Steve Sarkisian, the prolific passer from El Camino (Calif.) Junior College who has verbally committed to play football at BYU next season, is a friend of present Cougar QB John Walsh.
Sarkisian and Walsh went to West Torrance High together when Walsh was a junior and Sarkisian was a sophomore. Walsh transferred and played his senior season at Carson High, leaving the door open for Sarkisian to start at QB for two years at West Torrance. The two have worked out together in the offseason in California. Walsh helped recruit Sarkisian to Provo."He called me up and asked me what it was like at BYU," Walsh said. "I told him there's not a place in the world I'd rather be . . . Maybe the fans get on us too much, but it's a great place."
But, according to Walsh, Sarkisian is misinformed if he thinks Walsh won't be a Cougar next season.
Sarkisian, who doesn't have a redshirt season remaining, said he wanted to go to a school where he felt he would compete for the starting job right away. He told a California newspaper he thought Walsh, a junior, would turn pro after this season.
Not so says Walsh. "I'm coming back for my senior season," Walsh said Monday. "I even told Steve I was coming back."
Of course, Walsh, like Shawn Bradley a couple of years ago, could have a change of heart when he realizes the amount of money he would receive if he leaves college early to turn pro. Mel Kiper, the ESPN draft guru, has said Walsh would likely be the first or second pick selected overall in the draft's first round if he comes out.
A LITTLE ADVICE: Mike Johnston, BYU's junior receiver, wouldn't have any problem making up his mind if he were in Walsh's shoes.
"If it were me, I'd say `why not (enter the draft),"' said Johnston. "If you're going to be No. 1 or 2 (in the draft) you're going to be making a lot of money and if you stay in college you've got a chance at an injury. If John decides to leave, more power to him."
But that doesn't necessarily mean Johnston thinks Walsh will enter the draft.
"I've asked him many a time, but he won't say. It's going to be my senior year and, as a receiver, I'd like to have a guy with experience back there at quarterback," Johnston said. "I'd like to see No. 7 throwing me the ball next year."
HOME SWEET MOTEL: Last Friday, for the first time this season, the Cougars were sequestered as a team in a motel the night before a home game.
BYU, which had struggled in games at Cougar Stadium this year, stayed at Mountain Springs, a combination motel-truck stop in Springville. It probably wasn't the deciding factor in BYU's win over Northeast Louisiana Saturday, but the team will spend tonight at, you guessed it, Mountain Springs in preparation for Thursday night's home game against San Diego State.
Early Thursday morning the team will be bused back to campus so the players can attend classes as usual.
"I think it's a good idea," safety Cory Cook said of the team staying together before home games. "It was probably a little overdue. There are a lot of distractions before home games and it helps us get past them so we can concentrate on the game."
STATS AND STUFF: Jamal Willis needs six yards to become the first Cougar to have two separate 1,000 yard seasons. He ran for 1,004 as a sophomore in '92. Willis is the leading scorer in the WAC (7.8 points per game) and league-leader in all-purpose yardage (144 yards per game) . . . Walsh is third in the conference and sixth in the nation in total offense, averaging 283 yards per game. As a team the Cougs are first in the WAC in passing yardage . . . Sophomore linebacker Shay Muirbrook leads the team in tackles with 85. He also has five sacks, five pass deflections, an interception, two fumble recoveries and has caused two fumbles.