"You'll see a team that is well-coached. I don't think you'll see much difference between Northern Iowa and some of the better teams in our league," said Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall. "We think this is a very good opponent."

Since 1998, BYU has defeated three FCS foes — Murray State (1998), Eastern Illinois (2005) and Eastern Washington (2007) — by an average score of 43.3-8.7.

The Cougars own a huge size advantage up front. The BYU offensive line weighs in at an average of 326.4 pounds and their average height is 6-foot-6. UNI's defensive front averages out at 6-4 and 272 pounds.

One of the most intriguing subplots of today's matchup revolves around junior wide receiver Austin Collie, who was sidelined during fall camp with a stress fracture in his lower leg. This past week, he has been practicing, running routes and catching passes.

What's more, Collie has also been throwing passes. Last week, BYU's coaches — who have not been satisfied with the performances of Brenden Gaskins and Kurt McEuen in scrimmages — told Collie he would be one of the backup quarterbacks. During practices, he has been splitting his time between receiver and quarterback.

In addition to executing the passing offense, Collie has been running the option, a dimension that would give the Cougars' offense a new look and another dangerous weapon. Should BYU open up a big lead today, Mendenhall said that Collie could see action in the offensive backfield.

"We intend to use him any way possible to help our team," the coach said.

Said Collie: "There's a lot of stuff to think about and a lot of stuff going through my head. But wherever the coaches need me, I'm there. My main concern right now is helping the team at wide receiver."

Season opener

BYU vs. Northern Iowa
Today, 4 p.m.
TV: The mtn.
Radio: 1160 AM; 102.7 FM

---

E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com