Cougar D proves to be rock solid

PROVO — Since the day he arrived on campus almost two years ago, defensive coordinator Bronco Mendenhall has aimed to establish a reputation of excellence on the defensive side of the ball at BYU.

Looks like the Cougar D is well on its way.

Just ask Notre Dame.

BYU defeated the Fighting Irish, 20-17, last Saturday thanks in large part to a dominating defensive performance that saw Notre Dame gain only 11 yards rushing and score one offensive touchdown.

BYU's blitz-oriented attack stymied the Irish all night.

"It kept us a little bit on our heels," said Irish coach Tyrone Willingham. "We couldn't really come off the ball in both our running game and our passing game."

Notre Dame's offense didn't cross into BYU territory until its seventh series, with 44 seconds remaining in the first half.

"The defense is amazing," BYU wide receiver Todd Watkins said after the win. "Defense basically won this game."

Last year, in Mendenhall's first season as defensive coordinator, BYU finished No. 14 nationally in total defense. Heading into this season, the

Cougars had lost seven starters, including all three linebackers, from a year ago. Then, in fall camp, they lost a couple of projected starters to injuries. On top of that, there was an influx of new players trying to learn Mendenhall's 3-3-5 scheme.

No matter. The BYU defense forges on in impressive fashion.

"That's why I brought Bronco here. Bronco has a way of getting the most out of the defense," said Cougar coach Gary Crowton. "He's a guy I believe in and am very confident with."

Mendenhall demands a lot from his players and they are responding to his challenge to be among the best in the country.

"We have an expectation standard of excellence, defensively, and the players know what it is, they know what it looks like and they know they had better meet it," Mendenhall said during fall camp. "They're disappointed when they don't. These guys that were recruited here didn't come here to be average. They came here because we have an excellent defense and it's the start of a brand new tradition. That's why they came. I'm holding them to that standard."