PROVO — Last November, the BYU football team limped off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium amid the throngs of Utah fans reveling in a 52-21 victory. The undefeated Utes were on their way to the Fiesta Bowl and the debilitated Cougars were on their way to another long offseason.
With that humbling defeat, BYU had suffered a third consecutive losing season for the first time since the 1960s. The once-proud program that had produced an assembly line of all-America quarterbacks and umpteen conference championships — even one national championship — had been reduced to a state of mediocrity.
During the three previous seasons under coach Gary Crowton, the Cougars were plagued by a host of maladies. The symptoms of a losing program, such as declining attendance, were ubiquitous.
Days after that loss, Crowton was fired and BYU began its search for a new leader. After being turned down by Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, BYU administrators turned in-house, and handed the reins over to its defensive coordinator, Bronco Mendenhall.
Can Mendenhall cure what ails Cougar football? Only time will tell. No doubt, since his hiring, the 39-year-old rookie head coach has taken several significant steps to breathe life, and wins, back into the program.
An offense transplant
Mendenhall hired two assistants with BYU ties, offensive coordinator Robert Anae and quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman, to install an offensive scheme that is reminiscent of the one the Cougars ran during their glory days.
"Robert shares a similar mind-set, not only in scheme, but in philosophy," Mendenhall said. "He has insights into one of the most exciting offensive systems in the country and will bring that excitement to BYU."
Anae, a member of the Cougars' 1984 national championship team, served as the offensive line coach at Texas Tech for five seasons. He has brought with him a version of the Red Raider offense, which has led the nation in passing the past three seasons. In 2003, Texas Tech led the nation in total offense and perennially is one of the top scoring teams in the country.
Among Anae's tasks are cutting down on turnovers and sticking the ball in the end zone. Throughout fall camp, the transplant appeared to be taking.
Psychotherapy
Clearly, this is a program that has suffered an acute identity crisis. After years of dominating its conference, the Cougars have been kicked around at times the past few seasons. They've had amnesia, as if they had forgotten who they used to be. They've lost their swagger.
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Mendenhall has eagerly tapped into BYU's rich legacy. He has invited stars of the past — Ty Detmer, Chad Lewis and Steve Young — to address the team. On the eve of the opening of fall camp, he had his players lie on the turf of LaVell Edwards Stadium and close their eyes. Audio of some of the greatest games in Cougar history was piped in over the loudspeakers.
"It fired us up," linebacker Cameron Jensen said.
Mendenhall has delivered hundreds of uplifting speeches in the community, and many BYU fans are drenched in optimism. Season-ticket sales have increased by more than 2,000 over last year.
Expectations have been heightened and players seem to believe they can rise to those expectations. Because of Mendenhall's candor and no-nonsense approach, players know exactly what's expected of them.
Among Mendenhall's motivational tactics included leading his team on a run up Y. Mountain last spring. Once there, he told his players, "The view is much better from the top."
Last season, the Cougars lost three games in the closing minutes that they should have won. What they lacked wasn't necessarily talent. It was confidence.
"The minute (Mendenhall) became the head coach, he changed the program," Jensen said. "He got us into the right mind-set, playing the right way. He got us representing BYU the way we should on and off the field. Coach Mendenhall rubs off on us. He's such a great motivator. Every day, before practice, he gets up and tells us the things we did wrong before that are unacceptable. We go on and we change it. When he stands up in front of the team, everyone respects him and wants to play for him."
"To be a great football team, you have to play with passion," quarterback John Beck said. "He's done such a good job of helping us feeling it inside why we're here, why we want to win, why BYU is different from everybody else. I don't want to say we've 'bought into it,' because it almost sounds like a sales pitch, like somehow someone got kidded into thinking that this is better than it really is. No matter what kind of picture is painted, this place is awesome. He hasn't tricked any of us into believing this is a great place. He's just reminded us that, 'Hey, this place is special and you're lucky to be here. So work hard.' "
Occupational therapy
During the offseason, the Cougars say they worked harder than ever. Many players participated in an eco-challenge that served as a test of will and commitment.
"There's a big mind-set difference," Beck said. "The mind-set comes from the way you work and the way you practice. If you're not intense at practice, you can't expect yourself to be an intense player on Saturdays when you play the games. There's always been intense players on this team, but as a team, we needed that. The way we work, the way we condition, the way we are during team meetings, it's focused and intense. And I know it's going to carry over to the football field. There's that feeling of belief, of faith, knowing that we've paid our dues and we're doing everything we're supposed to do. It's going to pay off."
'I' surgery
Certainly, there was a division between the offensive players and the defensive players the past couple of seasons. The offense had one standard to reach and the defense, under Mendenhall, had quite another. That has changed. As the cliche goes, there's no "I" in team.
"Is there one vision, is there one focus, is there one execution standard? Absolutely," Mendenhall said.
The results of that, players say, are unity and unselfishness.
"What makes this year different is the unity, both on the offensive side and the defensive side," Jensen said. "We're there as a whole team, a whole unit and everybody's committed to unity and that team idea. It's great to see that on both sides of the ball. We all put a lot of time in during the summer. It's amazing to see that go out on the field. We're more confident in ourselves and in our teammates. We have more trust. It's about helping our team."
Cosmetic surgery
In April, Mendenhall announced that the Cougars were undergoing an extreme fashion makeover, returning to the traditional uniforms and their classic white "Y" helmets.
"This is the look of the future and it reflects the past," he explained. "This isn't about BYU having new uniforms. This is about honoring tradition. This is about respect for and accountability to the coaches and players who have made BYU one of the pillars of college football. They represent a tradition of over 30 years of excellence, both on and off the field."
Can the attire make a difference in on-field performance?
"It doesn't matter what you look like. You still have to play well to win games," center Lance Reynolds Jr. said. "But I think it will be a constant reminder to us of what happened at BYU in the past and how to get back to it."
Brain trust surgery
Not only did Mendenhall bring in Anae, Doman and receivers coach Patrick Higgins, but he also kept a number of coaches — Lance Reynolds Sr., Brian Mitchell, Barry Lamb, Paul Tidwell, Steve Kaufusi — who have been around the program for a long time. He's given them more responsibilities and more input than they had under Crowton. "Our staff has taken ownership of this program," he said.
Antidote for mistakes
Mendenhall demands accountability and discipline in all facets of his players' lives. He gives his players a sense of stability and single-mindedness.
"He's very disciplinary. He never wavers," safety Dustin Gabriel said. "Whatever he sets as the standard, that's what's set and that's what's expected. You can always trust that he'll do his part. That gives you a lot of confidence."
"He's so focused, so disciplined," Beck said. "And he doesn't just ask it of us, he lives it himself. He wants it so bad for this program. He's not here for the glory of being 'the BYU football coach.' He's here because he loves this program and he wants to see all of us succeed. He cares about the tradition of winning. He's the type of person that a lot of people on this team want to be like when they're older."
The best medicine
Only one coach has ever won consistently at BYU. That would be the legendary LaVell Edwards, who was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Mendenhall has sought Edwards out for his wisdom, counsel and advice. Edwards, in fact, played a key role in persuading Nike to allow BYU players to return to their traditional uniforms.
The prognosis
Anyone associated with BYU's football program these days will tell you that Mendenhall is the right man at the right time to guide BYU football. Why? "Number one, because at his core he's what this place is all about," said offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. "The other thing is, we have a different kind of player here. Because these are such great kids and they are so hard working and have been prepared for most of their lives to be successful, we can ask more of them. Bronco's going to ask more of them. So it's a great fit."
Will all of these changes and adjustments produce wins, conference championships and bowl appearances? Mendenhall is confident about what the results can, and should, be.
"For over 30 years, there were 23 winning seasons, there were 23 bowl games," he said. "Why shouldn't it be like that all the time here? That's my intention, to make that happen. We will make this happen."
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com