2005 BYU preview: The Cat scan

PROVO — Last November, the BYU football team limped off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium amid the throngs of Utah fans reveling in a 52-21 victory. The undefeated Utes were on their way to the Fiesta Bowl and the debilitated Cougars were on their way to another long offseason.

With that humbling defeat, BYU had suffered a third consecutive losing season for the first time since the 1960s. The once-proud program that had produced an assembly line of all-America quarterbacks and umpteen conference championships — even one national championship — had been reduced to a state of mediocrity.

During the three previous seasons under coach Gary Crowton, the Cougars were plagued by a host of maladies. The symptoms of a losing program, such as declining attendance, were ubiquitous.

Days after that loss, Crowton was fired and BYU began its search for a new leader. After being turned down by Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, BYU administrators turned in-house, and handed the reins over to its defensive coordinator, Bronco Mendenhall.

Can Mendenhall cure what ails Cougar football? Only time will tell. No doubt, since his hiring, the 39-year-old rookie head coach has taken several significant steps to breathe life, and wins, back into the program.

An offense transplant

Mendenhall hired two assistants with BYU ties, offensive coordinator Robert Anae and quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman, to install an offensive scheme that is reminiscent of the one the Cougars ran during their glory days.

"Robert shares a similar mind-set, not only in scheme, but in philosophy," Mendenhall said. "He has insights into one of the most exciting offensive systems in the country and will bring that excitement to BYU."

Anae, a member of the Cougars' 1984 national championship team, served as the offensive line coach at Texas Tech for five seasons. He has brought with him a version of the Red Raider offense, which has led the nation in passing the past three seasons. In 2003, Texas Tech led the nation in total offense and perennially is one of the top scoring teams in the country.

Among Anae's tasks are cutting down on turnovers and sticking the ball in the end zone. Throughout fall camp, the transplant appeared to be taking.

Psychotherapy

Clearly, this is a program that has suffered an acute identity crisis. After years of dominating its conference, the Cougars have been kicked around at times the past few seasons. They've had amnesia, as if they had forgotten who they used to be. They've lost their swagger.