This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
BYU fans and followers who want to see the Cougars join the Big 12 — or have the situation settled once and for all so they can settle into independence and the WCC — are in for a longer wait, it appears. On a Big 12 conference call today, interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said Missouri will definitely be a part of the league in 2012 — along with TCU — even if the Tigers choose to depart for the SEC (pending an SEC invitation that is yet to come, of course). Neinas said the league is giving Missouri a lot of time — until the end of the academic year — to make a decision. Obviously, that means another team won't be invited until Missouri decides, and won't be in the league until 2013 at the earliest. Neinas also said today that there's no consensus among the conference members whether the Big 12 should remain at 10 teams or get back to 12. Texas and Oklahoma State have publicly said they want only 10; others want 12 in order to have a conference championship game in football. Here's a nice wrapup of Neinas' comments from Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, who says that Neinas did not discuss any potential expansion candidates on the call.————————— Happy Birthday today to a couple of BYU football legends: Steve Young turns 50 and LaVell Edwards turns 81. Our main BYU football offering in the newspaper this morning is sort of a midseason report, an assessment of where the team is at halfway through the regular season. Riffing off coach Bronco Mendenhall's statement after Saturday's game that the coaching staff overestimated the talent and ability level heading into preseason camp, I'm pronouncing the Cougars behind schedule in my midpoint analysis. Also, here's a little more on Mendenhall's homecoming this week in Corvallis, where he played at coached, as he says, "a long, long time ago." ————————— I asked Mendenhall about returning to Corvallis in Monday's weekly news conference. Here are most of the coach's comments from the podium, in case you missed them: Opening statement: "I was impressed and pleased with the way our team improved on Saturday. I liked the balance that our offense showed. I really thought Riley [Nelson] had a strong game in his first start. The complement of the running game, quarterback mobility, and passing the football made us much more difficult to defend. I think that it provided a spark and an inspiration to our team, and it gave us momentum going into a road game, which we haven't had in a while. So we are looking forward to taking on Oregon State, and improving our team at the halfway mark, with six weeks to go in regular season play." On Mike Alisa's emergence: "I would hope to see him in a continued role. Averaging over 5 yards a carry is exceptional. We have been looking for a back to run between the tackles, a physical presence, from the beginning to the season until now, and Mike has been so impressive on special teams, and so impressive in practice, that had appeared over time that he deserved an opportunity. So through his work, through his consistency, and through his production, over the past six weeks, I gave him the opportunity and he made the most of it. It was really fun being on the sidelines, and having players, once they saw how hard he was running, that generated a lot of excitement and a lot of enthusiasm, not only for him, but the team. I think it affected the offensive line as well. They became more excited and were enjoying the game more, and finishing blocks because of how he was running the football, and the physical presence that he was showing." On the second half of the game vs. SJSU, and why the Cougars bogged down: "The game to me wasn't executed quite as cleanly. There was one point where I thought we were on the verge of running away with it and having a pretty commanding lead. Again, even through turnover, or giving up a third-down conversion or something, the momentum, while I didn't think there was a gigantic difference in play, [there was] just not quite the same plays which were made in the first half, which is a good lesson in terms of sustainability." On when they should be more conservative as opposed to more aggressive: "Yeah, usually just a feel, and how the game is going, and what threats the opponent is presenting to us. We were still moving the ball effectively, and they weren't able to move the ball effectively in terms of chunks, or big plays unless we had a mistake, so field goals weren't going to win the game for them. Sixteen points wasn't going to win the game for them. I expect that we might have had one more score, or maybe two, but that was the only thing I would say I was disappointed with in the second half." On his emotions and perspective regarding going back to OSU, where he played and coached: "I have mixed feelings. In playing Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl, there are really not many sentiments or emotions, just playing in a bowl game. Mike Riley was actually, when I was part of the staff that was fired at Oregon State under Jerry Pettibone, Mike Riley had then just taken over. He was the one who I interviewed with just quickly, and then I didn't know him well until some of our Nike trips that we have been able to go on together. Holly and I really really like he and his wife, so I am looking forward to seeing Mike. I have mixed feelings in terms of a lot of memories going back to Oregon State. It wasn't a time when Oregon State football was very strong, when I was there. And as a coach, it was a very difficult place to win. So, not a lot of success stories. A lot of work, and a lot of friendships that I still remember. It seems like so much time has passed from then until now, it is hard to even go back to that place. But I really don't have much choice now, because we are going back to that place. So physically I think it is going to take over mentally a little bit. And I am not quite sure how I feel about that."On why he's been successful in close games: "You know, I have thought about that a lot, and I don't think I have a fantastic or very clear answer. I think that our record that has been presented to me is 17-2 in games that have been decided by a touchdown or less. And a lot of times, I guess my theory might be the maturity of our players. It might be their ability to handle maybe the chaotic situations a little bit better. It might be tied to age, it might be tied to life experience, or it might be tied to preparation. But I don't have a strong enough feel to tell you which one of those it is." On whether he has a better feel for how other teams are doing now that BYU is independent: "You know, I really don't. The commonality of opponents makes it a little bit different. But if you look at who Oregon State has played. Arizona State is proving to be a good team. They lost to them. Wisconsin is proving to be a good team, and they lost to them. They just beat Arizona who is currently struggling. I think UCLA is somewhere in between right now. Besides their opener, which they lost in double overtime — openers are sometimes hard to gauge anyway. I think they are gaining some momentum from what I saw. They just scored 37. I have watched three games so far. They are a talented football team that is coached well, and how we are going to match up, again without having common opponents to look at, I think it is a little bit of a mystery." On Riley Nelson's game vs. San Jose"Just the type of quarterback Riley is, he buys more time specifically. So when he's under pressure, he's able to elude the rush and he gives the receivers more time to get open, which then makes us more difficult to defend because he can then throw it to a receiver whose route has been adjusted. It is harder to cover adjusted routes. The next thing is, is when he does feel pressure, if the coverage is solid, that usually means there is a buffer between where the offensive line is, and the secondary is, and usually he has a first down before he gets tackled, so that's make it very difficult [to defend him]. He threw the ball at dropback very well. The only thing that I would fault him on would be ball security. But other than that, executing the game plan, I thought he did a really nice job." On whether the backup guy will get into the game, and whether there is talk of that: "There is talk of it. But again, it gives us a great chance to continue to either develop one, which adds consistency, or training two, which sometimes takes away from consistency — which I learned a year ago. So most likely, the starter, as long as they are playing well, they are going to play probably through the whole game." On how the safeties are progressing in his eyes: "Making some progress. Their eye control in play-action and pass defense was much better on Saturday. And I think we are making progress there. Productivity has been solid, but not great. Travis Uale does an awesome job getting us all lined up. Daniel Sorensen is making more plays. In general, that position can still perform at a higher level." On losing his car at Oregon State as a graduate assistant: "I was a graduate assistant coach. I lived in my office, because I didn't know where, and if, I would be able to get a job. So I was saving rent. I had parked the car before the season. Then went in came time after I graduated, went to go home, and couldn't remember where I had parked it. So I reported it stolen. So campus police found it. It was under a bunch of leaves in a parking lot where I had forgotten that I had parked it. But yeah, when you are a graduate assistant, you don't have much other to do than break down film and do what the coaches tell you. I don't think I drove it all during the season. But I found it eventually. I don't remember if it started or not. The windshield wipers didn't work, and in Oregon, that is problematic."