We interrupt the Western Athletic Conference football season to bring you the following non-conference special - the University of Oregon vs. BYU, live from Provo, today at noon.
Sorry about that. It's bad timing and maybe bad manners, putting the WAC race on hold for a week, just when things are really getting interesting. On the other hand BYU, perhaps slightly punchy after last week's dumbfounding 56-14 loss to Hawaii, probably could use the break, if not actual therapy, before meeting Air Force in the big showdown next week.In the meantime, BYU, 6-2, can ill afford to look past Oregon, 5-3. Consider that since winning the 1984 national championship, BYU owns a 9-10 record against non-conference opponents, not counting five wins over Utah State. During that same stretch, the Cougars lost five of their six games against Pac 10 teams, falling to Washington, Washington State, UCLA (twice) and even Oregon State.
"Oregon is a good team," says BYU Coach LaVell Edwards. Good enough to claim road wins over Iowa and Arizona State and a home win over Arizona.
Aside from all that, need we remind you that it was at precisely this time last year that the Cougars started a big tailspin. Traditionally, they start slowly and finish fast, but last year, after starting 7-1, the Cougs proceded to lose three of their final four regular-season games, a fact that has mystified and haunted their coaches since then. Was last week's 42-point loss to Hawaii the beginning of another fade, or merely a single-game lapse? "(Today's game) will be a good chance to assess ourselves and see where we are at this point in the season," says Edwards.
Today's game will be the Cougars' final non-conference contest of the regular season. They will finish the year with three WAC games, against Air Force, Utah and San Diego State. They probably will have to win them all to win the WAC championship. BYU (4-1 in WAC play) and Air Force (4-0) are leading the league race.
BYU will make a couple of lineup changes for today's game - one by choice, the other of necessity. On offense, BYU will move Mohammed Elewonibi - a favorite of NFL scouts - from right guard to left guard, trading places with Jim Balmforth. This presumeably is to shake things up in the wake of the 10 sacks BYU allowed Hawaii.
On defense, weak safety Troy Fuller has been sidelined for the season by a back injury. The Cougars will move starting cornerback Eric Bergeson into Fuller's spot and put reserve Tony Crutchfield into Bergeson's cornerback position.
"In two days he's made a real smooth transition," Dick Felt, BYU's defensive coordinator, says of Bergeson. "We worked him there once in spring practice, and he's played there in three or four games this year in spot situations."
Perhaps BYU's secondary could use a
shakeup anyway. Did you hear the latest? Old Pass U. ranks 95th in the country in pass defense. Is this ironic, or what? BYU, featuring the pass offense of the '80s, has allowed 1,890 passing yards (an average of 236 per game) and 11 TD passes.
"I don't think we've been that bad," says Felt. "But statistically, it doesn't look good. We got hammered against Hawaii. And we gave up a number of (passing) yards against Washington State on four or five big plays. But other than that we've done all right."
Hawaii quarterback Garrett Gabriel, who threw for 440 yards, beat BYU's pass defense almost at will last week, but he had help. On two different plays, BYU left receivers uncovered, both for touchdowns.
The BYU defense will be tested again this week by Oregon quarterback Bill Musgrave, who has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,856 yards, 15 TDs and 11 interceptions. Also, running backs Derek Loville and Latin Berry have combined to rush for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Last week's 14-point output notwithstanding, the BYU offense continues to put up big numbers. Sophomore quarterback Ty Detmer is within reach of a major NCAA record - Jim McMahon's single-season yardage mark of 4,571. Detmer has thrown for 3,071 yards this season, which means he needs to average 375 yards a game in the next four outings to reach McMahon's mark. In nine career starts, Detmer has never thrown for less than 320 yards. His nation-leading 167.6 pass efficiency rating would be the fourth best single-season mark in NCAA history.
Detmer's favorite targets are tight end Chris Smith (42 catches, 708 yards) and halfback Matt Bellini (34 for 582). Bellini has been bothered by persistent knee and ankle injuries in recent weeks, but last week he still managed 6 catches for 140 yards.
With Oregon ahead, there's no break for BYU. Says Felt, "We have our work cut out for us again."