Expectations haven't changed at BYU despite youth

PROVO — Bronco Mendenhall's Cougars won a fourth consecutive season-opener Saturday in part due to a philosophy that acknowledges his team's limitations without lowering expectations.

Despite coming off four consecutive 10-plus win seasons, and being led by the coach with the fourth-highest winning percentage among all active FBS coaches (as ranked by the NCAA), BYU is a team seen by many as "rebuilding" in 2010. Most national observers picked the Cougars to lose their season-opener to Washington, and have predicted BYU's win total to slide with the loss of Max Hall, Harvey Unga and Dennis Pitta to the National Football League.

Mendenhall isn't buying the conventional wisdom. Of BYU's recent winning history, he says, "The expectations are never going to go away. I've been really blunt with our team and our coaches, and we all know that. That's one of the reasons these players came to BYU."

Many players got their first taste of college football against Washington, with a dozen true or redshirt freshmen playing in the game. Five of the 10 Cougars to catch passes were playing in their first college contest, and one of them (Joshua Quezada) scored a touchdown on his first collegiate touch of the ball.

Mendenhall says the key will be finding a way to give his young and inexperienced players chances to succeed as quickly as possible.

"We've worked hard on schemes and scripts and paring down," Mendenhall said. "That gives them their best chance to perform at their highest level now. Then over time, they can handle a little more, and then a little more. We're always very concerned about what we can execute, and that's really what has driven the decision."

The most visible part of the decision was the implementation of two quarterbacks, each with different yet complementary strengths. Going into Saturday night's game in Provo, Mendenhall told me, "I know who they both are."

After the game, he knew them even better.

"Riley (Nelson) showed grit and determination and toughness. Jake was poised and comfortable in delivering the ball," the Cougars' coach said. "I think anyone who sat in the stands that night could watch and say (of Nelson) 'I really like what he does,' and then (of Heaps), 'I really like what he does.' And that's a good thing."

Indeed, the pigskin platoon was a smashing success, with each quarterback throwing for 131 yards on the night; Nelson by efficiently getting the ball to his receivers, Heaps by loading up a rocket-launcher that clearly "goes to 11." Nelson wasn't at all surprised that the "quarterback by committee" approach paid dividends.