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Earlier this week during his radio show on KSL, Bronco Mendenhall talked about how successful his team has been at forcing opponents to pick up their yardage in smaller chunks, as opposed to big plays.
The numbers bear him out:
Through three games, BYU has allowed only three plays of 25 yards or more--all of them last week versus Florida State (a 47-yard rush, plus 26-yard and 25-yard receptions).
The Cougars, by comparison, have already recorded 11 plays of 25 yards-plus (ten through the air, and one on the ground).
This week's opponent Colorado State has proven to be a big play team; the Rams have completed nine plays of 25 yards-plus, including four pass completions of 40 yards or more.
On that last point, Bronco said BYU fans can expect the Rams to go downfield more than any other team the Cougars will face this season, in particular off play-action.
WR Rashaun Greer has averaged 23.5 yards per reception on 11 catches, while running mate Dion Morton has only three grabs, but for an average of 40 yards a catch. Watch out for Morton on trick plays, too: he has thrown for two touchdowns in two pass attempts.
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Did you know?...
By the end of the season, QB Max Hall has a shot at becoming the winningest starter in BYU Football history. With a 23-6 record as a starter, Hall is one win away from tying Robbie Bosco for third place on the alltime Cougar quarterback victory tally. Here's the top 10:
Record as BYU Starting QB (by win total)
1. Ty Detmer 30-9-2
2. Jim McMahon 26-4
3. Robbie Bosco 24-3
4. Max Hall 23-6
5. John Beck 23-16
6. Marc Wilson 22-4
7. Steve Sarkisian 21-5
8. Kevin Feterik 21-12
9. Steve Young 20-6
10. Gifford Nielsen 17-6
10. John Walsh 17-10
10. Virgil Carter 17-12-1
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Record as BYU Starting QB (by win percentage; minimum 15 starts):
1. Robbie Bosco 88.9%
2. Brandon Doman 87.5%
3. Jim McMahon 86.7%
4. Marc Wilson 84.6%
5. Steve Sarkisian 80.8%
6. Max Hall 79.3%
7. Steve Young 76.9%
8. Ty Detmer 75.6%
9. Gifford Nielsen 70.8%
10. Sean Covey 70.6%
Note: ties are calculated by the formula "one tie=0.5 wins"; hence Detmer is credited with 31 wins in 41 games. This is traditional and accepted accounting regarding NCAA win percentages (e.g. coaching records, etc.)
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With as many as ten more games remaining, Max Hall can tie John Beck for second place on the alltime BYU QB "starts" list, but cannot topple record-holder Ty Detmer:
Starts by BYU Quarterbacks
1. Detmer 41
2. Beck 39
3. Feterik 33
4. McMahon 30
4. Carter 30
6. Hall 29
7. Bosco 27
7. Walsh 27
9. Young 26
9. Wilson 26
9. Sarkisian 26
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