A step forward

PROVO — Months after a coaching change, which led to uniform changes and a host of other changes imposed by first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, BYU finally has experienced a taste of public, tangible success — a victory.

Even if it did come against Division I-AA opponent Eastern Illinois.

Not that it mattered to Mendenhall, whose team registered a resounding 45-10 win over the Panthers Saturday, one week after a season-opening loss to Boston College.

Leave it to him to put it all in perspective.

"It's a great feeling, but, again, much like last week when I was asked why I appear so calm as there appeared to be raging stories about BYU football and its state of affairs, I see the end in mind and this is just another step in the direction I'd like this football program to go — to grow our team, to develop our team, to handle adversity, to have some success," Mendenhall said. "This is just the next step. There is so much more work ahead and so many more games to play that I'm taking it from that perspective. Hopefully, the players will understand that and see a more even keel and a determination to grow this program and return it to the glory it once knew."

His players knew the win had additional significance.

"It was Mendenhall's first victory as a head coach, so that was a moral victory for us," said wide receiver Todd Watkins, who caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes.

In the week leading up to the game, Mendenhall didn't mention the name of the upcoming opponent to his team. It wasn't until assistant coach Barry Lamb addressed the team prior to kickoff that Eastern Illinois was mentioned. All week, BYU was focused on itself.

"It was about our improvement," Mendenhall said.

In terms of scoring, it was a 42-point improvement over the previous week. And the Cougars wasted little time getting into the end zone, taking the opening kickoff and marching 67 yards in eight plays, highlighted by a 23-yard catch by Matt Allen. The drive culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by Curtis Brown — the first TD of the Mendenhall Era.

"The No. 1 thing that we wanted to do was score," Brown said. "We wanted to start the game fast and get things rolling. We didn't want to give Eastern Illinois the chance to stay in the game with us. To score on the first drive inspires us to do it every time."