Texas Cougar | 12:47 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU was clearly the better team, good luck to them the rest of the season! Having witnessed last years game in person I can say it hurts more when you actually attend the game.

Go Cougars!
Speed Kills | 12:59 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
BYU's coaching staff were leveled in their play calling. As much as I HATE Patterson, he and his staff clearly out played BYU in every aspect of the game. Upcoming game in Laramie also concerns me, BYU could be in for a surprise!!!
TCU embarrassed the Y | 1:05 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Great game to TCU, it is very true to assess BYU with big time over confidence and arrogance. We were out coached, outplayed, outhustled and pretty much thoroughly embarrassed.

We always bring the Van Smack but for the last several years we are a team that does not show for the big games and we get worse as they year wears on . . . or we just meet the REAL contenders.

I am ashamed of BYU we are pathetic, you know for all of our talk of Utah being little brother, I may need to check into being the 2nd born because being Big Brother doesn't seem that cool since 1984.

I can handle losing but we didn't lose we got completely handled. We looked like idiots. Hall is mentally weak. We need to assess the coaches future, this is beyond embarrassing.

We stink.

Comments continue below
jason | 1:17 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
"The Frogs are that good and that far ahead." I am afraid the Utes are that far ahead of BYU as well. BYU is loaded with seniors on defense, can you imagine what is going to happen next year with a young defense, new QB and new tight ends.
Maybe next year... | 2:14 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
There's always nest year!!!

Good luck TCU!!
Hope you crash the BCS!!!
Fire Bronco! | 2:26 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Fire Bronco!
TCU  | 2:52 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Scrapped BYU. Plain and simple, the Y is a disappointment.
Anonymous | 3:22 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Absolutely. The BCS hopes of the MWC now rest with the frogs. Too bad they started out in the rankings lower than BSU. That's the problem with early meaningless rankings. Hopefully that will be corrected over the next few weeks.

Go frogs!
Anonymous | 3:44 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU deserved to win, I think they should be a top 5 team.
Big Gap | 5:16 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Feeling pretty bad about the loss. It doesn't make it any better when Bronco starts talking about his levels of execution and preparation. Could it be that TCU is just a better team, period? It looked that way to me. I love BYU but after yesterday I am also a TCU fan, good luck to TCU the rest of this year- hopefully you can become the 2nd MWC team to crush the BCS.
clobbered cougars | 5:52 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Bronco's "talent and model" view of the team lacks something TCU demonstrated in abundance: "fire in the belly". Our Cougars (coaches too) appear to be at the same place, at the same time as last season (after a fired-up start)... listless, uninspired play and plays. Oh yea, and it's hard to beat speed.

Anyone have a purple helmet and jersey we can put on some tackling dummies?

Loved the "rolling thunder" of Harvey Unga. Can he play defense? Go Cougars!
Red Blood | 6:04 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Wait...i thought because Max Hall was a senior QB and BYU has all it's toughest games at home meant that the inscription on the Championship trophy was already done.

BYU: Where getting WAY ahead of oneself is a perennial occurrence.
Harold | 6:36 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Hey Dick,

I thought you predicted BYU victory over TCU.
Funny Funny Dick | 6:57 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Well "expert" Dick has decided that TCU looks worthy of the BCS because it beat his beloved Cougars. TCU may well be worthy, but Dick has no national perspective. He is pro MWC and anti-Pac-10, but other than that we don't have much to judge him on. Write one honest thing about BYU and you'll gain some credibility. Say just once "Bronco needs to recruit more speed". C'mon Dick we know you've watched games forever. You can report honestly and not be bashing BYU.
Game Day Dave | 7:15 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Ouch! That is the ony word to explain he humiliating beating BYU took at the hands of TCU. Without a doubt the Frogs croaked the Cougars.

The only thng that puzzles me is Harmon's silly comment "Sorry Boise State." TCU edged Boise State last year by one point - one point - after crushing BYU and beating Utah at Rice Eccles.

Boise State crushed Oregon - now soon to be #10 with Miami's loss.

Instead of "Sorry Boise State" Harmon should say "Sorry Mountain West" for only having one strong team. Ironic isn't it? The MWC has only has one strong team - TCU_ and the WAC only has one strong team - Boise State.

Maybe Boise State and TCU should play again. Besides, TCU is the only MWC school that has beaten Boise in its its history.

Until the 13-1 record owned by Boise State is brought into balance, Harmon should say "Sorry MWC."

sob | 7:30 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
this weekend turned out about perfect for the mwc
Little Brother  | 7:39 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Went to Iggys. More Utah fans showed up for the BYU game than the Utah / AFA game. Guess it proves there truly are no Utah fans only BYU haters. To those who missed their team play, but came for the BYU game you are even more pitiful than BYU was on the field last night.
It's over for the Cougars | 7:44 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Unbelievable game vs the Horned Frogs. The Horney Frogs took it to our Cougars big time. Coach Mendenhall and his entire organization must take the blame for this season of high expectations and little to show for it. This game just opens the door for the rest of the MWC teams to feast on BYU football deficiencies. I see Air Force and the rest of the MWC games on the schedule causing heartburn for us fans. And a post season bowl game?! You have to be kidding. It's not worth the effort. There needs to be a total reevaluation of what is going on in Provo athletics. Turn conditioning over to Ed Eyestone's group....and get in shape approach for one thing. Who is in charge of speed and conditioning anyway? Who is running the defense? and for that matter the offense? ESPN Game Day.....right! Don't get me wrong message board contributors....I am still a BYU fan...but this has got to stop....honestly. I would have the team running to the "Y" everyday until they get in shape. I see players huffing and puffing after one play. Come on! Woodshed time.

GO COUGARS!!!!!!!!!!
Joke | 7:59 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Way to show up cougars....
Easy to sum up | 8:03 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
MANHANDLED!

Football | 8:04 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Last year TCU beat Boise State by 1 point. TCU lost a number of key players, Boise State played with the youngest team in the nation and most came back. Last year's game doesn't have anything to do with how the teams perform this year.
Get with it... | 8:05 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
football is a game nota model. We need a little emotion
Tiberias | 8:30 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
We got out coached as well as out played!
Mizzou Blue | 8:32 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Yuk! Trying to watch that game yesterday from Missouri was horrible. It is very apparent that we are at least a notch down from the big boys. The Frogs team speed killed us just like FSU. Plus they seemed much more physical on the defensive side of the ball than our offensive line. Hopefully we can win out & get a decent bowl bid.
want another '84? | 8:38 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
I am a diehard Cougar fan, and it kills me to say this, but this loss (including the lopsided nature) was in our best interest. In the current college football environment we have to maintain respect for the MWC. The worst thing that could happen for BYU this year is for the MWC to produce multiple 1-loss teams. That would hinder our potential to ever have a BCS-busting year, a national championship year, or even an automatic bid for the MWC into the BCS games. We need TCU to go to a BCS game and win. And we need BYU and Utah to finish the season ranked. And yes, you're right that its pathetic that I walked into last nights game knowing that a loss was in my team's best interest. That doesn't mean I rooted for a Cougar loss, but it did help the bitter pill to go down.
a Master? | 8:43 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
...Bronco Mendenhall, a master of measuring things...

Talk about nonsense!
This statement is as non-sense as you can get.
Bronco knows .... about coaching, that's why his team was defeated handily twice in the same fashion and he still could not figure out why!!!
Bronco thought last year was a fluke (..."I really had believed from a year ago, and what I thought was that this was a one-time thing," said coach Bronco Mendenhall...), so did he under-estimate TCU again?
What a laugh, Bronco!!!
Anonymous | 8:47 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU needs to put Utah jerseys on the tackling dummy now. Their kicker better not choke again this year.
from afar... | 8:48 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Being out East, and within the heart of SEC/ACC/Big East...Watching both the Utah/AFA and BYU/TCU games, makes me wonder (and impressed) that Utah beat AFA by a larger margin than TCU did, and scored the most points on the AFA defense than anyone has this year...all this when Utah's offense looked decidedly 'off' against the Falcons D.

Looking at the past five years, Utah and TCU have/are clearly the best two programs and the only ones doing anything for the MWC on the national scene.

Should make for a good game in Texas when the Frogs host the Utes, though TCU certainly appears to be the best team this year. But after Utah's two BCS years in the past five, it's good for the conference to show another team and program of a similar caliber.

wow | 8:49 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
That was the biggest backtracking job I've ever seen. Dick picks byu to win on Friday, and now he mentions in the article at least ten times that tcu was picked to win the game. Harmon needs to hang it up.
Dapper2k | 8:52 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Dear Dick..."The leagues premier team?" Didn't Utah win the the MWC title last year? And doesn't that make them the league champs? And hasn't Utah been to the BCS games twice in the last 6 years? The leagues premier team is undisputably the U of U!!! And the league title always goes through SLC even in rebuilding years.

PS. TDS is the 3rd best team in the MWC. Barily.
Pure Fan | 9:20 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
While 'TCU Embarassed the Y' was a bit over the top with a vitriolic post-game 'show', I had to agree with the "overconfidence and arrogance." Having heard Coach Mendenhall speak to potential high school recruits at BYU 7-on-7's, Junior Days, etc. where he is less guarded than in the media, I left with an unpleasant taste in my mouth. The TCU game (and others) ought to humble that ego a bit now.
SPEEEDY | 9:27 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Note to Bronco & Cougar fans: How do you "execute" team speed when ya don't have it ? We all like the teams talent, they are good kids, but we simply are not going to compete with our slow offensive line & sloooow db's--- Good luck TCU
BlueBoy | 9:52 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
If Boise State continues to blow out its opponents on the road, too (54-9 at Hawaii), it'll be difficult for TCU to leap them in the polls.

The MWC can only hope TCU continues to play well and Boise State stumbles.

Maybe the better SOS that TCU will have by season's end will do the trick.

Hate to keep alternating those BCS dollars with the WAC.

Oh, BYU played yesterday? Really?
George | 9:57 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU is the better team by far, and I love the Cougars. Not fair to criticize the Cougars. It is a brutal game out there on the field every week. The "experts" who criticize this team would not have the guts to get on the field where it really counts. I respect and appreciate the players for their skill, hard work, and effort!!
What? | 10:06 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Dicks comment about how TCU has distanced themselves as the leagues premier team by beating the cougars two years in a row. Thats Funny.. I always thought there was a so called little brother team in salt lake that IS the 2 time B.C.S winning, defending champs. Granted T.C.U is good, and will probably beat the U, but all this talk of Byu being the team to beat is narrow minded and ignorant. I have sat back for the last couple years and watched as byu has been the most talked about, over rated team. All the U has done is win 20 of the last 21. lots of those wins were against teams that would have killed byu.
To Bronco & Max | 10:08 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Coach Mendenhall is "paid the big bucks" precisely to anticipate and prepare for each week's opponent.

I am more than a little concerned that Bronco and BYU keep getting "surprised" by the level of preparation of their opponents. This is two bad losses at home this season, and it is the same story both times.

Step it up, Bronco! Why can't you prepare adequately for big games?

TCU was easily the biggest game of the year, given the "surprise" loss last year, the revenge factor, the BYU tackling dummy, the BCS implications, a home game, etc.

If BYU expects to compete at the highest level of Div. I Football, we need better preparation from our coaches.

We also need better leadership within the team (Max Hall vs. Tim Tebow --> no comparison) - and I am talking about off-the-field leadership, not quarterbacking.

Otherwise, we are doomed to stay in the middle of the MWC pack.
TCU Over-rated | 10:13 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
I like the spin that if TCU trounced the y they must truly be one of the best teams. How about the fact that the MWC just isn't that good? TCU would not fare so well in the Big 12 or SEC.

Continually crying about the BCS does not make you a BCS calibar conference. Give me Texas vs Florida in the NC game. Now that's real first class football!
Boise? | 10:20 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU should jump over Boise St in the rankings.
Re: Little Brother | 10:25 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
You're not that smart. Utah played at 2 PM. The game ended in overtime when the TCU game started. Did you consider Utah fans might want to celebrate the big win in OT by going to Iggys???? Did you ever consider Ute fans might want to see how real TCU was since we play them in 3 weeks?? Of course not, it had to be because we feel insecure about winning two BCS games recently.
Look, we all know you're super bummed out you pre celebrated the NC and that you still haven't learned that crowning yourselves BCS champs in August just doesn't work but don't assume the whole world, including Ute fans, has somehow conspired against the mighty cougettes. Yes, we Ute fans find kitty fans amusing and sometimes annoying but we also like seeing a what is 'supposed' to be a good game. Bummer you guys didn't show up.
Speed Kills BYU | 10:30 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Another BYU big-game loss, another tired set of Broncoisms about execution.

With Max Hall and Harvey Unga being seniors, BYU should have been better this year, not worse.
wayne | 10:37 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
It became obvious at least to me that BYU needs to start looking for a new QB.max has proven one thing he can put up godly against average teams but can not produce against better teams.let's give Riley the rains and see what he can do. After all you BYU is already going bowling but need to look out for the furture.for the rest of the season they are playing to see if they will go to the ponsetta bowl or the new mexico bowl or the helcopter bowl.they maybe could be used by the leage to fill in a bowl if other confences can produce enough 6 game winners but that's it.

So they might as well develop there best young QB. Give him some playing time to build on for next year.
As predicted | 10:56 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
a few weeks ago. Utes jump the Cougs in the top 25 as Byu is dropped from the list!
Realist | 11:12 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Until recently we have thought of the MWC as a two-tier conference: the "big three" and then everyone else. That is clearly not the case any more. there are now threee tiers:

TCU (and maybe Utah)
BYU (and maybe Utah)
Everyone else

The next few weeks will reveal where Utah belongs in this scheme: elite with TCU, or second-tier with BYU. For now, it appears the Frogs out-class everyone else in the league. Bringing TCU into the MWC was a great move. Let's hope we can keep them. They would make a very credible member of the Big 12, a league that could slough off some dead wood (Baylor).
Henry Drummond | 11:33 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
In the MWC beating TCU, BYU, Utah, or even Air Force really means somethings. When Boise State beats any other team in their conference no matter now convincingly it means exactly nothing. Some BYU fans long for the glory years when they had no competition. They got a lot of wins but little respect. There's a downside to tougher competition, but when you finally break through nobody will questioning whether you really earned it or not.
Anonymous | 11:45 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU does`nt belong in the Mountain West, I think their fighting just not to make a statement in the BCS but to also get out of the Mountain West and into the Big 12 or SEC where they belong.
TCU / Utah better talent | 11:55 a.m. Oct. 25, 2009
This really isn't that hard to figure. TCU is on another level talent wise than BYU and there is nothing BYU can do about it other than recruit better players. A combined 70-14 score over the past two years for TCU ought to be pretty convincing. TCU is faster, bigger, and more athletic and all the practicing in the world won't compensate for that. BYU is NOT a top 20 program right now and every year Bronco gets a harsh reminder of that fact when he plays ranked teams. Utah has a defense very comparable to TCU year in a and year out and that is why the Utes don't get thrashed when they play ranked teams like BYU does. It really isnt't that hard to figure this out people.
Coug fan | 12:03 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009
Great game TCU, you were by far the better teams. BYU should have known TCU was going to shut down the offense as they have against everyone. TCU doesn't have a great offense, but a good one. It is their defense that is the best I have seen all year. Learn from TCU BYU, high powered offenses can sputtter, but it seems like high powered defenses usually don't sputter as much. Until BYU gets a real defense, they will NEVER go to a BCS game. BYU just doesn't know how to when defensive battles. Defense needs speed and skills, not just one of them. Good luck TCU, I want you to run the table and go to the BCS. It would be cool if BSU and TCU got into a BCS game, that would really mess up the BCS system.
Cougarf@n | 12:06 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009
TCU is right on BSU's heels in every major poll. That will all change after TCU beats a ranked Utah team and leapfrogs BSU after they string together five more games against sub-100 teams. Assuming both teams win out there's no way BSU is going BCS bowling and that's only fair after the way they scheduled this season.

BYU and Utah will both be 9-2 and ranked again in time for the rivalry game which will be for 2nd in the MWC and a trip to the Vegas Bowl. I'd always rather have a Utah team go to the BCS, but at least TCU keeps the money in the conference.
A little respect please... | 12:18 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009
I heard Matt Reynolds on a radio interview last week. When asked about Jerry Hughes from TCU, he commented that Hughes was just another football player like himself. If this is the attitude among the BYU players it must come from the coaches. When Reynolds is a first team All American and plays to the level of Hughes then perhaps he can claim to be a player just like him, otherwise a little respect is due, not that it will be given. I suspect this may be one of the root causes of the BYU melt down against "elite" teams, unjustified arrogance. Mendenhall continually refers to himself and the Cougars as "elite". It gets a little old to listen to the internally generated hype coming for the team and its boosters at the DNews. Lavell Edwards teams didn't need the hype or "Bronco Speak", they "walked the walk" and let their results speak. I'm afraid that under the current football brain trust it is going to be a continuing saga of could of's and should of's but never quite elite. And by the way, Magic Happens when your living right, according to some!
MiP | 1:18 p.m. Oct. 25, 2009
re: Realist

Uh, what kind of reality are you living in? You must not understand why the Big-8 (Big-12) annexed the four teams they did from the now defunct SWC: Texas, A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech.

Knowing the history will help to understand why TCU, along with Rice and SMU were left out (Arkansas went to the SEC). TCU's being good in football will not change that. Baylor offers quite a bit in many other sports---particularly women's sports---over TCU. Plus, Baylor's got a lot of money behind them---more than even the affluent TCU.

So, the Big-12 will not be annexing TCU anytime soon, unless they bulk up ALL of their other sports. SEC is not going to expand which leaves the Sun Belt, WAC and Conference USA as the others in the region---all step below the MWC (including the WAC).

It's much the same reason Boise State will not be offered a spot in the MWC.

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

A popular sense of justice and public demand for revenge might make it sound...

Yes, its the only way to save our Philistine brethren! Oh wait, we are...

"Next year is huge rebuilding year what with losing Pitta and the winningest...

Gay-friendly curriculum phased out

["Who should we be bullying? Do we really need to specify people that should...

I'd have to agree with the disaster of Maynor and Matthews trying to prove...

what article did you all read? your comments make no sense! there was no...

Knitting hearts together

So you're an expert in knitting and all known "archealogical" digs, correctly...

We need more of these sanctions and they need to be even harder...three years...

BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall

You have failed to post any quotation of or link to the PDD statement saying...

Letters: Not a Tiger anymore

I don't care about Tiger Wood's personal life. He's a golfer not a saint.

Advertisements