking over as coach, said he looks back at his journal from a year ago and sees he has progressed as much as his players.
"The perspective is more on the long term rather than each day wondering what might be thrown at me," Mendenhall said.
And the perspective at BYU is to win -- something that hasn't been happening like it used to. Conference championships used to come regularly at the school, but the Cougars haven't claimed a title since going unbeaten in the Mountain West in 2001, which was also the last time BYU finished with a winning record.
If the Cougars do finish with a winning record, nobody can accuse them of playing a soft schedule. BYU opens the season Sept. 2 at Arizona, then is at home the second week against defending Conference USA champion Tulsa, followed by a trip to Boston College on Sept. 16.
The non-conference schedule concludes with Utah State, which hasn't played BYU since 2002, then the Cougars begin Mountain West Conference play Sept. 28 against defending champion TCU, which beat BYU on a contested overtime touchdown the Cougars still feel should have been ruled a fumble.
And the season concludes with a trip to Salt Lake City for a game against Utah, which has won four straight in the state rivalry.
The Cougars finished last season tied for second in the MWC at 5-3, but could have been alone in second place if they had overcome Utah in the regular season finale in Provo. BYU rallied after falling behind by 21 points early and forced overtime, but the Utes won it 41-34 and sent the Cougars to the Las Vegas Bowl with a 6-5 record.
More disappointment followed at BYU's first bowl game since 2001 as California won 35-28. But it was still much more to build on than the Cougars had had over the previous three winters, which led to coach Gary Crowton's resignation and the promotion of Mendenhall.
Mendenhall brought optimism, which has only increased as Beck enters his senior season and tries to move up on BYU's heralded list of quarterbacks.
Beck completed 331 of 513 passes for 3,709 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions. It was his first year running the new offense brought back to Provo by Anae, a member of BYU's 1984 national champions.
The Cougars have had a lot more time to learn and tweak the system.
"John's going to be amazing this year," Kuresa said. "As good as he did last year, it was a new offense. It was a new coach. Now that he's comfortable, his talent really is going to come out."
Despite losing one of his favorite targets in Todd Watkins, Beck still has plenty of people to throw to. All-Mountain West tight end Jonny Harline led the Cougars in receptions with 63, including five for touchdowns. Running back Curtis Brown was second with 53 catches, followed by Watkins' 49 and nine touchdowns.
The Cougars also still have Nathan Meikle, Matt Allen, Michael Reed and Zac Collie.
"They improved last year and I've seen them improve over spring ball and throughout the summer," Beck said.
Brown was the first Cougar to rush for 1,000 yards in a season when he ran for 1,123 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. He returns along with backup Fui Vakapuna, who averaged 5.2 yards a carry in 2003 before serving a church mission.
Defensively, senior linebacker Cameron Jensen leads four returning starters and six other Cougars have starting experience.
The secondary, a problem spot at BYU last season, is still young, but several defensive backs who were thrown in last year have genuine playing time.
Mendenhall still runs the defense, in addition to his head coaching duties. He's grown more comfortable juggling both jobs.
"Now that there's been a baseline established, it doesn't mean there won't be new things that come up," he said. "But basically I'm more at ease I'd say with the broader perspective."
On the Net: www.byucougars.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-08-24-06 1140MDT
