the basketball team needs this philosophy (although more difficult with only 15 players or so on the roster it can be done) of RM revolving door, maturation process, mental strength and leadership.

If the last two years were "transition" years, those new uniforms of the utes should hopefully be finding a place to hide.

What an interesting past 2 transition years! I didn't know thats what we were calling them. Let's see how things pan out now that BYU football is going to explode back into the the national rankings all year round! With Mendenhall making the decisions I think that we will sustain a high level of excellence for a long time.

Man I wish football would start again already, I'm tired of reading articles about the season, only to realize that there's like 5 more months left.

It's great that the mission cycles are to the point where numbers are evening out. But numbers are only one issue. The other is the inevitable (in all but a few rare cases) decrease in strength, speed, agility, stamina, etc. Maturity is gained but I think in general a player who does not serve a mission is probably a better player at the end of his career than one who serves and has to struggle to regain what he physically once had. Not a criticism of missions but what I believe is the inevitable outcome.

When Bronco first started, he hinted that this would probably be the year BYU would be really good. That is what I planned in my head. I never would have predicted we'd do so well the last two years. It's a great era of BYU football, just like those 20 years of Lavell!! Let's hope it continues, and it should with such an awesome coach who doesn't consistently over hype his players by saying "we have the best X position in the nation," and then can't even win a MW championship. Bronco is an awesome coach!

You guys are a national joke. Nobody takes you seriously. Most Likely you will cough up your first hairball at Washington, to be followed by UCLA, TCU, and finally Utah. You all are drinking the kool-aid.

some salt in the stew always adds to the flavor!!!
Add a few texans and wyoming cowboy's to the the batch!!!

I think your assessment of missions and athletic performance is wrong. RMs do have one advantage. At the end of his career as you put it, he's two years older than his non-RM counterpart. That means that the collegiate career of your traditional athlete ends at the beginning of his athletic prime. The RM is two years into that prime phase when he ends his collegiate career. I disagree that RMs are worse off than others.

It appears that more and more the QB's being recruited are mission bound. Coach M must have something going right since Stanford, I heard, is trying to develop a very similar approach. Maturity in their players. Anyone know 09 prospects? Are they mission bound?

you are probably right if you are factoring physical ability only. Bronco seems to have really grasped the potential for maturity, leadership and brotherhood that are all fostered by missions rather than hindered like physical ability.

I would say that a mature, team oriented, hard working, stable football player that is slightly less physically able is a better asset to a team then a great physical player that may still struggle to be a good teammate or is still immature in his overall lifestyle.

I like Broncos approach to encourage missions and I hope it continues. I would rather have a good team full of great examples then have a great team full of good examples for my boys to look up to.

I was companions with Matt Johnson an Offensive linemen in 1995. He went back to Ricks then went to BYU and finished his last year in 1998. He went pro for 3 years for the Colts. He gain 40 pounds and his bench press improved when I was with him for 3 months. He lifted once a week at the YMCA once a week during our weekly service project. In his case he improved.

The fact that we cannot get a game against anyone decent (and no, your Yewts do not qualify as "decent") proves that everyone takes us seriously. Playing BYU is too much of a risk and has been for years. If anyone thinks we are a joke and does not take us seriously, they do so at their own peril.

GO COUGARS!

Well the biginning of there athletic prime really did wonders for us didn't it. It always comes out. No one cares about our RMs when we are losing.

UMMM, Last time I checked, USC played a home and home- they had no problem-it's your athletic director not selling your program!

RE: BSC dreaming...you sound a little bitter.. Perhaps it's because your utes are not just a national joke but an instate one??? cry me a river lol

"You Guys Are A National Joke"

Dude, being "national" anything is yards better than any other school in this neck of the woods...

and

"Nobody takes you seriously" Well, I know for a fact that is not true... you, for example, are immediate proof that BYU is seriously stirring up quite nicely in your lil ol head... otherwise why would you take the time to try and convince us otherwise...

Indifference is the worst dissing a program can receive... and by your comments on this site my friend...you have just proven that BYU is far from that in your stressed out mind.

Good, if no one takes us seriously, that's good for us, and bad for them. There is not a single team on BYU's schedule that is not taken seriously, even the bottom feeders of the MWC and little non-conference game teams. That's one of the key reasons BYU is so successful. Whoever doesn't take us seriously this next season around will just have their trash handed to them.

I couldn't be more pleased with the way Bronco is leading the BYU football program. As a fan, it's exciting having the team set a goal of playing in a BCS bowl in the final year of "transition."

Regardless of the many naysayers/BYU haters/ewet trolls/jealous rivals, if BYU takes care of business each and every game and goes undefeated, they'll be going to a BCS bowl. PERIOD.

It won't be in the so-called national championship game, but it will be a BCS bowl.

Yeah, no one takes us seriously, except for Lou Holtz, Kirk Herbstriet, Adam Rittenberg, Mark Schlabach, Ivan Maisel, college fb coaches and the Harris Poll voters who voted the Cougars of BYU at #14 in the nation... Yeah, you're right. With the exception of those guys, who probably don't know too much about college football, no one takes us seriously. Go Cougs!

there are less BYU fan posts here than on the Ute jersey story! SOMEONE IS INSECURE! And I'm neither so don't paint as a fan.

I suppose there are some who do not take BYU football seriously. But it's a good bet that the coaches and media who will ote BYU into the top 15 of the preseason polls have at least some respect for the Cougs. Similar to being voted into the top 15 to end the last two seasons. And that level of respect will probably continue to rise when we play in our first BCS bowl game in January. But even then, some will still think the Cougs are not taken seriously.

Isn't the recruiting focus of the BYU athletic programs designed to bring in all the top LDS athletes that are and will be committed to the mission of the university and the church, not just the mission of the football/basketball/whatever sport program (which is congruous to that of the university)? By going after top athletes that are hopefully already committed to the expected standards, the natural progression would then be to expect the young men, and some women, to serve missions.

Therefore, the programs must be managed with missions in mind, for the sake of allowing those future missionaries to serve, and not be managed with the motive of developing maturity.

Remember Ricks College? That was the BYU farm team back in the day. It will never be the same without it.
BYU is bound to be a decent mid-major that will play a BCS game every 15 years or so when a special team comes together.

When you're doing the right thing on and off the field, the Lord steps in, provides magic, and eliminates the need for transition years.

Unless BYU lowers its standards in regards to the honor code, no, they'll never get more than a handful of nationally-regarded prospects.

But BYU's mission isn't about winning national championships in football or basketball. As a BYU fan and alumnus, I'd rather see the team go 0-12 than suffer through some of the misdeeds of the post-Lavell, pre-Bronco days. There are enough athletes to recruit, LDS and not, with good character.

I see nothing wrong with being competitive in the conference and every so often having a great year and playing in top-tier bowl game.

BCS Dreaming and any other Ute fan who would care to comment, give us an assessment of your own program and how it has progressed since Urban Meyer left, and be honest. I for one hope that the Utes and every other MWC football progresses because that just makes our conference better. Weren't we 3-1 last year in bowl games which was the best in the country? Yes, give the Utes credit...they have won 7 bowl games in a row.

Urban was the apogee of Utah football. The more that is said about him, the greater the recognition that Utah is living in the past and is over "The Hill."

BYU and Utah are very close in ability. That is shown by the last two times they've played. I think the Y will be very lucky to come out with a win this year. Both teams will be very good. Being a Y fan and to some degree a Utah fan I will just say I love football. Winning a national championship is not in the cards and really doesn't matter. I love a winning program which the Y has. Hopefully it stays that way.

I agree with "LDS/BYU CONVERT" and "just me". I am a BYU fan first, but I hope the Utes and every other MWC team will progress. The Utes have in fact won 7 bowl games in a row, and yes, the past few games between BYU & Utah have been razor close. I love it! However, having said all that, I believe BYU is headed for bigger and better things than the Utes. I'm grateful the Utes ended up with Kyle Whittingham, and BYU ended up with Bronco Mendenhall. He is a PERFECT fit for what BYU is all about. He "gets it" and he is "Fully Invested" in the standards and mission of the school and the LDS Church. Plus..... He is a pit-bull and a tireless organizer and preparer.
Keep trying Utes! I like to see you succeed. But you will not keep up with BYU as long as Bronco is there.

The MWC was actually 4-1 in bowl games last season. Utah, New Mexico, TCU, and BYU all came away with their respective bowl game tropies, while Air Force dropped a close game to Cal.

And, yes, it was the best conference record in the post-season that year.

I'm as excited as the next Cougar fan about next year's season and the prospect of a BCS-busting team. However, last year's Wyoming game showed that we're only one hit on Hall away from being a mediocre team.

Until we have more depth at the QB position, we're in 'transition'.

Go Cougs!

You said it man. If Hall gets injured, ouch, things don't look so good for our team.

But, on the bright side, he's taken plenty of hits and he's proved to be a pretty tough player so far.