PROVO — Brandon Doman doesn't intend to get too far ahead of himself, but he has no qualms about pointing out some things about the 2006 BYU football team.
There really are similarities between the current Cougars and the 2001 team that went 12-2. For instance, there's a seasoned senior quarterback, an accomplished tight end and a dangerous backfield.
It's true there's no Luke Staley. But there wasn't before he showed up, either, and BYU did just fine. Besides, says Doman, the combination of backs "could add up to one Luke Staley."
So there you have it.
Coming this September: "2001, A BYU Football Odyssey — the Sequel."
As author Pearl S. Buck said, "One faces the future with one's past."
Pretty inspiring stuff. Except for one thing.
"These guys have got to go out and do it," says Doman.
Oh yeah. That.
Must there always be details?
The Cougars wrapped up their third week of spring football Saturday with high aspirations. That's not unusual. There's no such thing as a spring without optimism. Most coaches could witness a mudslide and still declare it "a great spring."
At the same time, Doman, BYU's quarterbacks' coach, has at least some basis for his optimism. If you toss out last fall's year-ending meltdown, in which the Cougars lost to Utah, then to Cal in the Las Vegas Bowl, it was a decent season. Better than anticipated. They finished second in the conference, on a year in which they were picked anywhere from fourth to seventh.
Beyond that, the 2006 Cougars are coming off a 6-6 season, same as the '01 team. The '01 Cougars had future NFL player Doug Jolley at tight end. This year's team has solid senior Daniel Coats and first-team all-conference choice Johnny Harline. The '01 team had Doak Walker winner Staley at running back. The '06 Cougars have 1,000-yard rusher Curtis Brown and bruising returned missionary Fui Vakapuna.
The '01 team won its first 12 games, thanks in part to veteran leadership from players like Ryan Denney and Justin Ena; this year's team has the same in Coats, Brown, Harline, Jake Kuresa and Cameron Jensen.
The '01 team had Doman — now the Cougars' quarterback coach — returning for his senior season. (He modestly skips the part about his leadership role.) The '06 version is led by starter John Beck, who in spring drills is looking and behaving the way a senior quarterback should.
Like he owns the place.
"It's all about ownership," says Doman.
The bad news: The 2001 team crashed at the end of the season, losing to Hawaii and Louisville — not unlike the 2005 Cougars.
Comparisons aside, Doman says there is more to winning than statistics and depth charts.
"It's all mental," continues Doman. "I tell my quarterbacks that once you start doing things, magical things happen."
He should know. He threw two 30-something-yard passes in the final minute and scored the game-winning touchdown against Utah in 2000. He also pitched to Staley for the game-winner in 2001.
Last year, however, the Cougars fizzled in some close games, losing to Utah and TCU in overtime.
"When you have the right mental attitude," says Doman, "and you get in those overtimes, you win them."
Doman's 2001 team won all its close games, including four-point margins over UNLV and New Mexico, a one-touchdown win over Wyoming and three-point victories over Utah and Mississippi State.
At some point it stopped being luck and started being fate.
With that in mind, Doman says he sees good things coming next fall.
"We will be very similar in talent (to 2001)," says Doman.
The Cougars have the attitude, combined with senior leadership.
And, he insists, they're having a great spring — which he considers even more important than a strong finish the previous year. It's a time, he says, to "shape the vision for the next year."
Not only that, it's also a decent time to look back at the successful past.
If they're lucky, they might even see the successful past staring back.
E-mail: rock@desnews.com