Brigham Young, Air Force, and Hawaii each had five players selected to the first team of the 1989 coaches' all-Western Athletic Conference football team.
Colorado State had four on the first team, New Mexico three, San Diego State and Texas-El Paso two and Wyoming had one. Only Utah did not have a first-team pick.Two quarterbacks were named to the first-team backfield - BYU's Ty Detmer and Dee Dowis of Air Force. The WAC coaches decided to select four offensive backs this year instead of the usual three, reserving the fourth spot for either a quarterback or a wide receiver because of an abundance of good players at those positions.
Detmer, a sophomore, is the nation's leader in passing efficiency and is second in total offense with 4,095 yards, with one game remaining this season.
Dowis, the NCAA career record-holder for rushing yards by a quarterback with 3,422, also became one of five players in the NCAA to both rush and pass for more than 1,000 yards in a season, and he still has two games to play.
New Mexico wide receiver Terance Mathis was named to the first team at two positions - receiver and return specialist.
Mathis set or tied nine WAC and five NCAA records during his senior season and became the NCAA's all-time leader for receptions with 263 and for receiving yardage, with 4,254.
Other BYU first-team offensive players were linemen Mohammed Elewonibi and tight end Chris Smith. They were joined on defense by linebacker Bob Davis and defensive back Eric Bergeson.
In the media poll, Dowis was named as the offensive player of the year, while Hawaii linebacker Mark Odom was given the defensive honor.
Dowis was named the second team quarterback, with first team honors going to Detmer.
The poll of 45 sportswriters, play-by-play people, and radio and TV broadcasters, also named Hawaii Coach Bob Wagner and Colorado State Coach Earle Bruce as co-winners of coach of the year.
Jamal Farmer, a freshman running back from Hawaii, was picked as newcomer of the year.
BYU players on the first-team offense were Rich Kafusi, BYU; Bob Davis, BYU; Brian Mitchell, BYU. Cougars on the first-team defense were Bob Stephens, BYU; Mohammed Elewonibi, BYU; Chris Smith, BYU; Detmer, BYU.
Local players on the second team defense were: Joe Clausi, Utah; and Chad Robinson, BYU. On the second-team offense: Scott Mitchell, Utah; Dennis Smith, Utah; Matt Bellini, BYU; and Wayne Lammle, Utah.