At the risk of jumping to conclusions — just like ESPN-plus commentator Kelly Stouffer did last Saturday — I'd almost think he took one too many hits to the head during his football-playing days. That, as a result, his short-term memory isn't what it ought to be.
Cougar fans were more than a bit peeved at Stouffer for his work during the BYU-at-UNLV game when he started complaining about BYU running up the score before the third quarter ended. And beat that drum incessantly throughout the rest of the telecast.
Just to be clear, I'm not arguing with Stouffer's right to express his opinion. That's what he gets paid for. (As do I.) And, quite frankly, I agreed with him when, during the fourth quarter, he opined that BYU was taking a big risk by leaving starting QB John Beck in the game.
But, apparently, Stouffer forgot what had happened a week earlier when BYU played Air Force — a game he also worked for ESPN-plus.
Seemingly everyone else who had seen that game was struck by the similarities. BYU up 41-7; blocked punt by the opposition; touchdown making it 41-14 at almost the same point in the game. And everyone but Stouffer remembered that BYU let its 27-point lead dwindle to 14 before winning 62-41.
And yet Stouffer just couldn't "figure out" why BYU might be pressing (and passing) to score another touchdown to make it 48-14.
I'm not football expert enough to argue with either the BYU coaches or with Stouffer. But repeatedly questioning what BYU was doing without ever once mentioning those game-to-game similarities was unbelievable.
And led to unsubstantiated speculation by Stouffer. "I wonder if there is something between this BYU coaching staff and UNLV," he said, going on to speculate that there was something — and that it was based on Rebels coach Mike Sanford's stint as offensive coordinator at Utah.
Apparently, Stouffer missed all those stories leading up to the game about how BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall had contacted Sanford about the possibility of working for him before the Cougars gave him the job. And all those quotes from both coaches about how they respect each other.
Gee, and I thought TV analysts were supposed to prepare for their game assignments.
I COULD POINT OUT that with 6:16 remaining in the game, Stouffer ended one of his soliloquies about BYU running up the score by saying "enough said," and then said more about it two different times, but that would be mean.
I COULD POINT OUT that Stouffer referred to BYU running back Wayne Latu as "Late" during the telecast, but that would be mean.
I COULD POINT OUT that in Stouffer's three years as Colorado State's starting quarterback, the Rams were 1-3 against the Cougars — that BYU averaged 38 points to CSU's 13.3 — but that would be mean, too.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com