This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo
The patches will be prominent, yet understated. BYU's tribute to the late LaVell Edwards during the 2017 football season is just the right touch.
Edwards' name and image will adorn the front of the players' jerseys and the sleeves of the coaches' shirts. The emblems will memorialize a coach who died last December after having changed college football in Provo and beyond with an offensive style that he boldly authorized — even if he didn't invent the passing scheme.
Edwards' legacy was a major theme at BYU's annual football media day, with former players such as Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid endorsing his lasting impact as a person and an innovator. Reid described Edwards' original view of the passing game this way: "I don't know a lot about it, but I know that it can work for me and it's tough to defend."
In the Chiefs' playbook 40-plus years later, "Some of the plays are still absolutely the same," Reid said Friday, "and people now have grown accustomed to [how] you have to be able to throw the football to win football games."
Athlon Sports, observing the magazine's 50th anniversary, listed BYU's offensive system of the Edwards era No. 35 among the most significant college football developments of the last 50 years. Edwards' early version of the "Air Raid" ranked just behind Twitter and ahead of ESPN's "College GameDay."
"You realize that his influence … spreads all across the country," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said.
Edwards' impact even covers Oklahoma's storied program, with Lincoln Riley taking over the Sooners. Riley is a disciple of Washington State coach Mike Leach, who drew plays while sitting in the stands as a BYU student.
This is where it gets interesting: Ty Detmer, Edwards' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, now coordinates BYU's offense. For the first time since Edwards' passing offense took hold in 1973, BYU failed to pass for 300 yards against any FBS opponent in 2016.
Detmer deserves credit for maximizing the talent of running back Jamaal Williams, a fourth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers, and working around the skills of quarterback Taysom Hill, a Packers free-agent signee.
The Cougars were willing to grind out long drives that helped their defense thrive while sacrificing some offensive statistics during a 9-4 season.
So here's Detmer, trying to live up to BYU's tradition and match the expectations of a fan base that celebrated his own passing exploits — and win games in the interest of keeping his job.
"You hear it from the fans — they want to see the ball in the air," Detmer said. "You know the legacy that's here. I was a part of it. I mean, no one likes to throw the ball more than I did. But at the same time, now as a coach, you're responsible for a lot of guys and a lot of people's livelihoods depend on it. We're going to try to win games, first and foremost. The stats? That doesn't bother me."
Edwards succeeded in the 1970s and subsequent decades because BYU was doing something different. In a weird way, that's happening now. The Cougars huddle after every play and the quarterback usually takes a snap from under center. That stuff is so old-school that it's almost revolutionary in college football.
"We'll be throwing the rock around. It's fun," junior quarterback Tanner Mangum said. "But [Detmer] really stresses the importance of a run game. When you can have a good run game, it makes everything easier."
Everything suggests BYU's offense will resemble the Detmer era much more than last year's edition, even if Mangum doesn't throw for 4,000 yards. The tight end position is making a comeback in the passing game. Tanner Balderree, Matt Bushman and converted wide receiver Moroni Laulu-Pututau are good targets, and Mangum is more inclined to find a secondary receiver than take off and run in the style of Hill.
As Detmer described it, Hill's approach to passing-game progressions was "One, two, run." Mangum's mindset is "One, two, three."
That's the simplified version of how passing yardage adds up, and the Cougars will be more productive through the air in 2017. Fans should like it. LaVell Edwards would approve.
Twitter: @tribkurt