Cougar defense needs help from offense

Is Curtis Brown a BYU defensive player masquerading as a running back in the Cougar offense?

If not, he played like a BYU defender in BYU's 24-13 win over Wyoming Saturday night before a crowd of 58,737 in LaVell Edwards Stadium. Some would argue, he only needed the chance.

Brown practically stole the show from the BYU defense, which clearly deserved the game ball.

Granted, Wyoming (4-2 overall, 1-1 in the MWC) deserves credit for cooling down BYU's attack. The Cowboys came in 4-1 and played tough in Provo. They were atop the MWC with Utah, the league's supposed best. Coach Joe Glenn is Andy Reid. Some of BYU's offensive woes could be credited to the Cowboy defense.

Not all. Not by a long shot.

The Cougars (3-4, 1-1) played most of the night with one limb handcuffed behind their back belt loops. The offense, you see, rode their defense like a mule.

When quarterback John Beck wasn't busy getting his passes knocked down, he looked confused how to attack Wyoming's zone and, as in the UNLV game, couldn't muster any cluster of scoring drives until the end. He finished 10 of 24 for 139 yards and 1 interception.

BYU coach Gary Crowton turned to his running backs for most all of an 84-yard game-clinching scoring drive, a touchdown sealed when Fahu Tahi juked his way for a 15-yard score. Finally, in getting a long drive with time, on that possession, BYU's offense gave their brothers on defense enough of a blow to kill Wyoming in the closing minutes.

To his credit, Crowton went to his money player — Brown.

If it wasn't for big sophomore Brown, the Cougars' capability of defeating Wyoming was bust. The offensive punch — for most of the night — was nothing more than those balloon-like feather-filled boxing gloves. It took up space on the field but had no jabs in general.

BYU beat Wyoming because of its defense. It was outstanding. Brown gained 159 yards on 24 carries. When he tired, Tahi got 70 on 12 totes.

But the game ball belonged to the tacklers.

Enter walk-on safety Spencer White. Still not on scholarship.

When the Cowboys went for it on fourth down at BYU's nine in the first quarter, White stepped in front of a pass by Corey Bramlet and returned it 47 yards.

For naught. The offense died with a John Beck interception, a pass intended for Daniel Coats, who looked as interested in battling for the ball as the French.