Mendenhall hire is paying off

FORT COLLINS, COLO. — Bronco Mendenhall's face cracks smiles more frequently these days.

He could actually have some fun with this muscle group. BYU president Cecil O. Samuelson and athletic director Tom Holmoe already have had grin stretch marks for weeks.

After a 24-3 victory Saturday, Mendenhall has BYU four quarters from its first conference championship since 2001. The Cougars clinched their first winning season in five years. Bronco left Colorado 10-3 as a Mountain West Conference head coach and has his squad on a six-game win streak.

You could say he's getting the feel of things around the Rockies.

"This is only the beginning, just the start of what he's going to do at BYU," said senior defensive captain Cameron Jensen. "He isn't satisfied with 10-3. It will be fun to see that stat in years to come.

If BYU folks are skipping around this week, it's kind of overdue. The past five years they've had to put on a double dose of cologne.

Consider: Jensen, QB John Beck, lineman Jake Kuresa and tight end Daniel Coats have never had a seven-win season in a Cougar uniform.

After BYU defeated Colorado State, the 7-2 Cougars are candidates to break into the rankings after Tulsa lost to Houston, Wake Forest upset No. 16 Boston College, No. 25 Washington State fell to Arizona, Maryland upended No. 19 Clemson and Oklahoma beat No. 21 Texas A&M.

Suddenly, there are only 15 teams in Division I with fewer losses than the Cougars, and even fewer who are as hot.

Of course, getting Mendenhall to say anything more to reporters than he's "pleased where this team is" right now is tougher than John Kerry hitting a punch line.

Mendenhall forbids his team from celebrating after wins but for a few minutes. It's always game faces toward the next opponent.

Here's something few can argue: Mendenhall's proved to be an ingenious BYU hire. And it goes beyond wins.

Back when he was hired, Mendenhall took the advice of a corporate scientist, Paul Gustavson, who gave him a challenge to start his mission to get BYU football jump-started by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus and the right people in the right seats on the bus.

It's been 23 months of bus work. Bronco may have traded in the bus for a limo.