Reader comments
Cougars saying right things about UCLA
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outoftowner | 1:56 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
I only hope those who comment here will realize that the football players are
saying they would like to play UCLA. Every time a story is written and
commented on, most who hate BYU, UTAH, TCU etc, will only know what they read
from people who usually don't know anymore than I do and thats not much.
Give the kids a chance to play and keep your hatred to yourselves and just maybe
you will sleep better at night and not spend so much time thinking up such silly
comments. Go Cougs.
Observant | 5:32 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
I know some BYU fans will be dissappointed that we are playing UCLA. As a rabid
cougar fan since the days of Virgil Carter I would like to make a couple of
observations.
First: UCLA is a big time program with a lot of history and a lot of national respect. If we want to start next year with a national ranking a convincing win over UCLA would be a great stepping stone.
Second: Wins over UCLA are not that easy. Our all time record against them is 1-8. I am a grandfather in my fifties and I was a recently returned missionary the only time we beat UCLA. Steve Young was the quarterback at the time and it was a tough, close, hard fought game. UCLA has caused us a great deal of grief since then.
I hope the Cougar Nation realizes what an opportunity this is and will come out in droves to support the team.
First: UCLA is a big time program with a lot of history and a lot of national respect. If we want to start next year with a national ranking a convincing win over UCLA would be a great stepping stone.
Second: Wins over UCLA are not that easy. Our all time record against them is 1-8. I am a grandfather in my fifties and I was a recently returned missionary the only time we beat UCLA. Steve Young was the quarterback at the time and it was a tough, close, hard fought game. UCLA has caused us a great deal of grief since then.
I hope the Cougar Nation realizes what an opportunity this is and will come out in droves to support the team.
Whatever happened to us? | 8:38 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Why have BYU fans become such whiners? We have such a bad record in bowl games
and haven't beaten a top 10 team in at least a decade. OK, maybe one. When
beating Utah makes our season and we struggle against UNM, lose to Tulsa, and
can't score on EVERY possession against the likes of E. Washington -- then
we have NO ROOM TO COMPLAIN!!!
Comments continue below
David in WA | 8:54 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
So, are there any indicators of any imminent coaching changes? Has anyone heard
anything, or was that just a general "question/statement" reported in
the article and taken from the news conference?
Anonymous Jones | 9:25 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
The irony here is that had the Cougars beaten UCLA the first time in a game that
they dominated statistically, UCLA wouldn't even be bowl eligible and this
problem would've solved itself.
Come ON Everybody! | 9:37 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
I can't figure out why so many fans (and coaches and players) have been
complaining about a rematch with UCLA. Last I checked, UCLA BEAT BYU when they
met this year. What happens when a heavyweight prize fighter loses a closely
contested boxing match, due to just a few well-placed punches by the opponent?
He demands a rematch. These complaining fans are the same ones that look at the
UCLA game and say "we should have won". Now is the chance for BYU to
PROVE ON THE FIELD who the better team is.
The only way BYU will ever improve their bowl situation is by consistently winning their bowl games, and consistently having 10+ win seasons. If that happens, then you will most likely see 1 loss or even 2 loss BYU teams as a regular fixture in the Fiesta bowl. We'll call it the new Holiday Bowl. But before the Fiesta Bowl can be the new Holiday Bowl, the Las Vegas bowl needs to be. BYU needs to beat any "name" team they can face in this game, and despite a 6-6 record, UCLA is still a "name" team, more so than Boise State.
The only way BYU will ever improve their bowl situation is by consistently winning their bowl games, and consistently having 10+ win seasons. If that happens, then you will most likely see 1 loss or even 2 loss BYU teams as a regular fixture in the Fiesta bowl. We'll call it the new Holiday Bowl. But before the Fiesta Bowl can be the new Holiday Bowl, the Las Vegas bowl needs to be. BYU needs to beat any "name" team they can face in this game, and despite a 6-6 record, UCLA is still a "name" team, more so than Boise State.
Right on | 9:41 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Jones is correct. Like it or not we need to beat UCLA or we will be a real
laughing stock, especially whent he team from the north sinks Navy.
um .... they BEAT us .... | 10:45 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Why wouldn't the Cougars be saying the right things about UCLA? After all,
they DID beat us this year. Should we be playing a worse team or something?
ogmson | 12:21 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
UCLA is a great match-up and the thoughts expressed by many are right on. UCLA
is in a powerhouse conference and the pre-season picks were that they were
second only to the SEC. UCLA finished FOURTH, Dick, (why can't you get that
right??????) with a 5-4 Pac-10 record. BYU will be the 6th game they have played
this year against a top 25 team. (Ranked either before or after they played the
game) UCLA is 3-2 in them! They are not 'chump' teams! It means they
are good and are on the radar of those who are voting who the best programs in
the nation are). Our Bowl record is DISMAL and this is a chance to improve it a
little bit....one year at a time. And, lest we all forget, BYU MADE the Holiday
Bowl in San Diego. SMU (I was there) Michigan, WSU, Ohio State, Missouri, Penn
State, Texas A&M, etc... Now it has a payout of 2.2 times more than the Las
Vegas Bowl. BYU is getting a great game and a good match-up and will help bring
the LV Bowl out of obscurity as well. 6-6 is insignificant. 5-4 IS important. GO
COUGS!
BlueTooth | 12:26 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
um .... they BEAT us ....
I guess you think because they beat BYU they should be happy to play them in the bowl game. So by you logic Ohio State would have been happy to play against Illinois in some other bowl than the NC game, since they beat them earlier this season?
you are right they did beat us and Logic would go with wanting to replay them, but with the current college football way of doing things (figure skating type of scores to judge teams for who is the best.) it stinks to play them again in the bowl and again at the begining of next years season.
I guess you think because they beat BYU they should be happy to play them in the bowl game. So by you logic Ohio State would have been happy to play against Illinois in some other bowl than the NC game, since they beat them earlier this season?
you are right they did beat us and Logic would go with wanting to replay them, but with the current college football way of doing things (figure skating type of scores to judge teams for who is the best.) it stinks to play them again in the bowl and again at the begining of next years season.
IdaCal Cougar | 12:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
I agree with Anonymous Jones. In fact, had the Cougs beaten UCLA in September
(which they should have done) neither BYU or the Bruins would be in the Las
Vegas Bowl. UCLA wouldn't be bowl eligible and the Cougs would be in a BCS
Bowl against a top-10 team. However, until we win our games, we get what we
deserve. Until we are undefeated, we don't have a right to complain about
our ranking or bowl match-up. Let's take care of business in Vegas and
then worry about taking care of business next year.
Blue Chelan 56 | 12:35 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Not bad Really! An obvious Re-building season,several key offensive stars to
replace,6 or seven defensive players lost to injury and missions,having four
walk-on secondary replacement inserts, an QB. with no game snaps since high
school.Congrats. to Coaches, trainers,players,suport staff, and positive fans.
We are fortunate we did not have to suffer a break even season.Besides all those
good things, It ain't over yet!!Bring on the Vegas Bowl and UCLA.On top of
all that, we will enjoy having everybody on offense back next year and most of
the D. with great recruits and return of those on misions.Get with the program
you guys, Rise and Shout the Cougs are Hot Hot.. Hot.
Anonymous | 12:57 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
The only way BYU would have made the BCS is if they would have beaten UCLA *and*
Tulsa. A 1-loss BYU doesn't make the BCS, not with Hawaii already in
there.
27-17 | 1:03 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Arizona a top tier pac-10 team? Seriously they were 5-7 this year and right
above Stanford last year and that team beat a better BYU team. You have to give
it to BYU though, they beat a solid Oregon team last year, but nothing BYU has
done against the pac-10 shows that they could even be a top 5 team in pac-10
play. Losing to UCLA this season did't help their cause, beating them in
the bowl will help a little, but in all honesty UCLA has been completely
hammered by injuries and just lost their coach so a win will do a little, a lose
would be monumental. Truth is BYU is hurt by their schedule and the lack of
ability to beat their better non-conference opponents. But you have to give
them credit, after cowardly ducking out of the traditional Utah State game after
a near upset several years ago, you have to give them props for sticking the
Aggies back on the schedule! I hear they might even make it out of the bottom 10
next year.
Whose Complaining? | 1:07 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Who is complaining? I've read three articles now by Dick Harmon about how
much the Cougar Fans are complaining. Is this really an issue or just something
that is more the creation of his writing?
I'm a die-hard fan in AZ, so I admit I am not in UT County, but every other rabid fan around here is excited that BYU is in the LVB again and that they are playing a big-time program like UCLA. They may have had a down year, but they played a killer schedule and are still considered a big program.
So, I'm questioning if this is really an issue or just a remnant of Harmon's writing. Instead of making the point that the fans should calm down, how about asking Dick Harmon to mellow out and stop trying to create the controversy?
GO COUGS!! CONGRATS ON ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!!
I'm a die-hard fan in AZ, so I admit I am not in UT County, but every other rabid fan around here is excited that BYU is in the LVB again and that they are playing a big-time program like UCLA. They may have had a down year, but they played a killer schedule and are still considered a big program.
So, I'm questioning if this is really an issue or just a remnant of Harmon's writing. Instead of making the point that the fans should calm down, how about asking Dick Harmon to mellow out and stop trying to create the controversy?
GO COUGS!! CONGRATS ON ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!!
TV affiliation reflections.... | 1:36 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
When BYU was playing games on ESPN and ABC on a regular basis, I remember them
being a fixture in the top 25 when they were winning. Since they moved to the
Mtn., the opposite has been happening. I don't think it is simply
coincidence that the Cougs have lost respect from poll voters, when winning,
once they jumped ship from ESPN. There is a direct correlation between BYU
being ranked in the top say, 15, and their games being aired on ESPN. And now
that no one East of Denver can see BYU on television, its no wonder they
can't get ranked until a few weeks before the end of the season, sporting a
10-2 record. If they had gone undefeated, I'm still not sure they would
have cracked the top 8, maybe not even top 10.
This will be a problem for the remaining years BYU is stuck in this TV contract....so sit back and get comfortable with anonymity, Cougar fans. It'll be the status quo for a lot of years to come.
Nice job, BYU President! You've sentenced your football/basketball programs into obscurity through your greed and short-sightedness.
This will be a problem for the remaining years BYU is stuck in this TV contract....so sit back and get comfortable with anonymity, Cougar fans. It'll be the status quo for a lot of years to come.
Nice job, BYU President! You've sentenced your football/basketball programs into obscurity through your greed and short-sightedness.
David H | 2:43 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
BYU will beat UCLA in Vegas and that will be the end to that problem!
AZ Dave | 2:45 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
RE Whatever happened to us
Don't bother them with the facts!
Don't bother them with the facts!
Whiners | 3:31 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
A lot of people are suggesting that BYU and UCLA are different teams than who
met before.
Here's why:
UCLA - Pac 10 schedule and injuries = lot of losses, but does not equal a worse team
BYU - MWC schedule. That helped the w/l, but for this game, that won't help much. Ok confidence may help some.
We're going to look and feel like cupcakes to the teams that UCLA is used to playing (and losing to).
Bottom line is that while I think the MWC is justified in being frustrated that the middle of the PAC 10 isn't giving us good teams, BYU can not complain about having to play a team that beat them (that is BETTER than them).
Go cougars!! I'll be there in blue!!
Here's why:
UCLA - Pac 10 schedule and injuries = lot of losses, but does not equal a worse team
BYU - MWC schedule. That helped the w/l, but for this game, that won't help much. Ok confidence may help some.
We're going to look and feel like cupcakes to the teams that UCLA is used to playing (and losing to).
Bottom line is that while I think the MWC is justified in being frustrated that the middle of the PAC 10 isn't giving us good teams, BYU can not complain about having to play a team that beat them (that is BETTER than them).
Go cougars!! I'll be there in blue!!
eddy bear | 4:29 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Here's a thought, lets play the LVB on the MTN and then no one in the free
world will know or care about this game. Go Bruins! Who needs a coach!
BYU-BCS | 4:31 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Regarding Anonymous, I beg to differ. A 1-loss BYU team would THIS year (not
every year) definitely be in a BCS game and ranked above Hawaii who would have
been left with the biggest gripe of the year - playing in their own Hawaii Bowl
undefeated. Nevertheless, it didn't happen. It is what it is. Go COUGS!
Beat the Bruins (finally!)
USC Trojan | 4:53 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
Great to see that BYU and UCLA will be playing in the esteemed Las Vegas Bowl.
I hope ... | 9:27 p.m. Dec. 4, 2007
that they take this alot more seriously than I do. I realize they need to win.
Well, okay, a win really won't do much for them, but a loss will hurt the
whole MWC. I just really hate the whole MWC, MTN network affiliation and what it
seems to have done (nothing) for sports in the area.
BigPoet | 1:46 a.m. Dec. 5, 2007
To "Whiners": The BYU loss to UCLA was hard fought. UCLA players
knew they had been in a battle. I remember reading at least 2 post-game
comments from UCLA players indicating that they were unsure they would win the
game. So...I don't think UCLA will consider BYU as "cupcakes".
If anything, I believe there will be more respect/fear felt by them toward the
Cougars.
BigPoet | 1:51 a.m. Dec. 5, 2007
To "Whose Complaining", The super-bad TV Network agreement is a HUGE
issue. Harmon is right to trumpet the displeasure that continues with every
game for fans outside of Utah.
Trojan Pride | 11:14 a.m. Dec. 5, 2007
Let's see... What did USC do the last time they played in the Las Vegas
Bowl? Oh, that's right. They got beaten by Utah.
bringonbruins | 3:39 p.m. Dec. 6, 2007
Bring on the Bruins I say! Everyone I talk to makes it seem like BYU deserves to
play teams of its same caliber, well in my book UCLA is a better football team
than us until we beat them. Plain and simple! But until we beat someone out of
our conference, we are just the best MWC team, and I am fine with that. I wish
the Cougs all the Luck down in Vegas, but as far as the fans that think our team
is something special, stop talking and sip on your caffenine free Diet Coke! :)
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