Great expectations — Y. eyes not just winning season but MWC title

PROVO — Ask anyone affiliated with BYU's football program about the expectations for the 2006 season and the answer is pretty much the same.

The Cougars have their sights set on winning the Mountain West Conference championship.

After three straight losing seasons, BYU finished 6-6 in 2005, including a second-place finish in the MWC and a bowl appearance. This year, the Cougars are looking at the next step in their progression — claiming their first league title since 2001.

"We just have a distinct goal this season, that's to be conference champions," said senior linebacker and team captain Cameron Jensen. "We have to practice like it every day. We've got to improve on what happened last year."

"We won't settle for second place anymore. We won't settle for a loss in a bowl game," said senior running back Curtis Brown. "The expectations are for greatness and the plan is to have an undefeated season, go to a bowl game and win. We love to set the expectations high at BYU because we know we have the capability to obtain whatever goal we set for ourselves. We're not going to let our team fall short this year. We're not going to hold anything back this year."

Coach Bronco Mendenhall, entering his second season at the helm, is counting on his program to progress dramatically over his first season.

"We expect to be an improved football team, competing at a higher level. I expect our football team to perform well in critical situations," he said. "I like this football team.

I like how they are working to achieve the standard of excellence in all they do. I like how they're working. I like their competitive spirit. I like how they're competing every day. I like the atmosphere. This is the best chemistry I have felt since I began coaching at BYU."

Last season, the Cougars avoided a losing record for the first time since 2001. This season, Mendenhall wants to see BYU return to the greatness it once knew.

"We finished second in the Mountain West and lost a hard-fought, tightly contested bowl game. I have a better idea of what the standard is for this program," he said. "Our players have a better idea. We're not just satisfied with going to a bowl game. It was a nice step for our program, but we're not satisfied to finish second. That wasn't our goal. There's a different standard. We've seen it, we've felt it, we've touched it, and we've seen how close it is."