This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I didn't cover BYU football when Gary Crowton was the coach, but I watched it from afar and knew that there were a lot of rock-bottom moments in his tenure. I checked with a colleague who did cover the Crowton era tonight after Boise State demolished the Cougars 55-30 at raucous and rowdy Albertsons Stadium, and he agreed.
Those looked like Crowton's Cougars out there tonight, and not a tough, proud, disciplined team that was the trademark of coach Bronco Mendenhall's crews in past seasons.
BYU looked awful. No sugar-coating this one. The defense was brutal — even the so-called stars like Craig Bills and Bronson Kaufusi — and the offense took far too long to get revved up. When the Cougar offense finally got its first first down in the second quarter, BYU was behind 20-0.
It was that bad.
It was worse than bad.
I'll spare you the gory details, except to note that it was the first time a BYU racked up more than 600 yards since a 72-45 loss to Hawaii back in 2001, when the Warriors had 646. Boise State had 637, including 429 in the first half.
Yup, that Hawaii loss was the beginning of the end of the Crowton era, although he would last three more seasons.
After the game, Mendenhall took full and complete responsibility for the loss. Unlike last week against Nevada or the week before against UCF, Mendenhall didn't talk about his players' failure to execute or not being assignment-sound.
He took this one on himself. Every bit of it.
"Really nice job by Boise State tonight, being well-prepared to play the game, man, all the way through the opening kickoff through the first half. I was really impressed with their team, and their readiness," Mendenhall said in his opening statement. I am completely responsible for our performance as the head coach. So, wish I could have helped our team more tonight, through leadership and preparation. But I fell short in that area. That's what I told our team. Boise State deserves all the credit … They were a better-prepared, better-executing football team tonight in every phase than we were."
I asked Mendenhall in what ways he was responsible for the loss, where the preparation fell short.
His answer:
"When you have a team that I think plays beneath what they are capable of, currently [it is the coach's fault]. So this evening I was heavily involved defensively. I called every defensive play tonight, trying to help turn some momentum and get some excitement and generate some passion to play great defense.
Really, that was the best way I thought I might be able to help this evening, and I didn't help.
I wanted to badly, wanted to be able to have the kids execute at a higher level, but I didn't have them prepared well enough; otherwise they would have played better."
Here's more from Mendenhall, who took these questions before abruptly breaking off the post game interview session by thanking reporters for their comments.
Mendenhall on players not staying with their man on defense, leaving guys uncovered, poor tackling and whether players should have to take responsibility for some of that:
"You know, I have kind of a basic philosophy, and it can be argued all different ways. But I think players play as they are prepared to play. And so I dove in wholeheartedly this week, starting on Monday, trying to help as much as I could. The players welcomed that, responded as much as possible. But we, again, they played as they were prepared to play, is what I believe, and so I have to help them at a higher level. And really, all the players on our team, I have to help them perform at a higher level.
We are in a difficult spot now, a challenging spot. Man, I am anxious to try to help them play quality football in the remaining games that we have left."
Mendenhall on whether it snowballed because team lacks confidence:
"I think that is part of it. But part of my job as the head coach is to teach resilience and execution and optimism. So, to not let it slide. That just shows that I have more work to do."
Mendenhall on why they didn't bring Jamaal Williams in until second quarter:
"Well, we were not quite sure how healthy he was, but man, I thought he ran hard. I thought he played with heart and emotion, and I was proud of him in a difficult situation, playing from behind."
Mendenhall on the pick/touchdown at end of first half:
"Completely my fault. I was so engaged in dialogue with the defensive coaches, and [talking about] a few things we thought might be working after the safety, etc., that I wasn't doing the offensive component of where we were and what was happening. The next thing I know, we have an interception."
Mendenhall on whether he will call defensive plays in future:
'I am not sure. I just want to help our team, and I want to help them in the best way that I can. And so, right now I will do whatever I think I can, and to really make a difference and that's what I will try to do."
Mendenhall on how Nick Howell took the news that he wouldn't call the defensive plays:
"Coach Howell was fantastic. He's been working a million miles an hour, as hard as he can work, and was fiercely supportive, and giving great insight. Just not much working well for us tonight, and quite frankly, again, it is my responsibility to have the right structure, the right organization and the right players doing the right thing.
It is no different than it has been for 10 years. In a game like tonight the players don't go out and try to play poorly. I just didn't prepare them well enough."
Mendenhall on what he expects moving forward:
'That's what I asked of them. I thanked them for trusting me as a head coach. I apologized for not having them prepared to play the game, and they have tomorrow off, and I asked for their best effort for the next four weeks, and we will see how much we can do with this team."
Mendenhall on trying to do it alone:
"Leadership and organization starts with the top. It is my job to have our coaches and players ready, and I won't come off of that. And that's what I am supposed to do, and that's what I committed to do from when I was hired here a long time ago, and that's how I will approach it."