Y. defense looking to the future

Somewhere in Lubbock, if he took the time, Texas Tech cornerback coach Brian Mitchell could be scratching his head, wondering how his guys at BYU would have fared last year if the Cougars had deployed a 3-4 front and played a little zone coverage.

Who knows if Notre Dame would have set all those school records against the Cougars in South Bend on national TV. Well, they probably would have. Mitchell, then BYU's cornerback coach, and the players on BYU's defense, had a lot on their plate in 2004 — including injuries. It was a buffet for opposing offenses.

Now, a year later, with new coach Jaime Hill and a different philosophy, just how improved, if at all, will the Cougar pass coverage be in the opener at Arizona?

We don't know, of course.

But Hill and Co. are eager to find out, anxious to play, and are hopeful all the work they've dumped into improving will pay off.

"I feel fine," Hill said. "I'm confident. They (the corners) understand the system, they are performing it well. If Arizona is faster than us — then they are faster than us. Other than that, we're fine."

Corners are caught on an island. If they mess up, it's there for everyone to see.

One factor in how well BYU's pass defense will perform Saturday is how well the three-man front and four linebackers apply pressure to Arizona QB Willie Tuitama.

The best coverage for a corner is when his pass rushers plant an opposing quarterback or force him off balance. If timing is knocked off and he's running to avoid a sack, the job becomes easier. In this regard, Bronco Mendenhall's defense hopes that front seven can deliver — and allow Hill's guys to bloom without combat fatigue.

Last year's bonfire at South Bend? The breakout of Utah's Brett Ratliff? And Cal's 27-second touchdown before halftime of the Las Vegas Bowl? Well, if there had been effective pressure, the Cougars may have ended the season with at least two more wins. Well, the case could be made.

"We really don't talk about that," Hill said.

Mitchell's nightmare is a ghost of the past as far as Hill is concerned.

"It doesn't matter what they did before. It's what we do now that counts," Hill said. "I try and give them all the information I can. I can only baby-sit them until the white line. Once they get to the white line, they are on their own. I have to give them all the tools to be successful."