"See those two right there," said a voice in the dark when the San Francisco Bowl and the Continental Tires Bowl flashed on the screen. "That's me. I played in those two games."

Said quarterback John Beck: "The young guys couldn't believe it."

Imagine, then, what Boston College's coaches are thinking.

Paul Peterson, the MVP of Boston College's 37-24 win over North Carolina in the 2004 Continental Tires Bowl and the guy who went 12-2 as a starting quarterback from 2003-04, is now a Cougar.

Boston College plays host to Brigham Young on Saturday (10 a.m., ESPN2) as the two schools meet for the second-straight year,

and BYU coaches such as Bronco Mendenhall, Brandon Doman and Robert Anae say Peterson has provided some valuable insight into what the Cougars can expect when they roll into Chestnut Hill, Mass.

"He played in the same offense and under the same coaches and was part of their success," Mendenhall said. "It's been nice to hear from him about their identity and what they are trying to accomplish and what their core philosophy is."

Last year, when Boston College won 20-3 in Provo, Peterson was a rookie quarterback with the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League and missed the game. But a severely fractured leg curtailed his pro career - steel rods and pins were just removed three weeks ago - and landed him in Provo, where his brother, Charlie, played quarterback for the Cougars from 1998-2001.

"Call me crazy," said Peterson, who played for Bingham High and Snow College before joining Boston College, "but I want to be a coach."

Now, though, he's just an intern. He hopes to become a graduate assistant next semester and make his way up the ranks. But Saturday, Peterson will be sitting in a coaching booth in a familiar stadium next to Doman, the quarterbacks coach, recording plays and identifying schemes and fronts.

Mendenhall said Peterson's help in predicting what B.C. will do specifically has been "minimal," mostly because the Cougars learned a lot by playing the Eagles last year and don't expect a lot of change from coach Tom O'Brien's team.

Peterson said he e-mailed his former coaches as soon as he hooked up with BYU to let them know he was going to be part of the enemy, at least for one week, so they won't be surprised when he shows up in blue on Saturday.

"I don't know if they [have ill feelings about it] or not," he said. "If they are upset, they haven't expressed it."

Peterson said there is "no question" where his loyalties now lie.

"There are a bunch of guys there that I know and keep in touch with, guys I am very good friends with," he said. "But I honestly want the Cougars to win. Make no doubt about that. Go BYU."

Said Beck: "He better be pulling for us."

The Cougars' starting quarterback said he has tapped Peterson's mind for a few things, mainly regarding the strengths and weaknesses of Eagle defenders and what kind of noise the crowd will produce.

Peterson won the hearts of Boston College fans when he directed a come-from-behind win over Notre Dame his senior year, completing 27 of 41 passes for a career-high 383 yards and two touchdowns. His chief advice to BYU players: "Better buckle it up tight, because [the Eagles] will be ready to play."

When most fans last saw Peterson, however, he was being wheeled from the field in a stretcher in the second half of the Continental Tires Bowl, having suffered a broken leg. He was still named MVP, though, after completing 24 of 33 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

His wife accepted the trophy on the field after the game.

Megan Peterson won't be making the trip to Boston, though, because she gave birth to the couple's first child, Owen, two months ago.

"It is going to be a great experience," Paul Peterson said. "Obviously, I am involved with BYU now and that's where my heart is. It will be a fun game. I hope it is going to be a great game."

This time, though, he would like to see the visitors walk away with the win.

drew@sltrib.com